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Sorry, Pops, Lily Allen Ain't My Mouthpiece

Mockney posturing does not make her an expert on gang violence

By Victoria Floethe, Newser User

Posted Dec 21, 2008 12:07 PM CST

(Newser) – British pop singer Lily Allen can carry a cute tune, but "spokesperson for her generation"? Puh-leeze, Emily Hill writes in Spiked. Allen's first album, Alright, Still, "soundtracked a summer," inspiring middle-aged music hacks to praise her and London Mayor Boris Johnson to ask for her insight into gang violence. But Allen is just "a middle-class white girl" whose education has insulated her "from 93% of the population," writes Hill.

"None of the disgusting shamminess of it all has registered with your dad," writes Hill, who notes that Allen has a new album coming out. "Or whichever else of your relatives uses the Observer Music Monthly as a crib sheet. Lily was back on the cover this month with even fewer interesting things to say than first time round, when (a critic) solemnly transcribed all her vacuous soundbites with no hint of natural gag reflex."

[Images (4)]

[Videos (1)]

[Quotes (3)]

British singer Lily Allen arrives on the red carpet at the Atlantis hotel grand opening on Jumeirah Palm Island in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Lily Allen arrives at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition on June 4, 2008 in London, England. (Getty Images)

Lilly Allen holds her first BMI London award as she arrives for the 2008 BMI London Awards in central London, Tuesday, Oct. 7 2008. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)

British singer Lilly Allen attends the UK premiere of Brick Lane, at the Odeon West End, Leicester Square, London. Friday Oct 26. 2007. (AP Photo/Nathan Strange)

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Lily Allen covers Britney's "Womanizer." (itsnothere123)

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...no one is left to vocalise how much we don’t get Lily Allen, don’t want to get Lily Allen, and pray to the Lord every day that someone would take her back to the talent-vacuum factory from which she came. - Emily Hill, Spiked

While Britney is slammed for having little hand in her own stuff, Lily will be praised for the genius wit of covering a Britney song. It is ironic!
- Emily Hill, Spiked

On no account should anyone in their teens and twenties who isn’t related to the celebrity-media set be approached. Who cares what they think? - Emily Hill, Spiked

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Sorry, Pops, Lily Allen Ain't My Mouthpiece