Professional Fangirl- Katelyn Benschoter

One of the most popular topics of songs is breakups. From gut-wrenchingly sad songs such as “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo or those songs you want to play when you are angry at the world, like “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette, there are hundreds of breakup songs that have gone number one on the charts. It is no surprise that breakup songs are a popular genre, as it is such a universal experience. Even if you have not experienced a relationship breakup, you may have felt some of the same emotions experienced during breakups, whether it be from friend or family drama, or many other life experiences. I think the reason breakup songs have almost become their own genre and have maintained popularity is because of how emotionally fueled they are. Humans crave emotion and are always looking for something to relate to; thus, these emotion-heavy songs can be a place of comfort and reliability for many. British singer known for hits such as Smile may have just come out with one of the most iconic breakup albums ever. Her new album, West End Girl, which dropped on October 24th, 2025, details the play-by-play of the descent of her marriage to Stranger Things star David Harbour. The album is vulnerable, real, and raw, while also being incredibly catchy. I have a feeling this album will play a significant role in the breakup song genre.

Now, let us get into the album and the fantastic storytelling Allen utilizes. To start off, Allen did essentially no promotion for this album; she announced that it was happening only four days before the release, and that was it. It is very uncommon in this day and age to simply not market a new album. We live in a time where artists are doing listening parties, merch, events, etc, months before the album is out. I think this technique of minimal warning and lack of marketing works perfectly here. It does two things: it creates a feeling of surprise and rush when it drops, and it also plays perfectly into the narrative Allen sings about. Allen has not released music in 6 years, so any new music from her is surprising and makes the audience rush to listen. It also works quite well in the context of the album narratively. The overarching story Allen is telling is that her marriage is slowly falling apart as her husband wants to open their marriage. What Allen is singing about blindsided her in the moment, and that is in some ways how the audience may feel with this surprise drop. If anything, her lack of marketing is smart marketing as it gets the listener in the right headspace, from feeling surprised by this new alum. The minimal marketing is just one of the many aspects of this album that was well thought out, and Allen executed it smartly. 

The music itself is also very smart, and frankly, has been stuck in my head ever since my first listen of the album. From the first track, the album starts off strong with the title track, “West End Girl.” This song sets the scene and flexes Allen’s storytelling muscles. The song starts off happy, but slowly details strange things she realizes her husband is doing, such as not being excited for her when she got an exciting opportunity to be a lead in a play. Instead of being excited, he was actually jealous of her. Allen notes that she noticed these things were strange, but decided not to cause a fight over them. This is an excellent introduction to the slow breaking of their marriage. Things like that do not happen overnight, but over time, Allen shows that well. I think some of the standout features of this album, and why it is catching so much attention, are the amount of specific detail she goes into. She, unlike many artists, does not use code names or symbols; she tells it exactly how it is. The album is extremely vulnerable and, at times, shocking. Additionally, she uses several phone call transcriptions, voicemail messages, etc, to help paint the picture of what exactly happened. She in no way beats around the bush, and many women who have found themselves in similar situations have resonated deeply with the album. 

That being said, this album is not only for those who have been cheated on, but rather for everyone who has experienced the messiness of dating, being in love, dating apps, being misunderstood, and the list goes on. The album is very nuanced and touches on many different feelings and experiences in addition to being cheated on. For example, the song “Dallas Major” explores the experience of trying dating apps for the first time, and hating it. Living in a digital age, dating apps can seem like the only hope for finding a relationship. This is just one of many ways Allen makes herself relatable to her audience. I think often we forget that celebrities are just like us and have the same struggles as we do. Through Allen’s incredibly truthful and vulnerable lyricism, she opens herself up to her fans. The topics she sings about are not upbeat or fun and could even be taken as embarrassing by some. I predict this album will be talked about for its vulnerability for a while. Albums like this create community, as situations such as cheating can result in the feeling of isolation. But when a notable figure such as Allen comes out and says this terrible thing happened to me too, and I am learning how to cope with it, it helps even in a small way. 

Breakup songs and albums are something I think will always remain a prominent part of music, just as love songs. Listeners enjoy relatable music, and love and breakups are experiences that will always be a facet of life. Lily Allen’s new album, West End Girl, is a standout example of great music with upbeat tracks that are almost reminiscent of Charli XCX while combining vulnerable storytelling. I have enjoyed re-listening to this album and putting more pieces of the story together with every listen. I would not classify myself as a Lily Allen fan before this release, and I have been thoroughly enjoying the music as well as the discourse online. Therefore, I would recommend this album if you enjoy a good, emotion-filled track.