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Topics: Celeb Breakups, Celebs, Music
Ilana Frost
On October 24, Lily Allen, the queen behind hits like “Smile” and “Fuck You,” reminded us of the undeniable power of her pen. Earlier this year, the British icon went through a messy breakup with Stranger Things star David Harbour after four years of marriage. And now, it seems she’s channeled that heartbreak into her stunning new album, West End Girl. The new songs are clever, raw, and, well, extremely detailed. In the caustic lyrics, Lily opens up about her ex’s weird attitude toward her, the complicated rules of an open marriage, and his affairs.
The pop star spoke about the inspiration behind West End Girl during a recent interview with British Vogue. “There are things that are on the record that I experienced within my marriage,” she said. “but that’s not to say that it’s all gospel.” So, which songs on Lily Allen’s West End Girl are actually about David Harbour? Let’s discuss.
I’d venture to say that most of the album is at least partially inspired by David, given the timing and the level of detail, but a few tracks seem to directly address their relationship. In the title track, “West End Girl,” Lily sings about moving into a brownstone in New York, which she and David did back in 2020. She also mentions moving back to London to star in a play, referencing her role in 2:22. “Later that evening you said how was my day / I said, ‘I got some good news, I got the lead in a play,'” she sings. “That’s when your demeanour started to change / You said that I’d have to audition, I said ‘You’re deranged.'” Lily calls that behavior “quite strange.”
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From there, the album continues to tell the story of a committed relationship unraveling. In “Tennis,” she introduces Madeline, a woman her ex had an affair with. “I can’t get my head round how you’ve been playing tennis / If it was just sex, I wouldn’t be jealous / You won’t play with me and who’s Madeline?” she croons.
And then, there’s a whole song titled “Madeline.” In that track, Lily recalls a conversation with her ex’s lover. “Tell me the truth about his motives / I can’t trust anything that comes out of his mouth,” she sings to Madeline. From Madeline’s perspective, she responds, “Hey, he is telling you the truth / Our relationship has only ever been about sex.” But Lily clearly seems to doubt that answer.
In the last song on the record, “Fruityloop,” she has a powerful closing message for her ex. “It’s not me, it’s you / It’s what you’ve always done, it’s what you’ll do / Forever till you die, it’s true.” It’s like the opposite of a vow… a final statement about why they’ll never be together again.
It’s hard to say which details on this album are inspired by other relationships or embellished a little bit, but Lily’s recent divorce clearly sparked inspiration. Personally, I’ll be streaming West End Girl on repeat for the foreseeable future.