In 2013, our lord and saviour Kanye West gave us Yeezus – and it was good. In 2014, the Lord’s quick-witted subordinate Lily Allen gives us Sheezus and it is every bit as satirical and frank as its title would suggest.
Since her arrival on the pop scene, Allen has been known for her ability to encase witty one-liners and sharp social commentaries inside catchy pop songs. Her third record once again shows off this skill brilliantly.
Opening track ‘Sheezus’ unleashes a wealth of references and criticises the archaic inclination to compare female singers. Controversial single ‘Hard Out Here’ pokes fun at Robin Thicke (“Have you thought about your butt? Who’s gonna tear it in two?”) and provides a fierce censure of misogyny in the music industry. The funk-fueled ‘Insincerely Yours’ reads like a contemptuous sequel to ‘The Fear’, remarking that Allen doesn’t “give a fuck about your instagram, about your lovely house or your ugly kids”.
Unfortunately, the impact of these gibes and references is limited by Allen’s stylistic inconsistency. ‘L8 CMMR’ is a glossy pop number that exploits the minute virtues of auto-tune, ‘As Long As I Got You’ sees the singer go into country hoedown mode, whilst ‘Life For Me’ provides a pleasing slice of Vampire Weekend-inspired pop. And let’s not even mention the dub-step misstep that is ‘URL Badman’.
Whilst this diversity is refreshing, the kitschy arrangements and lack of cohesion make it difficult to distinguish sincerity from sarcasm, ultimately hindering Allen’s attempt to claim the throne of Sheezus.
Listen to ‘Hard Out Here’ from Sheezus here:
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