Lily Allen returns with West End Girl, first album in seven years

Lily Allen will return to music this week with West End Girl, her fifth studio album and her first in seven years, set for release on Friday, October 24. The 14-track record, Allen said, chronicles her move to New York and the events that followed the breakdown of her marriage to actor David Harbour late last year.

Allen described the album as vulnerable and said she was nervous about releasing it. She and collaborators produced the record with Seb Chew, Kito and musical director Blue May, and the artwork and illustrations were created by artist Nieves González. Accounts differ on how quickly the project was completed; Allen has described recording it during an intense, short period in late 2024, with some reports saying it was finished in roughly 10 days and others saying about 16 days.

Several songs on the record appear to address the end of Allen’s marriage and personal turmoil that followed. Allen has said the material is inspired by what happened in the relationship but cautioned it is a mixture of fact and fiction. Lyrics shared in promotional profiles include references that critics and listeners have read as allusions to alleged infidelity, and Allen herself told...