Category — Lily Allen

Photo Credit: Daniel Sannwald

I got really wasted, talked to loads of nonsense people, stumbled around, danced like an idiot and went home—a normal night out, really.

Last Thursday, I had the chance to speak with Little Boots, one of the most talked about electro-pop chanteuses on the dance floor in the past year. Having already released her debut album Hands in the UK, the singer is now poised to make a splash overseas with the release of her album in the US on March 2.

Though she admitted she was a bit hung-over after enjoying herself at the previous night’s NME Awards, Little Boots was happy to chat with MuuMuse about her album’s upcoming release in the US, her music and influences, and the accompanying tour.

I hope I managed to answer all the Muuser questions that were submitted! And as for whether or not I asked her if she’d been licking trees lately? You bet I did.

Read on to check out some of the highlights of our conversation below!

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There was a lot of love in the air this year at the BRIT Awards. Not between the artists and the hosts, God no!–there was hardly any of that going on between all the cracking, bitchy commentary–but rather for the audience. There was Cheryl Cole fighting for our love as only she knows how, Florence Welch delivering hers to us with the help of an unfortunate rap interlude, and yes–even Courtney Love herself.

Let us now cycle through some the best, worst, and weirdest moments of the night. Love to love you, baby!

10. In A UK State of Mind

Nothing is as epic sounding as when Jay-Z and Alicia Keys perform “Empire State of Mind” together, but watching one of the greatest modern celebrations of New York go down in Londontown felt a bit, err..off.

Then again, this may be due to Lil Mama’s absence–you were truly missed tonight.

9. Doing it For The Adults

Host: “You’re performing a medley…doing some oldies?”

Robbie Williams: “Yeah, mostly oldies, because the new stuff’s shit.”

8. Over-saturated with Spice

At first came euphoria. Then nostalgia. Then, way too much of a good thing. It was wonderful seeing (two fifths) of the Spice Girls win their award for the “Best Performance in 30 Years” category, but it soon became clear that the producers of the show had few celebrities to help buy time between the performances aside from Mel B and Geri. Again and again, the cameras cut to one of the two, and each time, it got a bit more painful: Awkward banter about living in L.A.! Geri wishing she knew the words to a Lady Gaga song! Next time, just cut to a still frame of Victoria Beckham frowning for two minutes. Our lives would be better, I assure you.

7. JLS Wins

Twice. And no one cares (aside from the audible boos.)

6. Whoa-oh-oh, I’m on a Rocket (And Drugs!)

Lily Allen, who opted for the “Joan Collins on crack” look came in on a sadly sinking rocket while performing “The Fear,” and then it all just sort of fell to pieces from there. Dancers! And colors! And baby carriages! And now we’re stage left! And now over to the right! I don’t know what just happened, Lily’s got no clue where she is, and I think I just saw Lady Gaga and Courtney Love making out in the audience.

5. Can’t Read My Telephone Face

Looking a bit like the Bridge of Frankenstein twice dabbled in cocaine dreams, Mademoiselle Gaga indulged the audience in an acoustic version of “Telephone” (the song about getting drunk in the club was performed in tribute to Lee McQueen, interesting choice), before launching into an all-too anticipation ridden, fragmented rendition of “Dance in the Dark.”

Sadly, by the time the singer collapsed in vogue following the song’s, well, “Vogue”-esque breakdown, so too did the performance, effectively blue balling the entirety of Britain and cutting short what could have been an outrageously epic performance. Still, I loved the use of the free-standing keytar…and the towering statue of the pop star herself, of course.

Subtle, as per usual.

4. Everybody’s Starry Eyed

Ellie Goulding wins the Critic’s Choice Award! (Pictured here with producer and friend, Starsmith).

3. Lily Alkie

Lily Allen, now opting for the “Joan Collins on crack in an orange wig” look, came bumbling on stage to accept her award for British Female Solo Act. After accepting the award on stage came this moment of brilliance backstage:

Host: “How are you going to celebrate Lily?”
Lily: “I’m…uh…I don’t know. Drink, maybe.”

2. You’ve (Almost) Got the Love

Everything about Florence’s performance tonight was lovely and almost perfect: The flowing gown and fiery red hair, the spot-on vocals, the fluttering hearts that cascaded at the song’s finale. So why almost The daft choice to add Dizzee Rascal into the mix, resulting in what felt like long bursts of static disrupting a listening session of “You’ve Got The Love.” If only Dizzee wasn’t so busy buzzing around the stage like an overgrown gnat, this would have truly been the most lover-ly performance of the night.

All of my love to Florence for nabbing the most absolutely deserved “Album of the Year” award at the end of the night. I couldn’t be prouder!

1. Show Me The Love!

We’ve got the love, right here: Cheryl Cole’s showstopping performance of “Fight For This Love” was hands down the performance of the night. By the time the opening notes of Robin S’s “Show Me Love” came sizzling in for a surprise remix (quickly followed by a flock of shirtless men) I was growing faint and Cheryl was growing even fiercer by the second. Shaking and crying, etc. etc. etc. AMAZING.

And now, the MuuMuse tweet of the night:

I don’t know who this Lady Gaga person is but he is on a ROLL tonight. #britawards

There’s more where that came from. Follow me on Twitter, Muusers!

No more Miss Pumpkin Soup!

It sounds as though Kate Nash has let loose from her foundations to find herself an entirely new sound for her upcoming record.

“I Just Love You More” is a brand new track from the UK singer, which offers a sharp detour away from the Lily Allen-esque array of quirky pop singer/songwriting and into the rocky, rawrrring terrain of something off a Yeah Yeah Yeahs record…or even Bikini Kill.

The crashing drums, the carnal screams…why, it just makes me love her more than ever!

To hear Nash’s new sound, click here for a free download of the track. Hurry, though–it’s only available until Monday.

Nash’s sophomore effort will be released on April 16.

If anyone knows how to smooth a groove out and put it on ice, it’s Dr. Rosen Rosen, who my Muusers may remember from last year’s brilliant Lily Allen It’s Not Me, It’s You remix project.

Well, he’s back–and this time, it’s official. Taking the otherwise manic original, the good doctor has taken Lady Gaga’s new single “Telephone” and added a nasty stomp, some extra electro bells and whistles, and an insane, telephonic electronic breakdown. Et voilà! A brand new mix for mass consumption.

Come fill your prescriptions, everyone!

DL: Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce – Telephone (Dr. Rosen Rosen Rx)

Christ on a Christmas cracker–the 2010 BRIT Award nominations are in!

I can’t believe it’s time already for the ceremony to begin once again. It seems like only yesterday I was sitting in my bed watching in disbelief as Gaga robo-danced her way on stage with pieces of shattered china plates glued to her lady bits. Ahh, memories.

As per usual (see 2009), I’ve gone ahead and bolded my favorites for the crown and added a few insightful comments and/or snooty one-liners to the end of each category.

And awayyy we go! (Thanks to The Guardian for the full list of nominees.)

Click to read…

One just wasn’t enough.

A little while after posting my initial “Most Anticipated” list for 2010 (read: approximately three seconds), I realized that I had left out far too many important upcoming releases that merit an equal amount of attention.

Let’s keep it going with another installment then!

Christina Aguilera, Bionic (Fourth studio album)

What it is: From WWII to the post-apocalypse, Christina’s upcoming reinvention in sight and sound is poised to raise the bar in pop next year.
Expected shelf date: March 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “You Lost Me,” “Monday Morning”
Production by: Goldfrapp, Ladytron, Sia, Le Tigre, M.I.A, Sam Endicott, Diplo & Switch, Linda Perry, Tricky Stewart
What we know: Loads. Every one of the producers and writers for the new album has been absolutely raving about their work with Christina. Tricky Stewart told Vibe that “She did things that she’s never necessarily heard on the radio.” Ladytron cannot seem to sing higher praises of Christina’s taste in music and talent in the studio. Sia’s called the songs they’ve wrote together “classical music beautiful” and “sad and awesome.” As far as what I personally know from my sources (such a cock tease!), it’s all sounding quite good.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: A shocking, next-level FutureSound set to knock Gaga down a peg or two.

Goldfrapp, Head First (Fifth studio album)

What it is: The new dawn of another era in Goldfrapp.
Expected shelf date: March 23, 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “Rocket”
Production by: Goldfrapp
What we know: From their official site, courtesy of Alison: “this album is very different from the last, but i hope you enjoy it just as much for different reasons. i’m really looking forward to playing the new songs live as a lot of them are so up and jubilant. even the revenge songs are kind of joyous! its gonna be a blast!”
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Whatever they’ve got to offer. Who dislikes any of the Goldfrapp albums, honestly?

Sia, We Are Born (Fifth studio album)

What it is: The spunky follow-up to 2008’s Some People Have Real Problems, helmed by the producer behind Lily Allen’s fabulous It’s Not Me, It’s You.
Expected shelf date: April 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “You’ve Changed,” “Clap Your Hands”
Production by: Greg Kurstin
What we know: The album is basically complete, and a new single will be released in the first quarter of 2010. It’s also full of happy, upbeat sounds a la “You’ve Changed,” which you can download at MuuMuse and “Clap Your Hands,” which has been performed live during her Australian tour.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: A brighter, poppier Sia with more hooks and melodies than ever before.

Nicki Minaj, TBA (Debut album)

What it is: After creating a handful of mixtapes and lending verses on literally everyone’s songs, Minaj will finally roll out her debut as one of the most promising female rappers since Lil’ Kim.
Expected shelf date: 1Q 2010.
Confirmed tracks: None.
Production by: Unknown.
What we know: It will be bossy, braggy, and full of Harajuku Barbie style. As the only female rapper on Young Money Entertainment, it will undoubtedly feature everyone from Drake to Lil’ Wayne.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: “Itty Bitty Piggy,” as well as more references to signing boobs and ‘poppin’ that pussy on his Suzuki so crazy kooky in them Daisy Dukies.

Janet Jackson, TBA (Eleventh studio album)

What it is: Returning to her original label A&M Records, Janet’s follow-up to 2008’s Discipline is a top priority release to send Jackson back to the top of the charts.
Expected shelf date: 2Q 2010.
Confirmed tracks: None yet, aside from the possible inclusion of “Make Me.”
Production by: According to the NY Daily News, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins.
What we know: During her interview with Robin Roberts for ABC, Janet spoke a bit about her new material: “So far I’ve kept it light, but I’m sure it’s going to have its moments of getting a little heavy, a little deeper, lyrically speaking. I need a little bit of escapism right now…something that’s fun to listen to.”
MuuMuse hopes to hear: The classic Janet formula–two or three solid club bangers and a bunch of slinkier grooves a la “When We Oooo” and “That’s The Way Love Goes.” I’m also expecting some darker work and hopeful balladry, given the hardships she’s had to face over the past few months.

Photos courtesy of ONTD.

This woman does not disappoint. Ever.

Check out Music Fascination for all the shots from Cheryl’s upcoming cover story feature in February 2010’s Q Magazine. And pssst, just a heads up: She mentions Lily.

Lots of juicy tidbits in my inbox today!

Vice Magazine, in partnership with Vodafone, has undertaken a new video interview series called Heroes, which spotlights several recording artists from around the world.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

Lily Allen is nothing if not honest in her lyrics and her commendable quest for “fuckloads of diamonds”, and that’s probably why most people on the planet, including us, love her. As part of our ongoing Heroes project with Vodafone, we sat down with Lils, who’s been touring for a year, to talk about her plans to move to the countryside and have babies as she got ready for her first ever gig in Liverpool. You can watch the full series here.

If you head over to the site, you’ll be able to watch all the video segments, featuring some rather stunning visuals displayed in massive full screen–not to mention the high quality recordings of some of Lily’s performances live in Liverpool.

And it doesn’t stop with L’Allen: Peaches, Santigold, VV Brown and La Roux are ALL featured as well in the Heroes campaign. (Click and flick the mouse downward on the screen to cycle through all the names!)

The site is oriented around the Vodafone 360, pitting all the artists as “Contacts” on the phone. If you peruse the site a little more, you’ll find a lot of silly little features including videos, pictures, map details, and status updates.

It’s actually a lot of fun…so poke around!

For bloggers, musicians, and Lily Allen: I highly recommend reading WMFU’s Beware of the Blog’s news round-up of the Future of Music Policy Summit ‘09 that just took place in Washington.

The gist of things? Music sharing is far too pervasive at this point to be stopped, but any semblance of a ‘new business model’ is still in the early development stages. The big labels hesitance to see the bigger picture continues to stall innovative marketing strategies, and while Spotify could be the music industry’s savior if the RIAA play nice and give subscription rates a shot, their willingness to do so is dubious at best.

Image courtesy of Nylon Magazine.

According to her blog, Lily Allen is ditching the music scene…for good.

Just so you know, I have not renegotiated my record contract and have no plans to make another record (applause). I do however remain a fan of new music, so this is not some selfish crusade. The days of me making money from recording music has been and gone as far as i’m concerned, so i don’t(at this point) stand to profit from legislation. except future purchases of previously recorded material(which wont be much).

It’s fairly disappointing, but really more of an “oh, okay” sort of deal. Hasn’t she been hinting at this for months now?

What a somber week in Brit pop.