https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WxDrVUrSvI Despite all her showbiz connections, Lily Allen came to prominence via MySpace. If anything was a sign of the times it was this. Myspace was a million miles away from the 'post a demo tape to a record label and cross your fingers' ethos of previous musical generations. But the principle was exactly the same, only the cream would rise to the top and Smile was the cats whiskers. Its the wonderful story of a tale of revenge, or as the Germans would call it, schadenfreude. It utilised a lovely cod reggae soundtrack and was delivered in a brilliantly resigned voice, which combined a spoken word rap for the verses and a sunny melody for the chorus. Lily Allens debut single gave her immediate lift-off in the UK and achieved a decent showing on the other side of the pond too. Lily Allen was part of a the new generation of trailblazing female artists of the decade. She was (and remains) a street smart, independent woman who wasnt reliant on men for happiness. Indeed whilst shes the initially injured party here, the video would go to show the revenge she would exact on the man who crossed her. She would go onto castigate men for their selfishness in other areas of life (most hilariously on Not fair) and get caught up in all sorts of slanging matches with other artists. But Smile was Lily Allen at her best, the perfect example of an intelligent, savvy singer who writes wonderfully infectious kitchen sink dramas.
What makes music fantastic? Star quality, amazing music, breathtaking lyrics and the ability to bring something new to the table, even if that means a new take on the classics. That's what I love to listen to and write about.
As well as writing for What Culture, I occasionally write a blog http://tedney.blogspot.co.uk and sometimes use Twitter, but sparingly @TedneyNash