Pops archest commentator, Lily Allen, took things to a new level in the weeks leading up to the release of her comeback album, her first since 2009s Its Not Me, Its You: self-imposed retirement and motherhood.
Having already picked fights with Cheryl Cole, Azealia Banks, Fearne Cotton etc etc, she turned her sharp tongue to herself. Addressing a comment on Twitter that lead-off singles Hard Out Here and Air Ballon were docile pop rubbish Allen surprisingly agreed: 'What youve heard so far is very much the more beige, saccharine elements' she said. You could practically hear her record company banging their collective heads against the wall.
In fact, Allen turned out to be right: theres much better material here than those initial singles would suggest. Title track Sheezus is a witty broadside at the current crop of female pop stars, name-checking Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Lorde, URL Badman takes a swipe at internet trolls, while L8 CMMR is a heartfelt tribute to the, um, staying power of hubby Sam Cooper, set to the most indelible of pop melodies. Beige, saccharine elements aside, its great to have her back.
