British singer Lily Allen has revealed why it took her seven years to release her fifth studio album, West End Girl. The album, which debuted in October, draws inspiration from her split with estranged husband, actor David Harbour.
Allen, 40, told Interview Magazine that she struggled to feel confident in her work during the long hiatus. “Well, everything I was writing was dog s**t,” she admitted. She explained that she couldn’t creatively explore her personal life until she was ready to confront it, saying, “I always strive to tell the truth in my art, so I guess I subconsciously knew that something wasn’t right in my personal life, and I couldn’t go there creatively because if I did, then it would all fall apart.”
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The Smile hitmaker added that she wasn’t ashamed of her previous music but simply wasn’t excited enough to share it. “Whereas when I started writing this, I was immediately like, ‘I’m onto something,’” she said.
Allen and Harbour began dating in 2019 and married in a Las Vegas chapel in 2020. Their separation was reported in December 2024 amid allegations of infidelity on Harbour’s part. West End Girl marks Allen’s return to music after her 2015 album No Shame.
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The album reflects both her personal experiences and artistic growth, signaling a new chapter in her career and life.