Lily Allen slams music industry: 'No one markets women over 40'

Lily Allen, 41, has hit back at the music industry’s reluctance to promote artists over 40, claiming it doesn’t know how to market women who speak openly about perimenopause and the school run ^[1]. Speaking to The Times Magazine, she said: 'You get to a point and you're like, "OK, do people really want to hear about perimenopause and the school run and whatever we're going through?"' She added that while the industry is 'scared' to explore such themes, she believes there is a market — and her latest album proves it.

The comments come amid renewed attention on her 2025 break-up album, West End Girl, which details her four-year marriage to Stranger Things actor David Harbour, 51, before their legal separation in early 2025 ^[1]. Harbour previously called the album 'weird' in a June interview with Variety, stating he respected her right to artistic expression but insisted it wasn’t his experience.

Lily responded in an interview with The Cut, calling his remarks 'generous' and praising his Emmy nomination, saying: 'He's an excellent actor' ^[1]. She reiterated that her album is a 'mixture of fact and fiction' and not gospel, urging fans not to take lyrics as literal truth.

Key tracks include 'Madeline', where she appears to accuse Harbour of a three-year affair with a younger costume designer, and 'Tennis', which uses the sport as a metaphor for sex, ending with the haunting question: 'No, but who is Madeline, actually?' ^[1].

The couple met on the set of Raya and married in Las Vegas in 2020. Before Harbour, Lily was married to builder Sam Cooper from 2011 to 2018 ^[1].

Harbour has said he values his private life and that of those he interacts with, though it has not been confirmed whether he believes his private life was invaded by public scrutiny ^[1]. What happens next remains to be seen — but Lily has made clear she’s not done speaking about real life, even if the industry isn’t ready for it. The story was first reported by Daily Mail Showbiz and Daily Mail.