Lily Allen - Sheezus

Allen has a notoriously cheeky side. On her early hits like “LDN” and “Smile,” she delivered witticisms in Cockney over reggae rhythms. Her insouciance caused controversies, but she always remained undeniably charming. After a pair of albums, Lily took a break in 2009 to have two daughters. Now she’s back with her typically brazen observations. On the title track, she expresses fear about rejoining pop’s “changing” game while name-checking frontrunners like Beyoncé. On “URL Badman” and “Silver Spoon,” she skewers online haters and takes a satirical view of her showbiz upbringing. But much of Sheezus is a reflection of married life. Lily’s love for her husband, builder-decorator Sam Cooper, shines through on the “As Long As I Got You” and “Life for Me,” two songs infused with zydeco accordion and African guitar respectively. Although she can still be a little outrageous, Allen has mellowed into a more thoughtful artist—quite comfortable with her newfound domestic bliss.