Lily Allen continues to show that among the new crop of girly singer songwriters (ahem… Katy Perry, Duffy) she stands above and beyond the competition. On her latest single, “The Fear”, Lily trades the sunny, reggae-laced pop for a more stylistic electro-pop. While the music here is certainly catchy and likable, the real highlight of the song is Lily’s smooth, lovely vocals and sharp, biting lyrics, that prove to be extremely self-aware and as clever/sarcastic as ever.
There’s some truly great lines here, both attacking vapid celebrity culture (”I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless / ‘Cuz everyone knows that’s how you get famous”) and cheekily referencing British tabloids as a way to gauge one’s fame/worth (”I’ll look at the sun and I’ll look in the mirror / I’m on the right track, yeah we’re on to a winner”). There’s also some serious self-reflection going on though, as seen in the chorus where she examines her own moral compass saying “I don’t know what’s right and what’s real anymore, And I don’t know how I’m meant to feel anymore”. It’s incredibly refreshing to see a catchy, fun pop song with lyrics that aren’t empty and meaningless.
I very much enjoy the video to the accompanying video to the track as well. Lily Allen is always nice to look at, and the “Material Girl”-like dance sequence is a great addition considering the lyrics. The ending provides a barrage of eye candy with colorful balloons, skipping butlers, and oversized letters galore. Well done, Ms. Allen.
