Lily Allen didn’t know why she agreed to be interviewed for this article. On a recent morning, sitting outside a London cafe, the British singer said she had paused earlier for a moment of reflection. Since Allen burst onto the pop music scene in the mid-00s with lilting reggae-infused tracks like “Smile,” her relationship with the press has been fraught. She has always been outspoken — in her lyrics, in interviews and on social media — and for many years, she was a fixture in Britain’s tabloid newspapers. “Especially when you’re in your early 20s, and you’re still trying to figure out who you are in the world.”

---

Persons: Lily Allen didn’t, ”, ” Allen, “ It’s, Allen, you’re Locations: London, British