Lily Allen’s new album, West End Girl, was released on Friday, October 24. The 14-track record details the breakdown of her four-year marriage to David Harbour. Lyrics strongly suggest the 50-year-old Stranger Things star cheated on the 40-year-old singer before their 2024 separation.
The album opens with its title track, "West End Girl." Allen recounts moving to New York with Harbour early in their relationship. She later received a call about securing a lead role in a West End play.
When Allen shared the news with Harbour, his "attitude began to change." She then returned to London "completely alone" to start rehearsals. Allen previously starred in 2:22 A Ghost Story in 2021 and The Pillowman in 2023.
In "Ruminating" and "Sleepwalking," Allen describes lying awake. She imagines her partner having sex with other women while she is away. She sings, "There’s been no romance since we married / ‘Why aren’t we f—king, baby?’ Yeah, that’s what you said / But you let me think it was me, in my head / And nothing to do with the girls in your bed."
Allen eventually returns home and discovers a text message from a woman named Madeline on Harbour’s phone. In the song "Tennis," she confronts her husband. He then "blamed her completely."
Allen takes action in the aptly titled song "Madeline." She writes to the other woman, asking, "How long has this been going on? Is it just sex or are there feelings?" Allen also sings about an "agreement" in their marriage that allowed her husband to sleep with other women. The conditions were to "be discreet and don’t make it obvious," that "there had to be a payout," and "it had to be with strangers."
Feeling heartbroken, Allen, who has been sober since 2019, yearns for a drink and Valium in "Relapse." She emotionally sings, "The ground beneath my feet is gone / You took my safety net away / I moved across the ocean from my family, from my friends / The foundations are shattered / You’ve made a right royal mess."
Allen’s pain transforms into rage in "P**sy Palace." She criticizes her husband’s "double life" and calls him a "sex addict." She claims to have found a shopping bag filled with sex toys, lubricant, and "hundreds" of condoms.
She makes another painful discovery in "4chan Stan." Allen finds a receipt for a handbag from Bergdorf Goodman’s flagship store in New York, purchased while she was in London. She lashes out, "Why won’t you tell me her name? This is outrageous. What, is she famous?"
In "Dallas Major," Allen admits she begins looking for "someone to have fun with while [her] husband is away." She sings to her lover, "You know I used to be quite famous, that was a long time ago / Yeah, I’m here for validation, and I should probably explain / That my marriage has been open since my husband strayed." "Dallas Major" is reportedly a fake name used for a one-night stand.
The album’s final song, "Fruityloop," sees Allen conclude, "It’s not me, it’s you." She tells her ex, "I wish I could fix all your s—t, but all your s—t is yours to fix."
Harbour’s representative did not respond to Us Weekly‘s request for comment. Harbour has only publicly addressed his separation from Allen once. In an April interview with British GQ, he stated cryptically, "I’m protective of people and the reality of my life. There’s no point in that kind of engagement [with rumors] because it’s all based on hysterical hyperbole."
Allen, however, confirmed to Vogue in an October 20 profile that her new album is "inspired by what happened in the relationship." She added that "that’s not to say that it’s all gospel."
Allen was previously married to Sam Cooper from 2011 to 2018. They share two daughters, Ethel, 13, and Marnie, 12. West End Girl marks Allen’s first album in seven years.