Lily Allen has revealed her new songs are “country and western” – weeks after slamming Beyoncé’s country collection ‘Cowboy Carter’.
The ‘Smile’ hitmaker has been to Nashville – the home of country – and been penning some new tunes in the narrative style.
Speaking to Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett on the ‘Dish’ podcast, Lily teased: “I’m just making some space for some music. For some music to reveal itself.
“It’s not an album, it’s just, yeah, I’m just, you know, trying some stuff out, see if it works. I do love country and western music. And also I feel like with my writing, it’s quite storytelling, sort of like narrative led music.
“Because I don’t feel things, so it’s never about emotions. So… yeah, and country, country and western music lends itself quite well.”
Lily hasn’t released a record since ‘No Shame’ in 2018, but she’s been slowly working away at building a collection.
Speaking on her ‘Miss Me?’ podcast with close friend Miquita Oliver, she spilled: “I’m in Nashville where everyone is really good. There’s so much legacy.
“I have to say it’s quite intimidating being here. People are really talented.
“I wrote a song yesterday which was quite good, I’m happy with it.”
Lily branded Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ “calculated” and shaded her for covering the biggest Dolly Parton hit ‘Jolene’.
Speaking on ‘Miss Me?’, she said: “It’s quite an interesting thing to do when you’re trying to tackle a new genre, and you just choose the biggest song in that genre to cover.
“I mean, you do you, Beyoncé.
“And she literally is doing her — or is she doing Dolly?”
Lily went on to recall Beyoncé’s music mogul husband, Jay-Z, calling out the Grammys for never awarding his wife the Album of the Year prize, adding: “When Jay-Z got up and said that thing, that was part of this campaign.”
Co-host Miquita quipped that it’s ironic that Lily is doing a country album, to which she replied: “It was before the album had come out or even been announced, and she was wearing the blonde wig and a cowboy hat.
“It’s a bit about challenging these institutions that have thus far rejected Beyoncé as the icon and institution that she is of herself. Now she’s the most played woman on country radio.
“But I’m not, like, trying to conquer the country market. I’m here because I’ve loved country music and always have loved country music — not saying Beyoncé doesn’t — but I tell stories in my songs, and quite a lot of country music does the same thing. I think it’s well-suited to what it is that I do.”