Lily Allen won't change for America

Lily Allen

Pop singer Lily Allen knows precisely where she was when she first realized her Smile single was taking off in the United Kingdom: on the internet.

"I was in America and Jo Whiley played it on Radio 1 back home," Allen said. "My MySpace (page) just went insane. It was first thing in the morning where I was, but there were hundreds of comments and I thought, 'This is it now.'"

Since that moment, 21-year-old Allen has become the poster girl for social networking sites in the United Kingdom, reaching platinum status (300,000 units) for her Regal/Parlophone album, Alright, Still, on the back of an innovative digital campaign.

In the United Kingdom, Allen's forthright views on other artists – she has described Madonna as "the most overrated person in pop history" and has said the Pussycat Dolls "look like lap dancers" – and bared-knuckle lyrics about teenage sex and drugs have given her cult hero status among her young fan base, while making her a target for the notorious British tabloid press.

"I never went into this to be a role model," she said. "These girls see the honesty of me saying, 'Yes, I've taken drugs and I drink and I have sex and give my boyfriend b******s occasionally.' That's just what it's like being my age – and I won't change for America."

With more than 97,000 MySpace friends, small wonder that the biggest cheer of the night on her last UK tour always came when she inquired: "Anyone here off MySpace?" Never mind the claims of Arctic Monkeys and Sandi Thom – Allen is the United Kingdom's first natural-born digital superstar.

"I'd do songs, put them straight up (on MySpace) and if people liked them they went on the album," Allen said. "The record company didn't think my musical direction was right at all until I set up the site."

In fact, the album's snapshot of British urban life stands as a rare pop record to attract heavyweight critical acclaim and across-the-board sales appeal.

While Allen's ska and reggae influences attract older consumers, the UK marketing campaign focussed on youth, with many digital firsts clocked up since the July 2006 release, including ground-breaking tie-ins with MSN and online media player Nabbr.

"(But) the core of the whole digital campaign has been Lily's blog," Parlophone digital media manager Dan Duncombe said. "That's what's created the interest and brought people back."

"I spend two to three hours a day on MySpace and in my Web site forums chatting," Allen said. "Fans need to have some emotional connection with an artist. All you have to do is look at the (flop) All Saints album to see that if they aren't connecting with you as a friend then it just doesn't work."

The policy paid instant dividends, with Smile hitting No. 1 on the Official UK Charts Co.'s singles rundown, and Andy Slater, president/CEO of Capitol Records – which will release the album January 30 in the United States. The label has a strong recent track record for breaking UK artists.

"If pop music was just about a catchy melody and good musicianship, then Toto would have been the biggest band in the world," Slater said. "But it's not. It's about sex, rebellion and fashion, and all of those things crystallize in Lily Allen's music."

That blend certainly seems to be entrancing the US media.

Allen was named Blender magazine's No. 1 Reason to Love 2007, is picking up radio play on modern rock and triple-A (adult alternative album) formats, and has February performance slots booked with Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien.

MTV is so enthusiastic that it has created five 30-second "vignettes" featuring Allen's music and views on a variety of topics – from body image to boys – which are airing throughout January on mtvU and MTV and which are available online.

Allen also will star on the first MTV Discover and Download Live tour in February.