Lily Allen’s new music is drawing significant attention for its cryptic lyrics, which include specific mentions of a person seemingly named Madeline. The 40-year-old artist’s 14-track album, West End Girl, appears to chronicle the end of her four-year marriage to David Harbour. The songs suggest the Stranger Things star may have been unfaithful before their 2024 separation.
On the track "Sleepwalking," Allen sings about a lack of intimacy and implied betrayal. "There’s been no romance since we married / ‘Why aren’t we f***ing, honey?’ Yes, you said that," she vocalizes. "But you let me believe it was all in my head / And nothing to do with those girls in your bed."
The album, released on October 24, quickly led listeners to focus on Allen’s repeated references to "Madeline." Social media users expressed surprise at the directness of her songwriting. "Lily Allen drops a whole song confronting the other woman named Madeline… omg her Jolene has arrived," one user posted on X. Another added, "GOD, LILY ALLEN CAME OUT SWINGING AT MADELINE."
David Harbour’s representative did not respond to requests for comment regarding the album’s content.
The identity of "Madeline" is central to the album’s narrative. In the song "Tennis," Allen describes discovering a text message from a woman named Madeline on her partner’s phone.
"So I read your message and now I regret it / I don’t understand how you’ve been playing tennis," she sings in the chorus. "If it was just sex, I wouldn’t be jealous / You don’t want to play with me and who is Madeline?" The song concludes with Allen repeatedly asking, "Who is Madeline? (No, but who is Madeline, really?)"
In a subsequent track, Allen details taking matters into her own hands by messaging the other woman directly. "I know none of this is your fault / Messaging you feels almost aggressive," she sings. "I saw your message, that’s how I found out / Tell me the truth and what his motives are."
Allen also references a "deal" within her marriage. This agreement included rules like: "Be discreet and don’t be obvious / There had to be a payment / It had to be with strangers / But you’re not a stranger, Madeline."
Eight months after her separation from Harbour, 50, Allen spoke about the album’s personal significance. "I made this record in December 2024 and it was a way of processing what was going on in my life," she told British Vogue in an interview published October 17. She clarified, "There are things on the record that I experienced within my marriage, but that doesn’t mean everything is literal. It’s inspired by what happened in the relationship."
Harbour has only addressed his separation from Allen once. In April 2025, he told British GQ, "I am protective of people and of the reality of my life." He added, "There is no point in participating in that way [in rumors] because everything is based on hysterical hyperboles.”
Following West End Girl‘s release, Natalie Tippett claimed to the Daily Mail that she was the inspiration behind the songs. "Of course I’ve heard the song, but I have a family and things to protect," Tippett stated. "I have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and I understand what’s going on. It scares me a bit. I just don’t feel comfortable talking about this right now."
Allen has not confirmed Tippett’s claim. She instead told The Times of London that the character of Madeline was based on a "fictional character" created by others.