Brilliant, brazen pop

Lily Allen makes a triumphant return to the pop scene with No Shame. Coming four years after her previous Sheezus — an album Allen notes was written for her label rather than from her heart — Allen bares her soul on No Shame. With lyrics that deal with the emotions surrounding her divorce, motherhood and troubles with drug use, No Shame still delivers the bright and bubbly pop tunes Allen is known for. On the well-produced album, Allen plays with current trends in dancehall and trap while always maintaining her signature sound and sassy, honest lyrics.

“Come On” ushers in the album, with lyrics reacting to negative opinions about her expressed by those that don’t even truly know her. The dreamy vocals are placed over a hyperactive dance beat, and one could easily be singing along to Allen’s “you say I’m a bad mother, I’m a bad wife” before fully realizing the depth of the frustrations she’s expressing. The next track, “Trigger Bang,” features rapper Giggs in the intro, a suiting feature for the song that discusses Allen’s notorious hard-partying days. Again, her sweet vocals and pop production sugar coat the deceptively intense lyrical content.

An album highlight comes early, with the dancehall-tinged third track “What You Waiting For.” The song is delightfully infectious, with an undeniable hook every time she sings “what you waiting for?” Once again, beneath the bright and poppy track are some very intense and raw lyrics about her failing relationship with her husband. She continues the divorce drama (and the island vibes) on “Your Choice.” Throughout the album, it’s made clear that Allen has been struggling with some very difficult situations and emotions in her life. On “Family Man,” the slower, bluesier music matches the tone of the lyrics a bit more but is nonetheless undeniably enjoyable pop. A heart-wrenching moment comes on “Three,” a sparse piano track where she expresses the pain of being separated from her children for work and touring obligations. The following track, “Everything,” continues the more serious tone, with Allen despairing that she’s tried “everything to feel something” but still her “heart aches.” It’s impossible not to feel for Allen on this album.

With No Shame, Lily Allen continues to prove that she can dominate pop music. Featuring heart-wrenching lyrics disguised by vibrant melodies, Allen delivers an album that hits on current trends while remaining true to her personal style.