Lily Allen sings about a woman named Madeline on her new album, West End Girl — and she has plenty to say about her lyrical inspiration.
“Intimacy is inherently messy. There are usually agreed-upon boundaries in relationships, but whether those boundaries are adhered to or not is becoming a grey area all of a sudden,” Allen, 40, told The Times of London in a Saturday, October 25, profile. “Dating apps make people disposable and that leads to the idea that if you are not happy, there’s so much more to choose from right in your pocket.”
On West End Girl, Allen alleges that her partner — presumed to be her estranged husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour — had been unfaithful with a woman named Madeline. The moniker is first referenced in the song “Tennis.”
“So I read your text, and now I regret it / I can’t get my head round how you’ve been playing tennis,” Allen sings in the chorus. “If it was just sex, I wouldn’t be jealous / You won’t play with me and who’s Madeline?”
Lily Allen Hints Ex David Harbour Cheated in ‘Open’ Marriage on New Album
Madeline is referenced again on a track of the same name, in which Allen sings about messaging the other woman herself.
“I know none of this is your fault / Messaging you feels kind of assaultive,” she sings. “Saw your text, that’s how I found out / Tell me the truth and his motives.”
When pressed by the Times about her musical inspiration, Allen succinctly quipped, “[She’s] a fictional character.” The performer also shared that Madeline is actually a construct of multiple others.
“I just feel we are living in really interesting times — in terms of how we define intimacy and monogamy, people being disposable or not,” she told the outlet. “The way we are being intimate with each other is changing as humans. Lots of young women are not finding the idea of marriage or even a long-term relationship that attractive any more.”
She continued, “I don’t know [that] it’s necessarily bad. Lots of people from my parents’ generation stayed together forever and were miserable. You didn’t have endless choice so you may have worked at something harder. But now you don’t have to.”
Lily Allen’s Hints at David Harbour Alleged Affair Explained: Who Is Madeline?
Allen released her new album, her first in seven years, on Friday, October 24, chronicling a breakup. Fans have since theorized that West End Girl is based on Allen’s marriage and subsequent separation from Harbour, 50. (The two stars were married from 2020 to 2024.)
“I made this record in December 2024 and it was a way for me to process what was happening in my life,” Allen told British Vogue earlier this month. “There are things that are on the record that I experienced within my marriage, but that’s not to say that it’s all gospel. It is inspired by what went on in the relationship.”
Harbour has not publicly responded to Allen’s presumed cheating allegations, only once addressing their separation at all. (Us Weekly reached out for comment.)
“I’m protective of the people and the reality of my life,” Harbour told GQ in April. “There’s no use in that form of engaging [with rumors] because it’s all based on hysterical hyperbole.”
Before marrying Harbour, Allen wed Sam Cooper in 2011. They eventually split in 2018 after welcoming daughters Ethel, now 13, and Marnie, now 12.
West End Girl is out now.
