Lily Allen’s songwriting success is down to her "honesty".
The ‘Hard Out Here’ hitmaker is calling for more women songwriters to join the music industry and insists she is successful because she has "honed her craft" and has always been "honest and truthful" with her music.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: "There are more girls getting involved in songwriting and production and it’s brilliant. Things are happening. Truth and honesty is all I really had to offer. As long as I honed my craft and made sure I was being as honest and truthful as possible then it justifies it."
And Lily was also on hand to issue advice to female songwriters who hope to break into the music industry.
Appearing at the Girls I Rate Panel in London, she added: "Get to know yourself because people will always connect to truth and honesty when it comes to music."
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old singer previously revealed her new album will detail the breakdown of her marriage to Sam Cooper, the father of her two daughters, Ethel, five and four-year-old Marnie.
She said: "Weirdly, this album is quite insular. Mainly it’s to do with me and my relationship with my children, the breakdown of my marriage, substance abuse etc."
And Lily’s songs will also be "a commentary in terms of the state of the world",
She explained: "It’s quite difficult to deliver a political message without sounding really preachy and earnest, and have a catchy pop melody at the same time. I have done it, twice, on this record, so look forward to it.
"Simon Cowell is a lot to blame – I really mean that, it’s not a joke. Before that style or that obsession with fame came to fruition, you needed to play an instrument to be able to write your own songs. There’s usually some kind of political movement that went alongside any music.
"I think the internet is a big part of it. When the internet essentially de-monetised music – not for record companies, just for artists – it limited people in terms of how they were able to express themselves. You can’t really be singing about your political beliefs if you’re doing gigs for arms dealers or oil barons."
Lily Allen: Stay honest in songwriting
