Lily Allen’s ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’ hit shelves this month. A highly anticipated album from the quirky British Pop sensation delivers a performance of maturity, experimentation and recounts personal experiences.

Lily Allen has been very public about wanting her album to be No. 1 on the charts.

Some argue that she is loosing her dignity, but she feels this is her only real shot. The album is so personal and well thought out, it seems reasonable that she is so passionate about promoting it.

She isn’t handing out the albums, but sold them for only $3.99 from the albums release to Feb. 16.

She also reportedly begged fans to buy her album and plans to put on a few free promotional shows in London, Tokyo, and New York City.

The albums 12 tracks are all very personal. Lyrics range from the drug lore of fame, bad sex’s effect on a relationship, and apologizing for bad friendships.

The singer maintains her poppy edge and outspoken image but has grown up after a plethora of tabloid drama she experienced since her last albums release. She even has a track to tell off the paparazzi.

The diversity of subject matter in her songs keeps the listener intrigued. There is sure to be at least one song on the album that a listener can relate to.

Allen leaves no stone unturned in topic. Her songs are real and evidently from personal experiences. The songs lament relationships past and even fears of the future.

The track titled 22, though not the strongest piece musically, showcases the vulnerability Allen feels of the ominously approaching age of 30. The track titled ‘I Could Say’ showcases her talent and CD title with lyrics resenting a past boyfriend.

‘Since you’ve gone I’ve lost a chip on my shoulder/ Since you’ve gone I feel like I’ve gotten older/ And now you’ve gone it feels as if the whole wide world is my stage/ And now you’ve gone it’s like I’ve been let out of my cage.’

The songs are beat based and though the lyrics are darker and arguably more serious than her previous album, the vibe is still upbeat.

There are some piano based songs as well. The CD has some experimental tracks that sound more like techno than viewers would anticipate based on previous albums, but the club style sound doesn’t detract from the subject matter.

Allen’s obvious attention to detail on this album will not let fans down. She has expanded her style and matured but maintained the musical quality that set her apart in the first place.

Katy Sandusky can be contacted at ksandusky@ut.edu

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