Exclusive: Lily Allen Interview!

Lily Allen at the Brit Awards in London this past Wednesday.

For the past few months, just about every human (including the gay ones) with good musical taste in the free world has been going nuts for up-and-coming British pop starlet Lily Allen and her recently released album, Alright, Still. She’s spunkily cute, rocks a poofy dress and sneakers like no one else, is bracingly frank and sassy when she’s mouthing off to the press, and her music is a totally irresistible blend of all of the best elements of ska, pop, rock and rap. It’s super-melodic, the beats are catchy and inventive, the lyrics are sharp, wry and funny and the entire attitude of all of her work is cheeky, colorful and intensely appealing. Yup, she rocks!

So, I was stoked to discover last night that I’d get a few minutes (like, five) on the phone with this brand new international pop star. Tonight she performs in Washington, D.C. and this Sunday she’s in Boston, so check her out if you can. You can get started by watching her "Smile" video here.

And click further to read our super-quick conversation from this morning. Enjoy!

NewNowNext Blog: Hi! How are you?
Lily Allen: Hi. I’ve been better.

What do you mean? Are they just making you crazy doing interviews non-stop?
Oh, well... I don’t know. Maybe since I’ve gone to maybe five continents in the last two weeks, and spending my whole entire life on phoners, and flying home for the Brit Awards and then winning absolutely nothing, and then fly all the way back to Washington [D.C.] really made my week. [Laughs, but sweetly.]

Yeah, I was really unhappy that you didn’t win some awards at the Brits...
Well, you know, I knew I wasn’t going to win. It was a decision I made. [Laughs.]

If it’s any consolation you’ve still got about nine gazillion fans across America who are freaking out because they’re enjoying your record so much. Does that help?
It makes my life so much better knowing that. [Laughs.]

I have to tell you, I was on your website today and I went to the message boards there and there was post titled “Nude Gay Men,” so I was like... “Oh!” And it was totally an ad for gay porn online.
Yeah, you have to watch out for those!

That was distracting for a few minutes, then I went back to reading more about you. But then perhaps you’re the one posting about gay porn, I don’t know...
[Laughs.] Yep, that’s all me. All me.

Lily rocks a hat, yo.

Now, do Americans—fans or press—respond to you differently than folks in the U.K.? Is there a difference?
The press over here is different, but the people? No. Everyone is just human beings, and they’re all the same as far as I can tell. [Laughs.]

People often like to describe you in relation to other artists, whether The Streets or other female artists, which can be a disservice. How would you like to be described, if I were telling someone about you who’d never heard your music?
You know what, I can’t describe myself. I just can’t do it. When people ask me, I just say, “Go on MySpace and make your mind up.” I think that’s just because maybe journalists, when they try and describe music to each other, they need to have comparisons in their descriptions. But I’m not a journalist so I don’t really feel the need to put myself in a box.

You’re just like, “Shut up and listen to the music, already.”
Exactly.

A new artist who gay audiences here are freaking out about is Mika. Are you familiar with him?
Um, wait one second... [Lily talks to someone in the background for a minute. I hear, “Have they got cream cheese? Yeah, I’ll have that... Cinnamon.” Then she laughs, and comes back.] Sorry, we’re getting a bagel order here. So what was the question?

Mika is getting popular here, and I know he’s massive in the U.K. right now. Do you have an opinion about him?
I haven’t heard much of his stuff. I’ve only heard the one song that’s on the radio in the U.K., which is called “Grace Kelly.” I like that; I think it’s all right.

And do you still have the Happy Mondays as your ringtone on your phone?
Oh, well I have a new phone now, which doesn’t even have a ringtone. It just vibrates, because I spend so much of my life in radio stations it’s no longer acceptable for me to have a ringtone.

Lily performs a couple of weeks back at the Big Day Out concert in Australia.

You also mentioned in a prior interview that you’d been having lesbian dreams a while back. Have you had any more of those?
No, I haven’t had any lesbian dreams lately.

Any heterosexual dreams then?
Yeah, I have quite a lot of those. They’re usually about dreaming of being with my boyfriend, which never really seems to happen. But never mind... One day that dream will become a reality.

I hope so. One thing I think that people really respond to is that you’ve been vocal and critical of body culture and the fashion world and how it presents these crazy images of terribly unreasonably skinny people, which is nice to hear. And I like the piece on MTV.com where you were eating a hot dog in Los Angeles and talking about that. So, thanks for putting that awareness out there. Is that important to you?
Yeah, very important. I think that people like me have a responsibility to young girls, and it wouldn’t be right, to be doing what I’m doing and then driving my hands down my throat every night. That’s not acceptable behavior.

And I read that you’re possibly going to be creating your own line of fashion for New Look stores in the U.K.?
Mm-hmm. That’s going to be a range of six dresses, and actually the photo shoot is by Ellen von Unwerth and it’s a really good line.

Are you also doing work with Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel? What’s that like?
I haven’t actually. That’s just a rumor. I haven’t done any work with him.

You must get strange fashion things sent to you to wear... What’s the craziest thing you’ve received?
Umm... I don’t know. I mean all of it’s pretty nice. If it isn’t right for me I sent it back, because it’s a waste for me to have it, you know? I got a Nintendo Wii yesterday at the Brit Awards which was nice.

Lily hits TRL on MTV in NYC.

And have you noticed, as far as gay fans or a gay audience, do you get a big response or specifically a lot of attention?
Actually, on the whole I think the gay fans hate me because I said something bad about Madonna once, which is like attacking the Holy Grail.

Um, no. I think you’re allowed.
But I don’t know... I haven’t really noticed [gay fans]. I think everyone’s just a human. If people like me, then they like me; it doesn’t matter if they’re gay, black, white, straight... I don’t care. [Laughs.]

Well, I work with lots of gay people and they’re all really into you, because of the music, and also because your personality is so frank and honest, and you’re very candid, which people appreciate in this world of PR and fabrications. You seem like the real deal.
Thank you. I’m glad you see that.

Your blog on your website is great. I love to read that you’re hanging out with Hot Chip or Lupe Fiasco. Who’s the most fun to hang and have beers with, and get crazy with?
A band called Kasabian, back in the U.K. They’re pretty funny. I really like them.

And here in the U.S., have you had a chance to cut loose over here?
Not really. I’ve just been working really hard; I’ve not been going out much at all.

And one last thing, do you know what your next record might be like, and when will you possibly have time to make with your crazy schedule?
I have no idea, at this point. I don’t really want to start writing at this point anyway, because I’m not goint to be able to put it out until the beginning of 2008 or something. So, it’s just not really going to be feasible. And it would sound so dated if decided right now, so I’ll just wait until it’s the right time.

Gotcha. Well, cool... Thanks for your time and enjoy your bagel!
Thank you! [Laughs.] I’ll speak to you later. Bye!

Catch L.A.'s fresh vid for the single "Smile." Cheers!

Comments

[kevin]

pretty good read!

[kevin]

pretty good read!

[kevin]

pretty good read!