Lily Allen’s new music is raising eyebrows for its cryptic lyrics and special shoutouts to a person seemingly named Madeline.
In the 14-track record titled West End Girl, Allen, 40, seemingly chronicles the breakdown of her four-year marriage to David Harbour and insinuates that the Stranger Things star was unfaithful before their 2024 separation.
“Been no romance since we wed / ‘Why aren’t we f***ing, baby?’ Yeah, that’s what you said,” Allen, 40, sings in “Sleepwalking” while suggesting a partner was cheating. “But you let me think it was me in my head / And nothing to do with them girls in your bed.”
After the album was released in full on October 24, some listeners couldn’t help but notice Allen mentioning “Madeline.”
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“Lily Allen dropping a whole song confronting the other woman named Madeline…………omg her Jolene is here,” one user wrote via X. Another listener added, “MY GAWD LILY ALLEN CAME OUT SWINGING ON MADELINE.”
While Harbour’s rep did not respond to Us Weekly‘s outreach for comment, we’re breaking down the chatter surrounding Madeline and the new album below:
Who Is Madeline in the Song ‘Tennis’?
In a track called “Tennis,” Allen sings about returning home and seeing a text from a woman named Madeline on her partner’s phone.
“So I read your text, and now I regret it / I can’t get my head round how you’ve been playing tennis,” she sings in the chorus. “If it was just sex, I wouldn’t be jealous / You won’t play with me and who’s Madeline?”
She ends the track with a question she still may not have an answer to. “Da, da-da, da-da, who’s Madeline?” she sings. “(No, but who is Madeline, actually?)”
What Is Lily Allen’s Song ‘Madeline’ About?
In a follow-up track, Allen sings about taking matters into her own hands and messaging the other woman.
“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.”
Allen goes on to sing about having “an arrangement” in her marriage that included rules like, “Be discreet and don’t be blatant / There had to be payment / It had to be with strangers / But you’re not a stranger, Madeline.”
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What Has Lily Allen Said About Her Split From David Harbour?
Eight months after she broke up with Harbour, 50, Allen shared a glimpse into what her new album symbolizes to her.
“I made this record in December 2024 and it was a way for me to process what was happening in my life,” she told British Vogue in an interview published October 17. “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.”
What Has David Harbour Said About His Split From Lily Allen?
Harbour has only addressed his split from Allen once, telling British GQ in April 2025, “I’m protective of the people and the reality of my life. There’s no use in that form of engaging [with rumors] because it’s all based on hysterical hyperbole.”
Did the Real Madeline Come Forward?
After West End Girl dropped, Natalie Tippett claimed to the Daily Mail that she was the inspiration for the songs.
“Of course I’ve heard the song, but I have a family and things to protect,” Tippett said. “I have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and I understand this is going on. It’s a little bit scary for me. I just don’t feel comfortable talking about it at the moment.”
Allen, for her part, hasn’t confirmed Tippett’s theory, only telling The Times of London that the Madeline was based on a “fictional character” who was a construct of others.
