Lily Allen @ Spark Arena, Auckland

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Lily Allen is a British singer-songwriter from London, born in 1985. She broke through in 2006 when her songs spread on MySpace, and debut single “Smile” went straight to number one on the UK singles chart. Debut album Alright, Still (2006) sold over 2.6 million copies worldwide and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. Follow-up It’s Not Me, It’s You (2009) debuted at number one in the UK, Australia, and Canada, and earned her the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist. Allen and Amy Winehouse were credited with starting a wave that led to the “year of the women” label in 2009, a year when five female artists making bold, experimental music were nominated for the Mercury Prize. After Sheezus (2014), another UK number one, and No Shame (2018) – a personal reckoning with her first marriage that was nominated for the Mercury Prize – seven years of silence followed. Fifth album West End Girl was released on 24 October 2025 via BMG, recorded in Los Angeles over ten intense days in December 2024 with additional production in London and New York. The album is an uncompromising account of the collapse of her marriage to actor David Harbour – told with a directness that made it explode across social media. Allen wrote the bulk of it herself and co-produced with Seb Chew, Kito, and Blue May, among others. Musically, she blends bossa nova rhythms with dancehall, reggae, ska, and modern electronic pop – all dressed in a characteristic sweetness that stands in sharp contrast to the raw honesty of the lyrics. According to Metacritic, the album received “universal acclaim” with a weighted score of 84 out of 100. The Independent called it a brutal masterpiece, The Guardian described it as a divorce album like no other, and SPIN named it their Album of the Year. West End Girl was nominated for British Album of the Year at the Brit Awards and appeared on numerous best-of-year lists. It debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and became the most streamed digital-only album by a British artist in 2025 in its opening week. Three tracks – “Pussy Palace,” “West End Girl,” and “Madeline” – entered the top 20 on the singles chart. In November 2025, Allen added a second leg of arena shows including The O2 in London after enormous demand – a comeback nobody saw coming, but everyone understood the moment they heard the record.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​