Lily Allen Says Creation Of New Album Was An 'Act Of Desperation'

Lily AllenLily Allen is opening up about the creation of her latest album West End Girl.The Brit Award winner’s latest release is not only her first since her split from her second husband David Harbour, it’s also thought to have been heavily inspired by the demise of their relationship.Recorded in the space of 10 days towards the end of last year, Lily recently described West End Girl as a work of “autofiction”, while in a previous interview, she confirmed the songs featured on the album were “inspired by what went on” towards the end of her marriage to the Stranger Things actor, albeit with artistic licence applied.During a new conversation with CBS Mornings, the British star was asked if she had any “reluctance” creating an album that is so personal.“I didn’t because at the time, I wasn’t even really thinking about it as… like… a commercial endeavour,” she admitted. “It was an act of desperation actually. You know, while I was writing it, I wasn’t really sure that it was going to see the light of day.”View this post on InstagramLily then shared that it had been a “nightmare” to have the album “sitting around” between its recording and release, claiming this has “stunted my healing process, somewhat”.She continued: “Since I’ve put it out, it’s felt completely and utterly liberating. It was kind of hellish having it in the background. I just feel like [...] it said everything that I needed to say. And I felt like I couldn’t really get on with my life until I’d said it.”The Not Fair singer said the recording process for West End Girl was an “exciting” one, even if it felt like her “life was falling apart” at the same time.“I had to like go and deal with some very practical stuff,” she recalled. “Like it was Christmas, all of a sudden. I have two kids, you know? I got Christmas out of the way, and I realised that I needed to go and do some work on myself, and I checked myself into a place to go and get the help that I needed.”At the beginning of this year, Lily disclosed that she was taking time out of the spotlight to check into a mental health facility.Describing this to CBS Mornings as a “big step”, she said: “I’ve been, you know, institutionalised before. But not of my own volition.“Usually, I’ve been sort of pushed there by doctors or, you know, concerned family members. But I knew the things I was feeling were too intense.”“[It was] not really [a hard decision], I mean, I’m a recovering alcoholic, so I’m not scared of you know, doing that kind of work on myself. I needed some quiet time.”Since its release in October, West End Girl has been a hit both critically and commercially, receiving positive reviews from critics, fans and Lily’s industry peers, as well as becoming her highest-charting album since 2014.Next year, Lily will be hitting the road for her first live tour in seven years, the first leg of which sold out in under half an hour, prompting her to add more arena shows earlier this week.Elsewhere in her CBS Mornings interview, Lily opened up about the reception that West End Girl has received since it came out, which she’s found both “strange” and “overwhelming”:.@lilyallen tells @AnthonyMasonCBS about seeing her new album "West End Girl" take off on social media: "I'm overwhelmed and massively grateful."Watch more of their conversation tomorrow on CBS Mornings. pic.twitter.com/A4sAW5I8gQ— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 19, 2025READ MORE:On The Jaw-Dropping West End Girl, Lily Allen Sets A New Bar For The Confessional Break-Up AlbumWoman Claiming To Have Inspired Lily Allen's Madeline Reacts To The SongLily Allen Gets Candid About Her Romantic Life Following Her Split From David Harbour9 More Confessional And Revelatory Break-Up Albums If You Loved Lily Allen's West End Girl

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