As break-up albums go, Lily Allen's new record West End Girl is one for the history books.
Written and recorded in just 10 days, it's a real-time account of her shock, grief, confusion and anger, as her four-year marriage to actor David Harbour fell apart, amid accusations of infidelity.
In interviews, Allen has stressed the lyrics aren't necessarily the gospel truth - because she "wasn't sure what was real, and what was in my head" as she processed the end of the relationship.
But critics have lavished praise on the record, calling it a "jaw-dropping" and "brutal" act of "personal exorcism", while praising Allen's gift for melody, on songs that span flamenco, bossa nova, and "infectious pop".
West End Girl is the star's first album in seven years, following 2018's Mercury Prize-nominated No Shame.
