Lily Allen reveals she needs to be ‘much less of a narcissist in 2025’ and had been ‘wrapped up in myself and victimhood’ as she reveals album plans following break up from David Harbour

Lily Allen has had a change of heart and wants to write her first album in six years after she first gets her ‘head straight’ – which could see her pour her heart out over her recent marriage split.

Only weeks ago she said she could not write music again because she wouldn’t be able to stop herself being truthful and vulnerable – and she feared she would regret that if her album sales did not merit her honesty.

Now, while admitting she hadn’t yet got as far as making concrete plans to start writing again, she said she was taking a first step in ‘manifesting’ her desire to get in a studio again.

In June, Lily will be in a production of Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler, but revealing her new year plans before then, she said: ‘Firstly, I’m going to go and get my head straight for a bit.

‘I’m doing a little bit of work on myself in this beginning period of the year, then I’m going to do some more writing, then I’m going to do my play – hopefully get an album out by the end of the year.’

Lily Allen has had a change of heart and wants to write her first album in six years after she first gets her ‘head straight’

The album could see her pour her heart out over her recent marriage split from David Harbour (pictured in June 2024) 

When her best pal Miquita Oliver sounded shocked she was returning to music, Lily replied: ‘It’s not real, I’m just trying to manifest it now.’

The hitmaker added: ‘I think I’m going to try and be less of a narcissist in 2025.

‘I need to be more empathetic. I’ve been quite wrapped up in myself and victimhood lately and I’m ready to move on.’

Only last month Lily had said while her marriage was breaking apart that she was too frightened to write new music because she’d want it to be vulnerable.

She said although she didn’t mind spilling out her heartache, she only wanted to do it if enough people listened to make her feel it was worthwhile being so open.

But she was gripped by a fear over the possibility that wouldn’t be the case and might not get a wide enough audience.

The singer admitted to her fear despite believing her last album No Shame was her best so far – with it reaching number eight in the UK charts.

Lily added she had not lost her passion for making music, while saying another issue is that she wanted to feel independent financially, but the advent of streaming makes that very hard for artists.

The singer, 39, did not deny reports she had separated from Stranger Things actor David Harbour on her first Miss Me? podcast since they parted ways

When her best pal Miquita Oliver sounded shocked she was returning to music, Lily replied: ‘It’s not real, I’m just trying to manifest it now’

Lily, who had been acting since putting out her last music release, said: ‘Fear of failure stops me from doing things. I’m really scared of writing music at the moment and I think it is the fear of failure.’

Asked by Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe on her podcast if it was because of the gap since she last released an album, she replied: ‘No, I don’t think so. I think I’m slightly traumatised by the last album I put out because I really did feel like it was my best work and it should have been a lot more commercially successful.

‘I know that sounds really entitled, and it is kind of entitled, but also it’s sort of tied up in ego.

‘And also just the reality of being able to support oneself with music now. It’s really hard. It’s a scary prospect.’

Asked if she still had the same passion for writing, Lily who had a hit single called The Fear, said: ‘Yeah, I do, but there’s some kind of blockage.

‘I don’t know, I think it’s like fear of the truth. I only really want to tell the truth, and I think that if I really go there, then I have to like really reveal some stuff. I’m scared of doing that.

‘And then I can’t bear the idea of doing that and then putting it out and no-one noticing. But that’s because I’m like a greedy narcissist.’

Asked if she was saying she wanted to be vulnerable, but not on a small scale, she said: ‘Yeah. That’s really true.

Only weeks ago she said she could not write music again because she wouldn’t be able to stop herself being truthful and vulnerable

‘If there were four people sat at this table I’m sitting at now, asking me to sing, I would have a much bigger problem with that than if I was in a venue with five thousand people.

‘I need the stakes to be higher. It shouldn’t be about that. It should just be about expressing yourself freely.

‘But somehow along the way, in 20 years of doing this, I’ve managed to let my ego get tied up in it all and complicate things.’

She added: ‘So fear of failure, it’s a f***er.’