Jan. 18, 2007

For an artist whose record hasn't even been released yet (in America, anyway), Lily Allen caused quite a stir in 2006. Allen's debut album, "Alright, Still," with shades of pure pop, light reggae and a scintilla of rap, was a huge hit in her native United Kingdom, where debut single "Smile" went to No. 1, making her an instant celebrity. The cheeky, outspoken 21-year-old relished the role for a while, but when the tabloid headlines -- yes, in Britain, musicians still make tabloid headlines -- turned to personal matters, her instant fame took a turn for the uncomfortable. But the record remained a big draw, and now it's finally coming out here, though import and bootleg copies have been circulating for a while now. We caught up with Allen after she returned from vacation and was preparing to head out for another year of international touring.

MSN Music: It seems that a lot of the reaction to your record -- to your actual music -- has focused on the fact that you express nasty sentiments about bad ex-boyfriends in the songs. Are you surprised that people take that element so seriously?

Lily Allen: Are they? I don't really know, because I don't read what's written about me for the most part. And it's weird, actually, because that's really only three or four songs on the album that I talk about that stuff. There's a lot of varied subject matter on there, not just the bitter break-up songs.

Obviously, the other thing people like to talk about is MySpace and how savvy you are about self-promotion. Is there anything you think people have missed?

Well, the music, obviously. I mean, I never really treated the online stuff as a marketing tool. I just spent a lot of time there socializing, like so many people my age do. I still like to do it. And though I do mention when I have a record or a single coming out, I only do it in the course of my regular interactions, as a way of saying that I'm nervous or insecure about it. I look at that stuff as a kind of online diary, really.

"When I signed a record deal, I never thought I'd go abroad. I thought it'd be a guilty pleasure, little underground record."

With the kind of celebrity you've achieved at home, where everything you ever say is likely to be front-page news, are you more guarded now, or do you just do what you do?

No, I'm not more guarded, because I refuse to be a victim of the British press. It saddens me and it makes me angry that they are the way they are, but it's just something I have to put up with. I mean, I never wanted this. I don't want to be a celebrity. I don't want people following me around with cameras, and I don't want to be subjected to that kind of scrutiny. I just want to sing and make records. But it is what it is and I won't let them drag me down to their level.

Is it weird to be preparing to "debut" in America with a record that has not only been out for a long time elsewhere in the world but also that so many people here have already heard? Do you still like the record?

To be honest, it's boring me now. I've had a few weeks off, so hopefully I'll find a way to get interested in singing these songs every night again. In reality, though, that's my job and I love it. I'm proud of the album. When I signed a record deal, I never thought I'd go abroad. I thought it'd be a guilty pleasure, little underground record. And now it's done really well, but it's still something I think of as my job, like doing interviews. I've been told that's what you have to do, and so that's what I'm doing. If I was Chris Martin from Coldplay, I'm sure I'd be in a position where I could go, "You know what? I haven't got time for this." If I won the lottery tomorrow, I probably wouldn't want to do so many interviews, but I'm not in that position.

Which is funny, if you think about how ordinary music listeners tend to think of getting a record deal as winning the lottery.

I mean, it's not like winning the lottery at all. Yes, it means that a record company's got a certain amount of confidence in you, and that's great. But it's not like, "Oh, yes, I've been signed. Now I'm going to be a pop star." There's a lot more to it.

But was that idea in your mind somewhere, even as a fantasy?

I guess it made me feel like I was close to that. But record companies are almost insignificant now. If you make good music and you get it on the Internet and people like it, you don't need a record company. I mean, yes, they come in handy for marketing purposes, but that's it, you know? They don't even put the money up for CDs anymore. It's all MP3s now. I don't even understand why people are still signing artist-for-album deals. I mean, albums are just obsolete. If I was a record company boss, I'd sign people up for tracks and that's it. "Give me five tracks over the course of the next two years; here's the money to do it." I mean, that seems obvious to me.

You're about to spend another year touring the world, particularly here in the United States. How have your trips here been so far?

The tours have been great. They haven't been that different. I mean, they're just shows in front of people. I think because of the online stuff, it's pretty much been the same everywhere. The Internet is a worldwide thing. I played my first-ever gig in May ever, and obviously, they're bigger in England. But everywhere else in the world, they've been pretty much the same reactions to those first gigs I played in the U.K. Everyone knew the words, and everyone was dancing around and enjoying it.

So what's your best-case scenario for the next year?

Just to be happy, keep busy and make some money. I'm happy that I'm able to do that, and I understand that a lot of other people aren't in that position. But at the same time, this is my job, and I started it to make money, and ... it's not about making millions and millions of pounds, but it is about me being able to buy myself a house and to build the foundation for the rest of my life, 'cause I don't believe I'm going to be doing this for the rest of my life. You know, I have other things I want to do.

Like what?

Take over f***ng record companies and show them how to do it properly.