– Allie Ruden, Staff Writer
Lily Allen is Back!
Lily Allen released her newest album, West End Girl, in October 2025. “4chan Stan” is ERS’s pick of the week, which is the 8th track on her controversial, cutting new album. The album is a departure from Allen’s previous work, yet it features her literal and often sarcastic lyricism. Allen is one of the most dynamic, unique performers over the last few years, and her new album is no different!
Leading London Lady
Lily Allen, a British singer and actor, was born in London in 1985. Her career began in 2005 when she began publishing her music and recordings on MySpace, and she then released her now iconic single “Smile” in 2006. Her signature style consists of a mix of different, distinct music styles. For example, her song “LDN” describes a bike ride through London, accompanied by an upbeat, cheerful-sounding background. If you listen to the lyrics, the story is much darker, as it describes the unsavory side of city life.
Her distinctly British style blends elements of ska, pop, electronic, RnB, and even incorporates samples and elements of reggae into some of her songs. She has also been praised for her cheeky, cutting lyrics, which West End Girl takes to the next level.
Her newest album details her separation from actor David Harbour. The album is extremely narratively driven and details the dissolution of their relationship and Allen’s allegations of infidelity and dishonesty, all told through distinctly different sonic atmospheres. The album has been critically acclaimed, yet fans have differing opinions on the album, as some of the lyrics are quite literal, for example, “4chan Stan.”
4Chan Stan
The 8th song on Allen’s West End Girl, “4chan Stan,” is a conversational song talking to her partner about his dishonesty. The song starts with: “I went through your bedside drawer, You know I’ve never been inclined to have to do that before, Never been Bergdorf’s, But you took someone shopping there on May 24.” The rest of the song is wistful and deploys Allen’s signature upbeat instrumentals with heartbreaking lyrics. The song mocks her partner’s obvious and unclever tactics of deception.
The title is a reference to 4chan, an anonymous image-based website that is synonymous with the alt-right, scary content. The reference is mocking Harbour by calling him a weirdo, in other words. These contemporary and cutting lyrics are overlaid with a cute, punchy piano that gives the song a really unique dissonance. Allen is not afraid to offend anyone and has been a staple of British, dry lyricism that I really enjoy. She has continued to maintain her honest songwriting since 2006, when she first started releasing music. If you like clever lyrics with punchy backing tracks, you will love this one!
What’s Next?
Lily Allen was in Boston this week! Allen played West End Girl at the Orpheum Theatre on April Apr 11th and 12th. Give the whole West End Girl album a listen if you want an honest, sharp, and fun album to play for the sunny Spring days ahead!
