<\/p>\nDespite her decades in the industry, Allen only had four albums in her catalogue \u2013 this was until last week, with the release of her latest project,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018West End Girl\u2019<\/span>. Announced only four days before its release and written and recorded in just under two weeks, the album\u2019s conception and production is a clear departure from that of her previous works, but its sound is no less tight for this. If anything,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018West End Girl\u2019<\/span>\u00a0is Allen at her best, as she totally unravels herself into the 14-piece tell-all in what we can only imagine as a series of cathartic studio sessions.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe album begins with its title track, which contextualises Allen\u2019s situation by providing us with a snapshot of the beginning of the end of her last marriage. She sets the scene \u201c<\/span>we\u2019re all here, we\u2019ve moved to New York<\/span>\u201d, \u201c<\/span>found a nice little rental near a sweet little school<\/span>\u201d, \u201c<\/span>you\u2019ve found us a brownstone, said \u201cYou want it? It\u2019s yours\u201d<\/span>\u201d, seemingly depicting an idyllic marriage, her sweet vocal tone elevating the idea of serenity.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nHowever, cracks slowly start to appear: \u201c<\/span>we went ahead and we bought it\u2026 I could never afford\u00a0<\/span>this \/ You were pushing it forward \/ Made me feel a bit awkward<\/span>\u201d. These deepen as she describes her ex\u2019s reaction to her getting the lead role in a play, as she implies his jealousy (\u201c<\/span>your demeanour started to change<\/span>\u201d). From then on, she flies to London and the music cuts to her side of a phone call, assumed to be her reaction to her ex asking for an open relationship, to which she reluctantly agrees. This context provides the framework for understanding the rest of the album, as the rest of the album depicts her grief surrounding the situation, particularly when her boundaries were crossed.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAllen\u2019s openness has always been a tabloid\u2019s dream. This explains the mass media attention towards track five\u00a0<\/span>\u2018Madeline\u2019<\/span>, where she very explicitly recalls her and her partner\u2019s conditions for polyamory: \u201c<\/span>We had an arrangement<\/span>\u201d, \u201c<\/span>There had to be payment \/ It had to be with strangers<\/span>\u201d. But he violated these conditions, and in this track she seemingly names, addresses, and quotes the woman that he cheated on her with, \u201c<\/span>but you\u2019re not a stranger, Madeline<\/span>\u201d. Allen\u2019s unrelenting commitment to her very specific narrative is refreshing in an industry where new music is tailored for relatability, as songs battle for the much-revered position of TikTok trending audio.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThis is not to say that the album is wholly unrelatable, as the emotions that underscore the tracks are binding. \u2018<\/span>West End Girl\u2019<\/span>\u00a0journeys through the multitude of feelings associated with infidelity, offering solace for a variety of listeners as she flicks from anger (\u2018<\/span>4chan stan\u2019<\/span>), to despair (<\/span>\u2018Just Enough\u2019<\/span>), to acceptance (<\/span>\u2018Fruityloop\u2019<\/span>).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nShe employs a diverse sonic palette throughout the album, leaning into the experimental with touches of autotune and synthesiser to create a textured musical backdrop that mirrors the turbulence of her lyricism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nOverall,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018West End Girl\u2019<\/span>\u00a0is a stellar addition to Allen\u2019s catalogue. While this follow-up definitely wasn\u2019t anticipated, Allen\u2019s charm has always lay in her rejection of convention, as she\u2019s trailblazed an alternative space in the mainstream since her arrival to the pop scene.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nZahra Hanif<\/i><\/span><\/p>\nImage: \u2018West End Girl\u2019 Official Album Cover<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n