My Thoughts Exactly

by Lily Allen

Includes an additional new chapter and exclusive Q&A.

Short-listed for the Specsavers National Book Awards 2018 in Autobiography/Biography.

The number one Sunday Times best seller.

So, this is me. Lily Allen.

I am a woman.

I am a mother.

I was a wife.

I drink.

I have taken drugs.

I have loved and been let down.

I am a success and a failure.

I am a songwriter.

I am a singer.

I am all these things and more.

When women share their stories, loudly and clearly and honestly, things begin to change - for the better.

This is my story.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Biography, Music, Autobiography, Feminism

Audible Audio

First published September 20, 2018

About the author

Lily Allen is an English singer, songwriter, actress and author. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen.

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as celebrity memoirs go you really get your moneys worth here. I believe if your going to write a tell all memoir you might as well tell the truth and nothing but the truth and this is what Lily Allen does. Her life is a series of big fuck ups and she owns them all, she is a straight shooter and doesn’t mess about with anything that tries to sell a pretty picture. You get real. There is much to feel sad for Lily and she wears all her vulnerabilities on her sleeve it’s hard to feel any criticism. She’s brave and her story adds to the narrative of empowering women to speak up and not feel ashamed. Taking back the power from men, the fakes, the users and the media who have taken so much from her already. Standing up to the haters and owning her story. Gotta love a woman strong enough to do that.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily Allen, pop star, mother, sister, daughter shares her life story and the title says it all, these are her words exactly. Although I hardly knew anything about Lily before reading this book I knew a certain type of Right wing, straight, white man really loathed her, as displayed by the Daily Mail demonisation of her and the relentless trolling of her on social media, which just made me like her, as she refused to go away, refused to let them dictate how she lives her life. This book pulls no punches on the mistreatment she has undergone, but is just as loud about her own failings and weaknesses. Half way through the book, I began thinking it all feels very champagne socialist, but by the end I got her message. She's Lily Allen and like us all she wants to live her life and hopefully learn from her mistakes and continue to grow.

I like her, I think she can be confusing, is privileged, has huge co-dependency issues, is self absorbed and more, but she's also just as importantly self-reflective, a seeker of truth, loyal to her own disservice, honest and more, including being a genuinely talented creator. When I read open and frank bios like this, I just wish the peron's detractors could read them, it's they that need to see just how unjust a target of their ire the woman (it's almost always a woman) is, she is just another human like you and I. 7 out of 12.

2022 read

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved many of Allen’s work, so it was really interesting to hear more about her life and how she got to where she is today. It’s a life full of struggle and I admire her honesty. It can’t have been easy to navigate a life without the basic foundation of unconditional love. No wonder she tried to escape it all and had to learn some hard lessons.

[Emily B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook of this which was read by Lily Allen herself. This was a big reason why I chose to listen to it as I probably wouldn’t have read it if I had a physical copy.

I found it pretty easy to listen to and I appreciated how honest Lily is throughout. There are lots of parts in the book that some people would find extremely hard to talk about or write about and might not have included, but she did.

I liked that she talked about her codependency from the start or the book and the impact it’s had on her life. This is something that I think isn’t often talked about but it’s probably more common that we realise.

[Carly Findlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Lily Allen’s book My Thoughts Exactly after work today. A quick read but not an easy one.

It’s about fame, excess, breakups and breakdowns. Love and mothering. Making mistakes and owning mistakes. Addiction and sobriety. Bad sex and good sex. Anger and mental illness. Body image. Abuse. Her truth.

I really liked (and empathized with) Lily’s insight into trolling and stalking, and the expectation to be a good girl yet online abusers can say what they want. There was a passage about the double standards of responding to online abuse, and it just floored me. I related so much.

Lily is so clever and quick witted and vulnerable. This book captures it all.

Thank you Lily, I hope you’re doing ok. And I’m so glad you finally had an orgasm.

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is depressing. Whilst I can't help but admit I buy into the culture of celebrity. As a teen I liked Lily, I bought her first single, queued at New Look to buy her clothing range, I watched her BBC3 show, her show about LucyinDisguise... I switched off when she began taking politics into her own.
I think the book is quite sad, and you're not able to compartmentalise the content as that of some complete stranger, you'll end up empathising. Imagine it's a stranger and you might feel differently. Lily doesn't realise how good she's had it, but has always had a penchant for looking at the glass half empty. Stories of a private school and not fitting in, being in a house alone eating pasta, her celebrity stepfather stepping in and being the hero (call Childline!), her first foray into music because of her last name (then yes hard work), her happy marriage she tarnished because she had to be the breadwinner and leave home (Idontgetit). Nothing ever is her fault somehow, and it gets tiring. By the time the strange story of the Calais debacle rolls around and then describing herself going over, high on pills, to physically attack her ex-husband over his new relationship (after everything she had professed?) - I was done, it was toecurling. Morose as it was, other than the loss of a child and a crazed stalker, this book should be about how lucky and fortunate someone has been. Lily's had success, Lily has had a beautiful family and loving Husband. Lily was the last of the pre-digital generation of artists that could muster a label to rent a house in the Cotswolds, kit out her home with a studio and to fly her abroad for music video shoots, helicopter into Glastonbury, grandiose, a Fleetwood Mac lifestyle to someone that happened to someone too young to really appreciate it. I felt like Lily is a lost soul, someone that can never be happy (This can also be me). Live in the moment, appreciate what you have girl.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual read. Thought this was going to be more of a gossipy celebrity memoir but Lily Allen tells a very personal story. Especially enjoyed hearing about how she wrote her first song and she has some worthwhile things to say about the way women are treated in our society, not just the music industry. I didn't exactly warm to Lily but I've enjoyed her music over the years and I applaud her refusal to shut the fuck up and be the good little woman.

[Emmkay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily Allen observes that she’s rather young to write a memoir in the traditional sense. She’s had a lot to work out, and the first part of this book in particular suffers from being essentially a vehicle to impart what she’s worked out about her life - despite having some advantages in terms of money and connections growing up, she doesn’t seem to have got a lot of parenting (parents were off doing drugs, screwing around and doing career stuff), and she’s realized now that it left her ragingly co-dependent. Her analysis seems pretty on point (other perhaps than rejecting the suggestion she had a privileged upbringing, but one can see why it wouldn’t feel that way), but it’s rather more tell than show, and not on a par with her songwriting.

However, something clicked for me in the latter half of the book, which I found very moving. Her explication of the music industry - unhealthy and misogynistic - was eye-opening. And Allen writes frankly and affectingly of her child-bearing years (which began with a terrible miscarriage, then having two babies in quick succession), followed by her really going off the rails in all directions. I could relate, if in a different set of circumstances, to how awful it is as a mother when your baby won’t eat, and to the ambivalence and pressure she felt as a working mother and ‘family man.’ Other than the fact that I’ve never acted out by shagging Liam Gallagher in a toilet, surprisingly relatable. And painfully frank. 3.5 overall.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read this book was. I’ve read many autobiographies over the years and this is by far one of the most honest and brutal that I’ve read. I wouldn’t say I was a Lily Allen ‘fan’, though in 2009 I did love It’s Not Me, It’s You and I certainly haven’t followed her life with any interest and so My Thoughts Exactly was a huge eye opener.

Lily has really bared her soul here and revealed everything and it is a hugely emotional book the whole way through. I had no idea everything that she had been through and can only admire her after reading this story, to write about the stuff she does here so openly I think is extremely brave. I won’t list everything that she talks about but it’s honest, real, heartfelt and heartbreaking. It’s uplifting in places as Lily overcomes her demons and sends out some strong messages for women everywhere, in fact I’d say all teenage girls (and even grown-up women) should read this book. I feel like many people might have an opinion about Lily and many might overlook this book because of her age or I was going to say who she is but now I’ve read the book that should say ‘who people think she is’. Read this book and discover the real Lily Allen.

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Listened to on audiobook via BorrowBox!*

Lily Allen narrates her memoir herself and honestly, that was something that kept me listening. She certainly didn't hold back from sharing her life memories and honest thoughts about family life, marriage, divorce and the music industry. I grew up listening to most of her music (Smile, The Fear, 22) and have memories of when the songs first got released. There are trigger warnings in this for sexual assault, miscarriage, underage drinking/drug use, stalking etc. Although the pacing was sometimes slow, it was a good written book overall. Highly recommend listening to the audio!

[Francesca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read it for book club. Writing style is very simple. This happened, then this happened. She repeats herself a lot. Also can't seem to take responsibility for her own actions. Don't really get why it's a best seller 🤔

[Dun's · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember when I first listened to Lily Allen's "Smile". I liked the song then, and still sing along to it today if it happens to be played on the radio. Not long after Smile hit the charts, I remember seeing Lily on the British tabloids with "news" about her having squabbles with other celebrities or doing or saying something controversial.

Now, reading this memoir is like hearing Lily's side of the stories. She writes in such a raw and outspoken way about growing up in a troublesome family with absent parents, getting her big break, handling her co-dependence and mental health issues, her alcohol and substance use, becoming a mother (and losing her first child), and the hard times she gets from being a young female artist in the misogynistic music industry.

At the end of the day, despite the-warts-and-all portrayal, this book gives me an interesting insight into her music creativity process and I enjoy reading about it. It reminds me how much I like her songs. I'd still stop whatever I was doing whenever her cover of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" was on to listen to her voice.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike a lot of celebrities (or the rest of us, really), Lily Allen is completely honest and open about her failures and shortcomings. In her memoir, she sets straight a lot of the misconceptions about her, while owning up to the times when she acted like a complete twat too. Allen has gone through some tough experiences, learned from them and come out the other side a fierce and intelligent woman.

[Kelly Deriemaeker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ergens tussen een vier en een vijf, omdat ik zo onder de indruk ben van de verfrissende eerlijkheid en kwetsbaarheid waarmee Lily Allen dit boek schreef.

Zo graag gelezen, erg door geraakt en geïnspireerd.

[Ryan Buckby · Rating 3 out of 5]

actual rating: 3.5/5

lie around all day eating them while watching episodes of ER. I watched every episode of every series of ER.

I remember growing up with Lily Allen's music way back in 2006 when i heard first her first single 'Smile' and i've been a fan of her music ever since. Lily does state that she knows she's pretty young to be releasing a memoir book but she does not hold back.

I loved how in depth she went through and how open she was with her drug addiction, depression, marriage and divorce as well as her music career. I don't think i've ever seen a famous person go in such depth with how they struggle with mental illness and drug abuse before and i mean Lily doesn't sugar coat it she tells it how it is and i applaud her for that.

Going into it i was not expecting half the stuff to be in the book that was in the book and i am kind of glad it was because there needs to be more of a conversation around these topics because they do affect people and i'm glad she wrote about her experience to maybe help someone.

I enjoyed the book for the most part however i did find some parts to be slow and it lost me for a bit but there were other parts when she talked about her struggles which pulled me back.

[Sean Peters (A Good Thriller) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that is so different, difficult to review.

Lily Allen in her own words is a woman, mother, sister, wife, singer, songwriter, loved and been let down, had success and failure, drinks too much, drugs and mental depression.

Is this an entertaining book, no not really, it this book funny, no. Is this book a memoir, no not really.

What it is is a brutally honest sometimes shocking story of a life that we the reader learn so much about being a "celebrity" being in the public eye.

From the outside it all looks wonderful, making millions in reality far from the truth, they work because they have to to pay their bills, their lifestyles and the same time trying to lead a normal life away from all the cameras.

Within the many stories of this book you learn of the brutally of the press, the lack of privacy and a girl that really struggled with fame, success, marriage and so much more.

Her treatment by record companies, her stalker who invaded her private life.

Lily Allen often did not get things right and her personality, drinking and drugs I am sure effected her friendships, her image, her popularity.

Heavy drug use, heavy drinking but it was her life and things happening around her that caused her too lose her away in life, pressure of success, bringing out the next album, the next hit and trying to be a mother, wife and a successful singer.

Life has been tough for her, and no she has not helped herself, but as a singer a great talent and you wonder how she has been so successful with her lifestyle.

I hope and believe she has come through those dark and long tunnels, this brutally honest and open book with no details left out will help her find her happiness, I hope so.

[Rebecca Pitchfork · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio book.

As much as I admire Lily Allen, her talents and journey through life this far; unfortunately the audio version was a difficult task to get through. The narration was flat, lacked character and description.

[Florence Reeves-White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily captured my undivided attention from "When women share their stories, loudly and clearly and honestly, things begin to change - for the better" to her final sentence. I was mesmerised by her honesty and self-critical attitude towards her recklessness. I feel that I gained an insight into the slippery and sinister slope of fame and 'the bubble' that hopefully I will never find myself inside of. The Fear in Lily's life was not only the hit single that she ironically belted out at The Brit Awards, but fear permeates the ink on the pages of this memoir. From fear of being unloved to a feeling of sheer terror and helplessness when her flat is broken into by a psychotic stalker, fame hasn't been a flowery ride for Lily Allen. I was grateful to have this literary accompaniment to her latest album, No Shame, as songs that I'd already grown far too attached to, now provide a telling soundtrack and uncover her lyrical fluency. The album perfectly melodises her story, her downfalls and imperfections, her strength and tenacity. It has brought to light some important themes and I have more respect than ever for Lily as an artist, it's definitely worth a read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest, unflappable and brilliant. One of the most incredible audiobooks I’ve ever listened to, Lily’s story has helped me through a very hard time. This is something I’ll definitely come back to time and time again, I can’t recommend this enough.

[Jared Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and foremost, how perfect is the title for this autobiography? So clever! Although that being said, for many critics who wage war against the English musician (and there are plenty), Lily’s thoughts exactly won’t be high on their Christmas wishlist this year. However, if you are one of those antagonists who fight for the opposition, then do not fear! For I have even more good news for you! These 340+ pages of Lily’s reflections dart forward at an alarmingly fast pace thanks to the generously large font and well-categorised chapters, everything so quick to inhale that you could easily get it done in a single seating, no excuses.

Unfortunately, this speedy ride wasn’t as thrilling as I’d imagined it would be, especially considering the rockstar reputation that the tabloids have painted Lily with (or “cartoon Lily” as the star has so affectionately coined it). Shamefully, the sadistic emptiness of my soul craved further entertainment in the form of celebrity sexual conquests and life-threatening drug misadventures—of which, there were faint scents yet no marinated laundry to perversely salivate over. Rather, Lily spends most of her book focusing inward and complaining about her issues instead of valuing the good fortune outside of her head. She sounds so desperate for us to understand how difficult her life was when there isn’t all that much to understand really. What I found particularly bothersome was how traumatic she considers her childhood to have been when I personally know a large collection of individuals with far worse backstories than hers (including my own). This becomes even more annoying when she fails to recognise how little she had to work for her accolades in comparison to so many other straining artists, with her big break falling effortlessly onto her lap from those very same parental skies. Of course, as a long time Lily Allen fan, I would never disregard her talents, for she is undeniably deserving of her success and could never have maintained this position for so long without such a unique creative flair. Certainly, our world is a better place with her contributions in it. But when this pestering negative aura of ingratitude followed through these pages while distinctly lacking any of the humour for which her songs are praised for, then I don’t think it’s too insensitive to express some level of disappointment (even if only for my own misjudgment). Although, it must be noted that this very sour attitude is what makes many of her songs so great in the first place, so perhaps it all does make sense in context.

And it’s not all bad either. If we stop measuring the publication in terms of artistic guidelines and/or the debautury of your standard fame tale, then the benefits of this book can perhaps rise as more of a mental health exploration and female equality argument, instead of some shallow celebrity entertainment piece. One highly admirable trait of Lily's personality is that she harnesses an exceptional honesty at immense heights, far above many of her contemporaries. She is happy to expose every detail of her life without trying to sound cool, often spreading her regrettable choices out before us as a cautionary display, highlighting those exact moments where she learned more of who she was and how to deal with the complexities of the world around her. And, truth be told, the world around her did become substantially more complex as it went on. If you’ve ever followed the aggressive treatment of Lily in the media, then you’ll probably agree that the incessant attack on her character has been shamefully unfair and nobody deserves such scathing levels of malicious slandering. When viewing the scene from this angle, we can then appreciate My Thoughts Exactly as an anti-popstar autobiography from an anti-popstar herself, an artist whose craft fell second to the mental pressures that she became trapped within, drowning inside the realms of fame which were never designed to accommodate her type of person anyway. And perhaps it is here where the true gold lies. It’s not that this is a book which will inspire you in any artistic direction or tickle the corners of your smile, but rather, one which may help you if you’re currently struggling beneath a pile of external stress and internal turmoil yourself. Lily could very well be the tough role model you are seeking in your present circumstances. She may be the figure to encourage you to tighten those fists and fight your way out.

Nevertheless, as I closed the cover after the final page, I felt like if I let go of this book, it would float away from my hands. In the end, its very existence baffled me. There was something disproportionately pointless about it all with very few revelations or shocking moments to justify its use of paper. The storytelling was a little too thin and the aftertaste was a bitter flavor of self-infatuation, only mildly interesting due to her celebrity status. However, it is because of this celebrity status that we are all gathered here today and I have no qualms about pledging my allegiance to her life, her career and whatever else she wants, Lily Allen forever. Her latest album is brilliant. My copy of this book has been signed by Lily's own fingers, so I don’t regret reading a damn thing. I’m just pissed off she didn’t mention me, to be honest.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Allen’s memoir My Thoughts Exactly is an eye opening glimpse into the microcosm of superstardom and the sobering truths of celebrity reality. When I was living in Turkey, I met a DJ who had attended Coachella and partied with the likes of Drake and Miley Cyrus. He had chosen to move home to Turkey and help out as a barista at his parents’ chocolate and coffee patisserie La Petite Nona. Over steaming cups of Turkish coffee, he explained that in pursuit of fame, he’d lost touch with reality. Lily’s story is a tribute to that truth. Her story holds up a mirror to the media’s fractured image of the heroes we in turn idolize and castigate juxtaposed with the human beings with broken families, addictions, breakdowns and breakthroughs with which we can all relate.

Lily’s is a modern day rendition of the Samaritan woman to which many of us can relate. All her life she has looked for someone to fill the void. We reach for a bottle, we reach for a pill, we reach for a new relationship, we reach for sex, we binge on food, we purge on food, we lash out or hide or find ourselves driven because of things we have suffered as a child. Yet, like Lily Allen and the Samaritan woman, we have a choice. When guilt occupies the secret places in our lives, we can allow it to cripple us or we can allow the painful healing of God’s love to penetrate our heart and set us free.

Throughout her own narrative, Lily uses her platform to extend the mic to the marginalized:

“Ignoring bullies and letting them give voice to bigotry and threaten violence without rebuke or redress is a kind of silence I’m not interested in...I don’t want to be silent. Women have been silenced for millenia, and I’m not going to be part of that. I want to speak up, and if that means I sometimes get it wrong, then I should be able to correct myself, apologise, move on and still carry on speaking up.”

“If a white girl with two kids, living in a wealthy, Conservative constituency, with a load of money to chuck at lawyers, can be mistreated like this...what was happening to the abused, vulnerable girls out there with no money and no lawyers and no private bodyguards? Does that girl even exist in the system? Does she ever come forward? Is her voice heard? How often? How loudly?...If I feel short-changed and I’ve got it all, then how fucking short-changed must every other victim feel, and why isn’t anything being done about it?”

“I thought about who it was who had helped me, who it was who had listened to me and made things go right, who told the truth and acted responsibly: it was the women in my life, or who I had met.”

“Let’s try and teach our daughters to be stronger and more resilient, better at being less grateful, more insistent on being taken seriously, louder at saying no.”

My Thoughts Exactly is a feminist manifesto of empowerment. It is a modern day fairytale that communicates the truth that our filthiest rags can be transformed into our finest riches if we choose to share our most vulnerable places, face our vilest demons, and begin living life on our own terms.

[Nigeyb · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is hard not to feel very sorry for Lily Allen. In large parts My Thoughts Exactly is a misery memoir. Both her parents were largely absent during her childhood and this left her with a terrible sense of insecurity.

Fame has very much been a mixed blessing. Validation and affirmation on the one hand, tabloid lies and media distortions on the other.

There's some jaw dropping stuff here: e.g. racking up £10,000 of parking fines in a short space of time, her distracted parents' behaviour, Lily's various addictions including alcohol, drugs and sex, and her experience being stalked by a man with serious mental health issues and the police's failure to take her concerns seriously. And so it goes on.

Lily states her motivation for writing My Thoughts Exactly is to set the record straight for her daughters when they're old enough to read it. Whether that makes it much of a read for the rest of us is debatable. I really enjoy biographies but this one felt like the thoughts of an immature person with a raft of personal issues. It's certainly honest however I think she might have been wise to wait a few more decades before putting pen to paper.

2/5



The blurb...

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Shortlisted for the Specsavers National Book Awards 2018

'Unflinching, unputdownable' Guardian
'Witty, dark, devastating' Caitlin Moran
'An amazing read. Brutally honest' Matt Haig
'I love it' Jon Ronson

*******************************

So, this is me. Lily Allen.
I am a woman.
I am a mother.
I was a wife.
I drink.
I have taken drugs.
I have loved and been let down.
I am a success and a failure.
I am a songwriter.
I am a singer.
I am all these things and more.

When women share their stories, loudly and clearly and honestly, things begin to change - for the better.
This is my story.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply Honest, and fascinating. Always liked her, but like her more now.

[Emily]

Stressful and sad, mostly. Kind of hard to read in the same way I found Dolly Alderton's work really hard to read. I'm glad she seems to be doing better now -- I love her music and I always will!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the best written autobiography. You’ll drive yourself crazy trying to hold onto the chronology of everything as Allen jumps forwards and backwards and frequently seems to contradict herself. Almost the entire story is told through first person exposition, with very little dialogue, so by the end I was well and truly ready to move on. There are a lot of really valid ideas put forward by Allen, and I was making highlights frequently. Her constant references to her co-dependency and self-sabotage were both exhausting and insightful, which summarises how I felt about this book in general. As Allen admits towards the end, she is a woman who is holding on to a lot of anger, and as a reader I couldn’t help but shoulder the constant pain and frustration she feels towards everyone in her life, which made for a very taxing week of bedtime reading. It’s not that I wouldn’t recommend this autobiography, I would just go into it cautiously.

[Filipa Galrão · Rating 4 out of 5]

Já todos sabemos como o glamour do mundo da Pop pode ser uma farsa (mal?) mascarada, mas talvez não encontremos um relato tão brutalmente honesto e feito na primeira pessoa, como este aqui. A irreverência, pelos vistos, tem um preço e bem alto. Não é cool nem satisfatória e pode ser muito solitária. Esta é a história de Lily Allen mas podia ser a história de muitos de nós. A disfuncionalidade da indústria da música conjugada com o sexismo e uma sociedade sequiosa de sordidez podem ser uma experiência aterradora. No entanto, há sempre espaço e tempo para a catarse e Lily Allen encontrou isso mesmo na escrita. Seja de canções seja de livros. "When woman share their stories, loudly and clearly and honestly, things begin to change - for the better".

[Emma McCormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and raw in equal measure. Couldn’t put this down and I’d encourage anyone to pick it up and devour it in a few days.

[Pip · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily Allen (b. 1985) is a British singer who's having a bit of a career Renaissance in 2025, with her latest album West End Girl (about the collapse of her second marriage and finding herself newly single and newly sober at 40) gaining much critical acclaim and being called her magnum opus by some (see this excellent Swiftologist video for a career retrospective and analysis of her current record). Prior to this era, Allen rose to prominence in 2006 at the age of 21 with her particular brand of off-color wit with her debut record Alright, Still. She was a messy British tabloid fixture for years due to her unstable personal life and immature antics (a period she refers to in this book as 'cartoon Lily') and has since gone through several eras of music, some better than others. Personally, I find Allen's music to be at its best when she doesn't make mean-spirited jabs at people (songs like Alfie, Cheryl Tweedy, even her debut hit Smile, and about half of West End Girl where the verbal knives are directed at her most recent ex) and instead turns her gaze inwards with her keen ability to simultaneously satirize social moraes and explore her own vulnerabilities (songs like The Fear, 22, and the other half of West End Girl).

Allen's 2018 memoir My Thoughts Exactly is about what you'd expect from 2018, then-33-year-old Allen. She is candid to the point of TMI, allegedly self-aware but not in the way that prevents her from repeating old mistakes and unhealthy behavioral patterns, and views life with a mixture of the cynicism of one who's been burned many times as well as a surprising amount of grace for certain people, like the man who stalked her for years. Allen claims to have written the book for her daughters so that they have a record of their mother (was she not planning to be around for her kids' adult years?) -- though I'm not sure that some of the content of this book (particularly the parts about Allen's love life) are things kids ever want to hear about or from their parents. In actuality, and given Allen's rants about her finances, I'm sure money was a big factor; there have been entire eras of Allen's career dedicated to financially grifting through whatever means possible (Google if curious).

Reading this in 2025 after West End Girl was also quite insightful given that Allen admits to having been 'the other woman' and cheating extensively on past partners. Allen wasn't sober in 2018 but has (as of 2025) claimed sobriety since 2019. I wish her continued sobriety and stability, and would be interested in reading a follow-up memoir in another few decades.

My statistics:
Book 368 for 2025
Book 2294 cumulatively

[Mia Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always been a big old lily fan. Really enjoyed the experience of just shedding more light on her life. Read this purely for amo when mum says she hates Lily Allen. Mum it’s the media :(

Lily 4eva