Lily Allen, “No Shame”
Lily Allen, “No Shame”
Parlophone Records
Photography: Bella Howard
No Shame is Lily Allen’s most honest and personal work to date. It documents a tumultuous couple of years, from having extreme encounters with a stalker, her divorce, partying, and coping with drugs and alcohol. Allen calls the record a diary that takes place over the course of the night, from the high highs to the deep lows.
The cover art for No Shame expresses that. Lily is seen smiling, blurred in motion, her face barely visible. The art definitely shows the highs, but the music greatly contradicts that by showing the sadness and heartbreak behind the facade that the drugs and alcohol can bring. Tracks like “Three,” told from the perspective of her young daughter who is missing her mother to “Everything to Feel Something,” a track about filling the void of heartbreak with anything that will fill it. Peppered around those tracks are songs that make you want to dance, go out with your friends, even if they aren’t the best of influences (“Trigger Bang”).
The interior photography pairs with some of the tracks of the album, while acting as an Instagram feed component to Lily’s audio diary. It’s a real glimpse into the life of the singer and provides a visual narrative to her struggles present on the album.
