For the Record

Author: Emily Temple

By now, it's a rather stale story: the indie artist vaulted to stardom via intense internet popularity, but for Lily Allen it was truly a self-motivated, unprecedentedly fast rags-to-riches story. After signing with Regal/Polygram in the UK, Allen set up her own MySpace account without any industry suggestion or approval. People took immediate notice, and within a couple months, Regal's head of press was soon getting phone calls about this girl, Lily Allen, whom he had never heard of. She just wasn't big enough at the label - also home to Coldplay, Kylie Minogue and Gorillaz - but the excitement surrounding Allen forced him to pick his head up and have a look at what he had: at that point, a MySpace star who had organized her publicity completely independently and to great effect.

Crass, honest, quick-witted and supremely self-confident, 21-year-old Allen is the girl we all kind of wish we had the balls to be. The UK tabloids have tagged her a "potty-mouthed, pint-sized pop diva," but even that sounds a bit too demure for Lily Allen. She is not an out-of-control brat; she is an assertive, opinionated woman, whose piss-off pop lyrics slam sleazy guys, catty girls and loser ex-boyfriends. She has gotten in trouble in the press for talking about sex, drugs and other celebrities, but she refuses to censor herself. She repeatedly expresses her confusion that anyone could fault her for speaking the truth, especially when it comes to admitting that she likes to have a drink now and again.

She has also spoken out against the industry standards for women. In an interview with Pitchfork, she commented that female artists are expected "to sit and look pretty and do what they're told." Similarly, she complained that her insults towards other artists are only seen as bitchy and catty because she's a woman. But Allen is going to break down those stereotypes.

Allen is the daughter of comedian Keith Allen and the woman who produced "Shaun of the Dead," Alison Owen. But her rise to stardom was not connected to them, nor did she grow up as a limelight child. Her father left when she was four and was not a part of her life again until she was fifteen. What her parents did offer her, though, was a superb record collection. She grew up listening to Blondie, the Specials, T.Rex and De La Soul, and you can hear it in her work.

Her first album, Alright, Still, was released in the UK on Parlophone/EMI in July 2006, and her first single, "Smile," hit the top of the charts soon after. Apparently, in teenage UK slang, "alright, still" means "cool." As in, "Yeah, she's alright, still." In interviews, Lily has said that her favorite quote - from Einstein no less - is "Nothing changes until something moves," so things are all right, if they're still. The album itself is chock full of unquestionable hits, the only real flop being "Take What You Take," an overzealous pop anthem. However, Lily has said, "I [expletive] hate that song more than anything in the world," so we can forgive her.

The rest of the tracks pulse with R&B rhythms and reggae influences, backing good stories and witty, sassy lyrics. It's a breakup album, but without the weepy guitars and self-pity. Rather, it seems to be in the guise of a happy-go-lucky summer album. "Smile," reports a girl's attitude after a boyfriend has broken her heart: "At first when I see you cry/It makes me smile/At worst, I feel bad for a while/But then I just smile."

"Knock 'Em Out," my personal favorite, is a fed-up girl anthem against the unwanted advances of random dudes in bars. And "Not Big?" Well, in the context of a breakup album, I think you can guess.

Allen is signed to Capitol in the U.S., and the rumor is that they will release Alright, Still in the states early next year. But let's not lie, for those in the know, "release dates" don't matter anyway - at the very least, it's available on Amazon. As an added bonus, her new single, "Littlest Things," a sweet retrospective ballad on a failed relationship, is due out on December 11. America, get ready.