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Sheezus
Studio album by
Lily Allen
Released2 May 2014 (2014-05-02)
RecordedMarch 2012 – November 2013
Studio
  • Arcadium (Los Angeles)[a]
  • Echo (Los Angeles)[b]
  • MXM (Stockholm)[c]
  • RAK (London)[d]
  • Poor Kevin's Studio (Los Angeles)[e]
  • Sound of Sterloid (Los Angeles)[f]
  • Rocket (London)[g]
  • Fryercorp HQ (Los Angeles)[h]
  • MyAudioTonic (London)[i]
  • The Matrix (London)[i]
Genre
Length49:40
Label
Producer
Lily Allen chronology
Paris Live Session
(2009) 		Sheezus
(2014) 		No Shame
(2018)
Singles from Sheezus
  1. "Hard Out Here"
    Released: 17 November 2013
  2. "Air Balloon"
    Released: 2 March 2014
  3. "Our Time"
    Released: 10 March 2014
  4. "URL Badman"
    Released: 13 July 2014
  5. "As Long as I Got You"
    Released: 24 August 2014

Sheezus is the third studio album by English singer Lily Allen, released on 2 May 2014 by Parlophone.[2] The album was Allen's first work after a five year hiatus since the release of her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You (2009). Sheezus features production from longtime collaborator Greg Kurstin, along with the likes of Shellback, DJ Dahi and Fraser T. Smith. Upon release, Sheezus received mixed reviews from music critics. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Allen's second consecutive number-one album.

The album was preceded by the release of two singles. The lead single "Hard Out Here" was released on 17 November 2013 and entered the UK Singles Chart at number nine, giving Allen two simultaneous top-10 singles. "Air Balloon" was released as the second single from the album, peaking at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

[edit]

Allen released her second album It's Not Me, It's You in 2009, which saw a genre shift to electropop, rather than the ska and reggae influences used in her debut album Alright, Still (2006). The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and the Australian Albums Chart and was well received by critics, noting the singer's musical evolution and maturity. It spawned the commercially successful singles "The Fear" and "Fuck You", popular mostly in Europe. Allen and Amy Winehouse were credited with starting a process that led to the media-proclaimed "year of the women" in 2009 that saw five female artists making music of "experimentalism and fearlessness" nominated for the Mercury Prize.[3]

In 2009, Allen announced that she would be taking a hiatus from musical activities. The following year, she opened a fashion rental shop named Lucy in Disguise with her sister Sarah,[4] followed by the 2011 launching of her own record label.[5]

Recording

[edit]

"Lily Allen has found it quite difficult and stressful trying to reconnect. And Lily Cooper is happy because she's not sitting at home playing with toys and speaking with two human beings that can't speak back. There was a void. I'm a creative person, I like to speak my mind. Making music is the perfect vehicle for that. It would be different if I was on Made in Chelsea—that isn't a vessel for creativity. I need somewhere to put my... stuff."

Allen, on her return to music.[6]

Allen said in October 2012 that she was in the studio, "throwing shit in the wall and seeing if anything sticks ... It's great to work at my own pace with no commitments other than to make music."[7] In February 2013, she performed live at a Paris fashion show produced by Mark Ronson in what she called her "mumback", and foreshadowed the release of a new album "inspired by her experiences of motherhood" by the end of 2013.[8]

In 2013, Allen revealed that she had begun working on her third studio album. On 20 June 2012, Allen tweeted that she was in the studio working with Greg Kurstin on new music.[9][10] She changed her professional name from Lily Allen to Lily Rose Cooper.[11] In August 2013 she changed her professional name back to Allen and tweeted new music would be arriving "soon".[12]

Allen confirmed in an interview with BBC Radio 1 on 19 November 2013 that she was to perform at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival.[13] She also revealed that she wrote a song for the album inspired by a Twitter feud with Azealia Banks that happened in mid-2013.[14] Sheezus was predominantly produced by longtime collaborator Greg Kurstin, with whom Allen had worked on her first and second studio albums. Other collaborations came from DJ Dahi, who produced the album's title track, and Shellback, who produced "Air Balloon".[15]

Composition

[edit]

Sheezus contains a "diverse mix of vibrant pop hooks, snappy commentary and a fearlessly perceptive outlook."[16] Allen's sound, aesthetic, and lyricism on the album has been described as a return to "the same firecracker who turned heads in the mid-'00s with eclectic, post-hip-hop tunes and bullshit-slaying lyrics".[17] The album's opening track "Sheezus" is a "sarcastic pop" song, containing "anti-pop" lyrics that namecheck singers such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Lorde.[18] "L8 CMMR" is a bubblegum pop and electropop song,[19] whose lyrics describe Allen's obsession with her male lover.[20]

"Air Balloon" is a bubblegum pop[21] song that was described by Billboard as "more of a loopy lullaby than a slice of social commentary", the song contains a toy piano arrangement and creaseless beat.[22] "Our Time" is song built over "synth pop swirls", described as having a "carefree attitude".[16] "Insincerely Yours" is a funk song that contains a "narrative of blunt truths and gutsy celeb culture sneers."[16] The track namechecks models Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn, as well as singer Rita Ora;[23] Allen stated that the song is "not about them, it's about the idea of them—how the media perceive them. It's about how the way [sic] the media perceive them as entities and how that actually has nothing to do with how they are in real life."[24]

"Take My Place" is a song that lyrically is about Allen's first child who she lost through a stillbirth in 2010.[16] "As Long as I Got You" revolves around the theme of married life and Allen's partying past.[16] "URL Badman" is a response to the controversy surrounding Allen's music video for Hard out Here. The song was described as "an astute slap across the faceless nature of the blogosphere".[16] On "Silver Spoon", Allen lambasts all the critics who continually attribute her success to her privileged upbringing, echoing the "snarky charm" of her previous albums, Alright, Still and It's Not Me, It's You.[16] "Hard out Here" is a "typically outspoken, sweary" synth-pop song.[25] Lyrically, it speaks about "body image pressures and misogyny in the entertainment industry".[26]

Singles

[edit]

"Hard out Here" was released as the album's lead single on 17 November 2013.[27] Upon release, "Hard out Here" was met with critical acclaim, with critics praising the song's feminist themes.[28] The single debuted at number nine on the UK Singles Chart, selling 30,213 copies in its first week.[29] The song's accompanying music video was a subject of controversy, with Allen accused of being racist for its use of mostly black dancers in an allegedly "disapproving" manner. Allen responded that ethnicity was not a factor in hiring the dancers, and the video was a light-hearted satirical look at objectification of women in modern pop music.[30][31]

"Air Balloon" premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 13 January 2014,[32] and was released on 2 March 2014 as the second single from the album.[33] The song reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart.[34] A video of "Our Time" appeared on 10 March 2014 to conincide with the tracklisting reveal.[35] The physical release appeared on the 27 April,[36] and peaked at number 43 on the UK Singles Chart.[37] The song was serviced to radio in Italy on 14 April.[38]

"URL Badman" was released on 13 July 2014 as the fourth single from the album.[39] "As Long as I Got You" was released on 24 August 2014 as the fifth and final single. The music video was filmed at the Glastonbury Festival 2014 and released on 24 July.[40]

Other songs

[edit]

"Somewhere Only We Know" was released on 10 November 2013 and was used as the John Lewis 2013 Christmas advertisement. "Sheezus" was released as a promotional single on 22 April 2014.[41] According to Allen, the song was not released as an "official single" due to its use of the word "period".[42]

Release and promotion

[edit]

In December 2013, Allen was announced as one of the newest signees at Warner Bros. Records, following Warner Music Group's acquisition of Parlophone from Universal Music Group in May 2013.[43] In an interview with Graham Norton on The Graham Norton Show on 21 February 2014, Allen confirmed that her third studio album would be titled Sheezus, saying that it is "a little nod to Kanye West", who had released the album Yeezus in 2013.[44] Allen released the album's artwork and track listing on 10 March 2014, the artwork features Allen sitting outside a stately home with Corgis, while the building is engraved with the Latin phrase divide et impera translated to "divide and rule".[45] The same day, Sheezus was made available for pre-order along with the song "Our Time".[46]

On 14 November 2013, Allen made her debut live performance of "Hard Out Here" in the YoYos pod at the Red Bull Revolutions in Sound event on the London Eye.[47][48] During an interview with Graham Norton on The Graham Norton Show on 21 February 2014, Allen performed the album's second single, "Air Balloon".[44] On 24 May 2014, Allen performed "Sheezus", "Hard Out Here", "URL Badman" and "Our Time" as part of her set at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Glasgow.[49]

Allen played at Glastonbury Festival on 27 June 2014, where she also recorded a video for "As Long as I Got You". Moreover, to promote the album, Allen embarked on the Sheezus Tour, which took place in Europe, Australia and North America.[50]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic60/100[51]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarHalf star[2]
Cuepoint (Expert Witness)A−[52]
The Daily TelegraphStarStarStarStar[53]
The GuardianStarStarStar[54]
The IndependentStarStarStarStar[55]
NME3/10[56]
Pitchfork5.4/10[57]
Rolling StoneStarStarStar[17]
Slant MagazineStarStarStarHalf star[58]
Spin5/10[59]

Sheezus received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60 based on 29 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[51]

In his review for The Guardian, journalist Alexis Petridis said Allen seems timid lyrically and musically inconsistent on an album that is "far from terrible – indeed, in parts it's very sharp".[54] NME magazine's Laura Snapes was more critical and derided the lyrics as egotistical, clichéd, lacking conviction, and plagued by "empty grandstanding, trying to say something about female oppression, but not knowing quite what".[56] Stephen Thomas Erlewine, writing for AllMusic, felt only "Life for Me", "Insincerely Yours", and "URL Badman" showcase Allen's usually sharp songwriting, as "many of these songs falter on their specificity; she's traded incisive commentary for pedantic details paired with music that winds up diminished by her weariness."[2] Stephanie Benson of Spin believed Allen's message in her lyrics about marriage and womanhood are inconsistent with the party themes on other songs: "Her attempt at convincing us she's a loving wife and mother of two, a savvy feminist, and a satirical mastermind mostly comes off as disingenuous."[59]

In a positive review for the Chicago Tribune, Greg Kot argued that Sheezus is a modest but successful pop album that "connects because it's more conversational than confrontational, a personal statement that dabbles in pop rather than trying to embody the pop moment."[60] Andy Gill of The Independent found both the music and themes diverse, which he felt "clinches the album's success, confirming that this is an artist with taste and opinions of her own, not just a schedule and a fanbase to satisfy".[55] Robert Christgau was impressed by how melodic some of the songs are and Allen's take on marriage in her lyrics, writing in his review for Cuepoint: "Even when that bliss devolves into a painful argument, she can put it into song, and though the bite that was her premarital specialty has softened, give her credit—marital bliss is a theme few lyricists sharpen much at all."[52]

Sheezus was placed at number 47 on The Daily Telegraph's list of 2014's best albums.[61] Christgau ranked it 32nd on his year-end list for The Barnes & Noble Review.[62]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Sheezus debuted atop the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 35,414 copies, becoming Allen's second consecutive number-one album.[63] As of June 2018, it had sold 113,054 copies in the United Kingdom.[64] In the United States, the album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, selling 17,000 copies in its first week.[65] In Japan, it sold 1,931 copies to enter the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart at number 26.[66] The album debuted at number 23 on the French Albums Chart with 2,300 copies sold in its first week.[67]

Track listing

[edit]
Sheezus – standard edition[68][69]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Sheezus"
DJ Dahi3:54
2."L8 CMMR"
Kurstin3:24
3."Air Balloon"
Shellback3:48
4."Our Time"
  • Allen
  • Kurstin
Kurstin4:19
5."Insincerely Yours"
  • Allen
  • Kurstin
Kurstin3:39
6."Take My Place"
Kurstin3:31
7."As Long as I Got You"
  • Allen
  • Kurstin
  • Poole
Kurstin3:23
8."Close Your Eyes"
  • Allen
  • Kurstin
Kurstin3:36
9."URL Badman"
  • Allen
  • Kurstin
Kurstin3:39
10."Silver Spoon"
  • Allen
  • Kurstin
Kurstin3:37
11."Life for Me"
  • Allen
  • Kurstin
  • Poole
Kurstin4:00
12."Hard Out Here"
  • Allen
  • Kurstin
Kurstin3:31
13."Interlude"
Fryars (Garrett)1:38
14."Somewhere Only We Know" (bonus track)
Paul Beard3:28
Total length:49:40
Sheezus – deluxe edition bonus disc[70]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Wind Your Neck In"
  • Allen
  • Kurstin
Kurstin3:19
2."Who Do You Love?"
  • Garrett
  • Allen
3:26
3."Miserable Without Your Love"
  • Garrett
  • Allen
3:23
4."Holding On to Nothing"
Smith2:59
5."Somewhere Only We Know"
  • Chaplin
  • Hughes
  • Rice-Oxley
Beard3:28
Total length:60:59
Sheezus – Japanese edition bonus tracks[71]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Wind Your Neck In"
  • Allen
  • Kurstin
Kurstin3:19
16."Who Do You Love?"
  • Garrett
  • Allen
3:26
17."Miserable Without Your Love"
  • Garrett
  • Allen
3:23
18."Holding On to Nothing"
  • Allen
  • Smith
  • Rice-Oxley
Smith2:59
19."Air Balloon" (Digital Farm Animals Remix)
  • Allen
  • Shellback
4:29
20."Air Balloon" (Taiki & Nulight Dub Remix)
  • Allen
  • Shellback
  • Shellback
  • Taiki & Nulight[b]
5:44
Sheezus – Japan tour limited edition bonus track[72]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
21."Bass Like Home"
Kid Harpoon4:00
Sheezus – Japan tour limited edition bonus DVD[72]
No.TitleLength
1."Hard Out Here" (music video)4:22
2."Air Balloon" (music video)4:02
3."Our Time" (music video)4:45
4."URL Badman" (music video)3:54
5."As Long as I Got You" (music video)4:09
6."Sheezus" (track by track)19:54

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies a remixer
  • The track "Interlude" only appears on the standard edition as a hidden track.

Personnel

[edit]

Standard edition

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sheezus.[73]

Musicians

  • Lily Allen – lead vocals
  • Alex Burey – guitar (track 1)
  • Greg Kurstin – keyboards (tracks 2, 4–6, 8–12); programming (tracks 2, 5, 6, 8–11); drums (tracks 4, 6, 7, 12); piano (tracks 4, 7, 12); guitar (tracks 4, 5, 7, 8, 11); bass (tracks 5–7, 11, 12); accordion (track 7)
  • Shellback – background vocals, keyboards, programming (track 3)
  • Kevin Dukes – lap steel (tracks 6, 11); Dobro (track 7)
  • Aaron Sterling – drums (tracks 6, 11)
  • Paul Beard – arrangements, piano, percussion, programming (track 14)
  • James Banbury – string arrangements (track 14)
  • Andy Cook – string arrangement assistance (track 14)
  • Matt Doughty – string arrangement assistance (track 14)
  • Will Hicks – string arrangement assistance (track 14)
  • Paul Sayer – acoustic guitar (track 14)

Technical

  • DJ Dahi – production (track 1)
  • Sean Tallman – mixing (track 1)
  • Doron Dina – mixing assistance (track 1)
  • Mike Reeves – additional engineering (track 1)
  • Greg Kurstin – production, engineering (tracks 2, 4–12); mixing (tracks 5–12)
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing (tracks 2–4)
  • Alex Pasco – additional engineering (tracks 2, 4–12); engineering assistance (track 12)
  • John Hanes – engineering for mix (tracks 2–4, 8)
  • Tim Roberts – engineering assistance (tracks 2, 3)
  • Shellback – production (track 3)
  • Ilya Salmanzadeh – engineering assistance (track 3)
  • Robert Möllard – engineering assistance (track 3)
  • Jesse Shatkin – additional engineering (tracks 6, 7, 11)
  • Mike Horner – recording assistance (tracks 6, 7)
  • Rob MacFarlane – recording assistance (tracks 6, 7)
  • Kevin Dukes – lap steel recording (tracks 6, 11); Dobro recording (track 7)
  • Aaron Sterling – drum recording (tracks 6, 11)
  • Will Hicks – additional vocal recording (tracks 7, 9)
  • Matt Doughty – additional vocal recording (tracks 7, 9)
  • Julian Burg – additional engineering (track 10)
  • Fryars (Benjamin Garrett) – production, mixing (track 13)
  • Paul Beard – production, co-mixing (track 14)
  • Joe Kearns – engineering, co-mixing (track 14)
  • Geoff Pesche – mastering (tracks 1–13)
  • Stuart Hawkes – mastering (track 14)

Artwork

  • Aimee Phillips – creative direction, art direction, design
  • Lily Allen – art direction, design
  • Richard Welland – art direction, design
  • Jamie Nelson – photography
  • Michael Whitham – commissioning

Deluxe edition bonus disc

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the deluxe edition of Sheezus.[74]

Musicians

  • Greg Kurstin – bass, drums, keyboards (track 1)
  • DJ Dahi – programming, keyboards (tracks 2, 3)
  • Ben Esser – drums, percussion (track 2)
  • Benjamin Garrett – piano, bass (track 2); programming (tracks 2, 3); all parts (track 3)
  • LaDonna Marie Harley-Peters – backing vocals (track 4)
  • Tim Rice-Oxley – backing vocals, piano (track 4)
  • Fraser T. Smith – guitars, keyboards (track 4)
  • Sam Skirrow – bass guitar (track 4)
  • Ash Soan – drums (track 4)
  • Paul Beard – arrangements, piano, percussion, programming (track 5)
  • James Banbury – string arrangements (track 5)
  • Andy Cook – string arrangement assistance (track 5)
  • Matt Doughty – string arrangement assistance (track 5)
  • Will Hicks – string arrangement assistance (track 5)
  • Paul Sayer – acoustic guitar (track 5)

Technical

  • Greg Kurstin – production, mixing, engineering (track 1)
  • Alex Pasco – additional engineering (track 1)
  • Fryars (Benjamin Garrett) – co-production (tracks 2, 3)
  • DJ Dahi – co-production (tracks 2, 3)
  • Sean Tallman – mixing (tracks 2, 3)
  • Mike Horner – engineering (tracks 2, 3)
  • Fraser T. Smith – production, recording (track 4)
  • Graham Archer – mixing, recording (track 4)
  • Paul Beard – production, co-mixing (track 5)
  • Joe Kearns – engineering, co-mixing (track 5)
  • Geoff Pesche – mastering (tracks 1–4)
  • Stuart Hawkes – mastering (track 5)

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Sheezus
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Hungary (MAHASZ)[98] Gold 1,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[99] Gold 7,500‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[100] Gold 113,054[64]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for Sheezus
Region Date Format(s) Edition Label Ref.
Australia 2 May 2014
  • CD
  • digital download
  • Standard
  • deluxe
 Warner [101][102][103][104]
LP Standard [105]
Germany
  • CD
  • LP
 [106][107]
  • CD
  • digital download
 Deluxe [108][109]
France 5 May 2014
  • Standard
  • deluxe
 [110][111][112][113]
LP + CD Standard [114]
United Kingdom
  • CD
  • digital download
  • Standard
  • deluxe
[69][115][116][117]
LP + CD Standard [118][119]
United States 6 May 2014 CD Deluxe Warner Bros. [120]
Digital download
  • Standard
  • deluxe
 [121][122]
Japan 7 May 2014 CD Deluxe Warner [71]
Digital download
  • Standard
  • deluxe
 [123][124]
Brazil 21 May 2014 CD Standard [125]
United States 27 May 2014 LP Standard Warner Bros. [126]
Japan 21 January 2015 CD + DVD Japan tour limited edition Warner [72]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Sheezus

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter , released on 5 May 2014 through Records. The record marks Allen's return to music following a five-year break after her second album, during which she focused on family life and stepped away from the public eye. It debuted at number one on the , selling 44,000 copies in its first week and earning a silver certification from the for 60,000 units shipped. Produced by collaborators including , , and Fryars, the album blends with hip hop elements across 12 tracks, featuring singles "", "Air Balloon", and "Our Time". "", released as the lead single in November 2013, peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart and drew attention for its satirical take on and , though its sparked debate over perceived racial stereotypes in the portrayal of backing dancers. The title track "Sheezus" included name-drops of female contemporaries like and , interpreted by some as competitive jabs, contributing to online backlash. Critically, Sheezus received mixed reviews, with praise for wit and personal but for uneven songwriting and perceived reliance on formulaic pop structures. Allen later reflected on the album as emblematic of a challenging personal period, including marital strains, and expressed dissatisfaction with its promotional singles as "disappointing pop rubbish" imposed by her label. Despite commercial success in the UK, the project underperformed internationally relative to expectations, highlighting tensions between artistic intent and industry demands.

Background

Artistic Hiatus and Conception

Following the release of her second album, It's Not Me, It's You, in February 2009, Lily Allen announced an indefinite hiatus from music to prioritize her personal life and recovery from health challenges, including a miscarriage and surgery for a brain tumor. This break extended over five years, during which she shifted focus to building a family, marrying builder Sam Cooper on June 11, 2011, at St. James the Great Church in Gloucestershire, England. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Ethel Mary Cooper, on November 25, 2011, an event that Allen later described as transformative, moving her away from the rebellious, party-centric themes of her earlier work toward reflections on domestic stability and maturity. By early 2013, shortly after the birth of their second daughter, Marnie Rose Cooper, on January 8, Allen experienced a renewed creative impulse, attributing it to the grounding effect of motherhood amid prior personal turbulence. In October 2012 interviews, she expressed intentions to incorporate motherhood's "joys" into new songwriting, marking the initial conception of what became Sheezus, as family life provided emotional renewal after years of industry exhaustion. This period solidified a causal shift: the demands of raising young children, including and routine, distanced her from pop's performative excesses, fostering lyrics rooted in authentic, post-youth experiences rather than contrived rebellion. Allen's return was also spurred by frustrations with evolving industry dynamics, including the dominance of platforms like , which she joined in and used to voice discontent over pop's superficiality and the pressure to maintain youthful relevance into her late twenties. She cited feeling "out of touch" with digital-era demands, such as constant online engagement and algorithmic shifts favoring viral content over substantive artistry, as catalysts for reclaiming her voice through . These reflections, drawn from her firsthand accounts, underscored a deliberate pivot: motherhood's stability enabled critique of fame's illusions, unburdened by the need for industry approval.

Recording and Production

Studio Process

Recording for Sheezus commenced in June 2012, when Allen reunited with longtime producer in the studio following her self-imposed hiatus for motherhood. Sessions progressed intermittently through 2013 and into early 2014, balancing intensive studio work with Allen's parental responsibilities after the births of her daughters in November 2011 and Marnie in January 2013. Principal recording took place at in and Echo Studio in , with additional elements like captured at Poor Kevin's Studio in Woodland Hills, . The process emphasized iterative demoing and collaboration across these sites, starting with Kurstin in around mid-2013 for core tracks before finalizing in the UK. Mixing occurred primarily at Echo Studio under engineers including Șerban Ghenea. Production integrated live —such as guitars and organic percussion—with electronic production techniques, reflecting Kurstin's approach honed on Allen's prior albums. Challenges arose in reconciling commercial pop structures demanded by the label with Allen's preference for rawer expressions, prompting revisions to avoid overly formulaic outputs; Allen later critiqued some results as "disappointing pop rubbish" influenced by external pressures. Principal recording concluded by early 2014, enabling the album's May 2 release.

Key Collaborators

served as a primary on Sheezus, co-producing and co-writing multiple tracks including "L8 CMMR" and "Close Your Eyes," contributing keyboards and programming that shaped the album's polished elements. His longstanding collaboration with Allen, dating back to her earlier albums, emphasized meticulous arrangements blending synth-driven hooks with Allen's vocal delivery. Shellback handled production on upbeat tracks like "Air Balloon," infusing a bright, radio-friendly pop sheen through layered and dynamic builds that contrasted the album's more cuts. produced the title track "Sheezus," incorporating guitar elements from Alex Burey and a bold, anthemic structure to underscore Allen's self-referential lyrics. Additional contributors included and Fryars, who produced select tracks such as interludes and bonus material, adding electronic textures and minimalistic production to maintain the album's cohesive yet varied sound. Paul Beard provided production support on several songs, focusing on vocal engineering. co-wrote the majority of the tracks and took an active role in vocal production, ensuring her observational lyricism drove the final product without reliance on prominent guest features, which were absent from the standard edition to prioritize her solo artistic voice.

Composition

Musical Style and Influences

Sheezus primarily employs electropop and synth-pop frameworks, characterized by electronic instrumentation, layered synthesizers, and rhythmic hi-hats that evoke trap-influenced hip-hop edges without fully adopting rap structures. This represents an evolution from the ska and reggae infusions of Allen's 2006 debut Alright, Still, shifting toward polished, hook-driven pop arrangements that prioritize accessibility over genre fusion. Production techniques include deliberate autotune application in select tracks, such as the title song, deployed sparingly to mimic and satirize contemporary vocal processing trends rather than as a core aesthetic. Tracks generally span 3 to 4 minutes, emphasizing verse-chorus dynamics with vibrant, mid-tempo electronic beats that sustain listener engagement through repetitive motifs and subtle textural builds. The album's title directly nods to Kanye West's 2013 release , signaling an intentional homage to its provocative minimalism and cultural bravado, though Allen's sound diverges into lighter, melody-centric pop rather than industrial hip-hop experimentation. Broader influences trace to and early British pop acts, evident in the witty, veneer overlaid on electronic backdrops, as seen in occasional nods to R&B-tinged pop grooves reminiscent of era-specific crossover hits. This synthesis yields a cohesive yet eclectic palette, with some cuts retaining faint echoes amid dominant synth layers, contrasting the rawer, acoustic-leaning elements of Allen's initial output. Overall, the production favors empirical pop efficacy—clear hooks and dynamic shifts—over risks, aligning with commercial electronic norms of the mid-2010s.

Lyrics and Themes

Social Commentary on Fame and Industry

In the track "URL Badman," Lily Allen critiques the anonymity-enabled aggression of online trolls and rival artists, portraying them as keyboard warriors who thrive on performative outrage without accountability. The song directly references her 2013 Twitter feud with Azealia Banks, which escalated after Banks accused Allen of racism in the "Hard Out Here" video for allegedly mocking black female artists; Allen responds by likening such critics to "badmen" hiding behind screens, emphasizing how social media's structure incentivizes unfiltered hostility over substantive dialogue. Allen has stated that this conflict directly inspired her songwriting, transforming personal animosity into creative output rather than succumbing to emotional paralysis, as evidenced by her admission that the beef "helped my songwriting." The title track "Sheezus" offers a satirical take on the competitive hierarchies of celebrity culture, with Allen name-dropping contemporaries like , , , , and to assert her intent to claim dominance in a saturated pop landscape. Lyrics such as "Moses in the desert, but I led them to the / Now the is ours, you better understand" parody messianic self-aggrandizement common in rap and pop personas, nodding to the male-dominated bravado of genres like hip-hop while Allen adopts a female equivalent without framing it as systemic oppression. This reflects broader industry dynamics where artists must continually reinvent and outmaneuver peers to maintain relevance, as Allen positions her comeback amid a proliferation of female pop stars post her 2009 hiatus. Allen's lyrics underscore the music business's incentive structures, such as relentless tabloid scrutiny and inter-artist rivalries amplified by media, which she navigates through rather than withdrawal; in a 2014 interview, she expressed frustration with major label systems and the pressure of fame's visibility, yet channeled it into defiant commentary on her and songs. These elements highlight causal realities like how public feuds boost visibility and material, as seen in her feud's role in conception, countering narratives of undue sensitivity by demonstrating productive adaptation to industry antagonism.

Personal Life and Relationships

In the album Sheezus, incorporates lyrics drawn from her experiences of and motherhood, presenting them as anchors amid career resurgence. Tracks such as "Close Your Eyes" explicitly reference intimate relations with her husband, Sam Cooper, emphasizing physical satisfaction and mutual enjoyment in a consensual adult partnership following the birth of their second daughter, Marnie Rose, on January 8, 2013. Allen has described this phase as a shift toward domestic stability, crediting Cooper—whom she met in 2009 and married on June 11, 2011—for providing emotional support that contrasted her earlier instabilities, including past struggles with drugs and . These themes counter prevailing media narratives pressuring female artists to maintain pre-motherhood physiques and lifestyles, with Allen's accounts highlighting empirical adjustments to postpartum realities rather than idealized perpetual youth. In a 2014 interview, she noted how motherhood to daughters Ethel Mary (born November 25, 2011) and Marnie reshaped her priorities, fostering a sense of completion through family routines that informed the album's relational candor. Songs like "As Long as I Got You" further evoke this bliss, portraying spousal partnership as a reliable bulwark against external chaos, without framing gender dynamics through prescriptive lenses. Allen's 2013–2014 reflections underscore Cooper's disinterest in her celebrity as a grounding influence, enabling her to prioritize verified personal growth over performative rebellion. This portrayal aligns with Allen's broader self-reported evolution from a "reformed party girl" to a figure stabilized by relational commitments, as evidenced in contemporaneous discussions where she linked familial support to her creative output. The lyrics avoid moralizing, instead offering straightforward depictions of post-hiatus intimacy as a natural extension of marital bonds, grounded in her lived circumstances rather than abstracted ideologies.

Release and Promotion

Singles and Chart Performance

The lead single from Sheezus, "", was released digitally on November 17, 2013, by Records, following the premiere of its controversial on November 12. It debuted at number nine on the UK Singles Chart, Allen's first top-ten entry since 2009, and remained in the top 100 for four weeks. Internationally, the song topped the Austrian charts and reached the top ten in several European territories, though it saw limited airplay success in the United States, peaking at number 106 on extended metrics without entering the Hot 100. "Air Balloon" served as the second single, premiering on on January 13, 2014, and released on March 2. It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart, charting for eight weeks, and reached number eight in Ireland. The track's upbeat video and promotion aligned with the album's rollout, emphasizing playful escapism amid Allen's satirical themes. "Our Time" was issued digitally on March 10, 2014, as a promotional single tied to the Sheezus announcement, without a major commercial push or accompanying video at launch. It failed to enter the top 40 or achieve notable international charting, serving primarily to build album anticipation rather than drive standalone sales. The title track "Sheezus" followed as a promotional release on April 22, 2014, leaking early and debuting via video, but similarly underperformed on charts.
SingleRelease DateUK Peak PositionWeeks on UK Chart
"Hard Out Here"November 17, 20134
"Air Balloon"March 2, 20148
"Our Time"March 10, 2014——

Marketing and Tour

Sheezus was released on May 2, 2014, by Records in both standard and deluxe editions, the latter including additional tracks to encourage varied consumer purchases amid shifting digital-physical sales dynamics. A exclusive to featured bonus content, aligning with industry efforts to leverage platform-specific incentives for streaming and downloads during the early transition to digital dominance. Promotion emphasized video releases tied to lead singles, building anticipation through visual narratives that sparked public discourse, though specific pre-order data remains undocumented in available reports. The campaign targeted mature audiences via established media channels, reflecting Allen's return after a hiatus focused on family. The album supported the Sheezus Tour, commencing May 15, , at New York's Highline Ballroom and extending through summer dates in the UK and before North American legs into fall. The itinerary encompassed approximately 97 performances in , with setlists prioritizing tracks from Sheezus alongside prior hits to showcase new material. Box office attendance specifics for individual shows are not publicly detailed, but the tour's breadth indicates sustained interest in live renditions post-release.

Commercial Performance

Album Sales and Certifications

Sheezus debuted at number one on the , selling 35,414 copies in its first week of release on 4 May 2014. The album received a Silver certification from the (BPI) on 13 June 2014, indicating shipments of 60,000 units in the UK. Total sales in the UK reached approximately 102,000 copies by the end of its initial chart run. No certifications above Silver were awarded for Sheezus in the UK or other major markets such as the United States, Australia, or Canada, where equivalent thresholds typically require 100,000 to 500,000 units depending on the territory. The album's commercial performance occurred amid a broader decline in physical album sales, with global recorded music revenues contracting 3.9 percent in 2013 to $15 billion, as digital downloads grew but failed to fully offset losses in traditional formats. In 2014, physical sales still comprised 51.4 percent of worldwide industry revenues, though digital channels—including downloads integrated into UK album sales figures—increasingly dominated consumption patterns. This shift, coupled with competition from electronic dance music acts and early streaming adoption, contributed to constrained unit sales for pop releases like Sheezus relative to pre-digital era benchmarks.

Regional Chart Success

Sheezus achieved top 10 peaks in several markets, including number 1 in the , where it spent 16 weeks on the Official Albums Chart. In the United States, the album reached number 12 on the 200. It ranked number 78 on the year-end albums chart for 2014, reflecting limited sustained presence beyond its debut week at the top. The album's performance varied regionally, with stronger showings in English-speaking territories outside the :
Country/TerritoryPeak PositionChart
1Official Albums Chart
4ARIA Albums Chart
4IRMA Albums Chart
9 Albums Chart
12
Compared to Allen's prior releases, Sheezus matched the number 1 UK debut of Alright, Still (2006) and It's Not Me, It's You (2009), both of which also topped the chart. However, its US peak of 12 marked a decline from the number 5 high of It's Not Me, It's You, indicating comparatively weaker North American traction despite similar UK dominance.

Critical Reception

Praise for Catchiness and Wit

Critics highlighted the infectious hooks and melodic appeal of several tracks on Sheezus. The title track was described as "maddeningly catchy" by , blending playful references to female pop artists with a puzzling satirical tone that underscored Allen's observational humor. "Air Balloon" earned praise for its "infectious" quality and "decent chorus," positioning it as a vibrant, hook-driven standout suitable for radio rotation. "L8 CMMR" was similarly noted as "cheeky summertime pop," emphasizing its light, memorable structure. The album's wit drew commendations for its sharp, self-aware commentary. identified "URL Badman" as a "satirical send-up of spiteful commenters," capturing Allen's knack for incisive humor on digital . The Guardian called "Silver Spoon" a "genuinely funny " of privilege, with lyrics like "sucked dick, got signed to a major" delivering biting, autobiographical edge. These elements showcased Allen's return to sardonic lyricism, as affirmed in reviews noting her retained "sardonic wit" and "biting ." Collaborators contributed to the polished execution of these strengths. Producer , who helmed much of the including prior Allen projects, was credited with enabling songs that balanced verbosity and catchiness, fostering a vibrant pop aesthetic reliant on natural vocal delivery rather than heavy effects. This approach amplified the wit without diluting its clarity, as seen in the deliberate, humorous on the title track's chorus.

Criticisms of Unevenness and Messaging

Critics frequently highlighted the album's inconsistent quality, with strong singles overshadowed by weaker filler tracks that failed to maintain narrative or musical cohesion. Reviews described Sheezus as patchy, featuring standout moments like "Air Balloon" diluted by unmemorable cuts such as "L8 CMMR" and "Close Your Eyes," which lacked the debut's sharp wit and replayability. This divide contributed to a aggregate score of 57 out of 100, based on 29 reviews, with 51% rated as mixed, reflecting broad consensus on tonal mismatches and underdeveloped ideas. The album's messaging drew criticism for ambiguous execution, particularly in its feminist-leaning commentary, where irony often blurred into unresolved mockery. The title track, for instance, name-checks female artists like and in a chorus that toggles between homage and , leaving intent unclear and undermining potential themes. Such ambiguity extended to tracks like "Hard Out Here," where critiques of industry clashed with Allen's self-aware contradictions, resulting in a tentative tone that reviewers found more performative than incisive. Empirical data underscores diminished listener engagement compared to Allen's 2006 debut , with Sheezus accumulating approximately 587 million Spotify streams as of October 2025, versus over 730 million for the earlier album, indicating lower long-term replay value amid the perceived unevenness. This gap aligns with user feedback citing forgettable non-singles as a key detractor from sustained appeal.

Controversies

"Hard Out Here" Video and Feminist Critiques

The music video for "Hard Out Here", Lily Allen's lead single from Sheezus, premiered on 12 November 2013 and drew immediate backlash for perceived hypocrisy in critiquing the sexualization of women in pop music while featuring black female backup dancers performing twerking. Critics, including those in outlets like Vice and The Quietus, argued that the imagery objectified black women's bodies as props to underscore Allen's message, evoking racial dynamics akin to those in Miley Cyrus's performances and raising charges of cultural appropriation and unwitting racism. These critiques framed the video as failing feminist ideals by selectively shaming sexual expression without addressing intersectional power imbalances, with some accusing Allen of internalized misogyny for dismissing agency in favor of industry satire. Allen defended the video as a lighthearted targeting in modern pop culture, emphasizing that it had "nothing to do with race at all" and aimed to mock extremes like mandatory without endorsing victimhood narratives. In interviews, she highlighted personal agency over selective outrage, positioning the work as a realist takedown of performative that ignores causal realities of commercial music pressures. Supporters countered that the uproar exemplified inconsistent standards, noting similar imagery's prevalence in hip-hop without equivalent scrutiny, and praised the video's wit in exposing double standards rather than perpetuating harm. By 2016, Allen reflected that she had been "guilty of assuming that there was a one-size-fits-all where is concerned," acknowledging potential appropriation while reiterating the original intent as a feminist statement against homogenized narratives. Despite the debates, often amplified by left-leaning media prone to prioritizing identity over empirical outcomes, the single achieved commercial success, debuting at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart and reaching number 1 in , demonstrating that the controversy did not impede audience reception.

Lyrical Disses and Industry Feuds

In July 2013, engaged in a public feud with , triggered by Banks' insults directed at Allen's personal life, including calling her husband Sam Cooper "ugly" like a thumb, accusing Allen of a habit, and labeling her children ugly. Allen countered by labeling Banks a "" in reference to her 2011 single "212," emphasizing her own milestones of having two children and releasing two albums since Banks' breakout, while mocking Banks' prolonged delay in issuing her debut album , originally announced for 2012 but postponed multiple times. The exchange escalated when Allen posted an image of a crudely altered penis resembling a , which Banks and critics interpreted as a racist depiction, prompting accusations of racism against Allen tied to prior statements, such as her complaint about a service not collecting her takeaway. Allen later described the confrontation as reigniting her creativity after months of , stating it "motivated" her to compose new material by evoking a "juvenile flame" and highlighting perceived inconsistencies in Banks' aggressive online persona versus her stalled career progress. This dispute directly inspired the track "URL Badman" on Sheezus, released on May 5, , where Allen lyrically targets "keyboard warriors," aspiring UK bloggers aiming for outlets like , and performers mimicking rap bravado without substance, lines widely viewed as allusions to Banks' initiation and her history of online clashes. Lyrics such as "You're just a badman / Sat behind a keyboard acting like a don" underscore Allen's dismissal of performative , framing it as hypocritical posturing detached from tangible achievements like consistent releases. Banks responded to the song's perceived aim by reiterating claims and critiquing its outdated cultural references, including mentions of defunct rap feuds and brands, but the did not prolong into sustained public exchanges post-album, aligning with patterns where such pop rivalries, often amplified by social media's emphasis on personal attacks over professional output, resolve briefly without formal . Allen offered no public apology for her responses or the track, maintaining that the conflict productively channeled her frustrations with industry authenticity into songwriting. Beyond this, Sheezus features broader lyrical jabs at contemporaries, such as the title track's imperative to "Queen B, shut up" toward and mockery of as excessive, positioning Allen as a candid alternative amid perceived excesses, though these lacked the reciprocal escalation of the Banks spat.

Legacy

Influence on Allen's Career

Sheezus, released on 2 May 2014, represented Lily Allen's return to recording after a five-year hiatus devoted to motherhood following the births of her daughters in 2010 and 2011. The album debuted at number one on the , spending 16 weeks in the top 75 and outselling its nearest competitor by approximately 10,000 copies in its debut week. This performance re-established Allen's commercial viability in the UK market, where her prior albums (2006) and (2009) had achieved greater international breakthroughs with multiple top-ten singles. However, Sheezus did not generate equivalent global hits, signaling a more domestically focused revival rather than a full resurgence to her mid-2000s prominence. Post-release, the album's success facilitated a tour that sustained media exposure and industry engagements, bridging to her next project amid personal challenges including substance issues and marital . Allen subsequently entered a period of recovery, achieving and prioritizing , which delayed new music until 2018. She has attributed Sheezus to an inauthentic phase driven by financial pressures and an attempt to emulate conventional pop stardom, describing the album as a "monster that ate me alive" and critiquing its —such as Alice in Wonderland-themed visuals—as misaligned with her state during postnatal depression. This reflection underscores a career pivot, where Sheezus's demands prompted a reevaluation of artistic control. The experience directly shaped No Shame (2018), which Allen framed as a deliberate , emphasizing raw, self-produced confessionals over producer-dependent pop without reliance on figures like . By forgoing traditional promotional structures, she asserted greater independence, fostering a mature, introspective persona evident in lyrics addressing , , and . While No Shame charted lower than Sheezus, peaking at number two in the UK, it extended Allen's output into and memoir-writing, maintaining relevance without recapturing peak fame; as of 2025, she has hinted at new material after seven years, crediting evolved self-awareness from prior cycles.

Broader Cultural Reflections

Sheezus engaged with cultural discourses on female aging in , where Allen lampooned the industry's fixation on perpetual and the competitive dynamics among women, as evident in the title track's nod to rivalries. Yet, this commentary yielded no verifiable causal reforms; post-2014, the sector continued favoring youthful images, with persistent documented in ongoing critiques of double standards for male versus female artists. Labeling the album as a feminist milestone often overstated its ripple effects, as its satirical takes on —such as in the parodic "" video—sparked debate but failed to drive structural shifts, like diversified representation for mid-career women. Instead, Allen's emphasis on personal realism and self-accountability in lyrics challenged grievance-oriented narratives prevalent in contemporaneous pop, earning isolated acclaim for rejecting victimhood tropes in favor of candid introspection. Empirically, Sheezus features in select 2010s pop overviews for its acerbic wit, yet demonstrates subdued longevity, with key tracks like the title song amassing approximately 12.7 million total Spotify streams by 2025 and the artist's overall monthly listeners hovering near 8 million—far below streaming giants from the era. This underscores a cultural footprint more niche than transformative, prioritizing momentary provocation over enduring norm alteration.

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