Career Timeline of Lily Allen: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Lily Allen, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Lily Allen is an English singer, songwriter, and actress recognized for her musical talent and contribution to pop culture. She has received a Brit Award and has been nominated for both a Grammy Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, highlighting her success across different entertainment platforms.
1998: Appearance in 'Elizabeth'
In 1998, Lily Allen appeared as a lady-in-waiting in the film Elizabeth, which was co-produced by her mother.
1998: Appearance in "Vindaloo" Music Video
In 1998, Lily Allen appeared in the music video for the Fat Les song "Vindaloo".
2001: Recording Vocals for Mike Bassett: England Manager
In 2001, Lily Allen recorded the vocals for "On Me Head Not Off Me Head", written by her father for Mike Bassett: England Manager.
2002: Featured in "Who Invented Fish and Chips"
In 2002, Lily Allen was featured in the song "Who Invented Fish and Chips" by her father's group Fat Les.
2004: Collaboration with Future Cut
In 2004, Lily Allen began writing songs and collaborated with production duo Future Cut in a small studio.
November 2005: Posting Demos on Myspace
In November 2005, Lily Allen posted demos she recorded on Myspace, attracting thousands of listeners.
2005: Career Beginnings
In 2005, Lily Allen's musical career commenced when she signed with Regal Recordings and began publishing her vocal recordings on MySpace.
March 2006: Interest from The Observer Music Monthly
In March 2006, The Observer Music Monthly (OMM) showed interest in Lily Allen as she accumulated tens of thousands of Myspace friends.
July 2006: Release of Alright, Still
In July 2006, Lily Allen's debut album, Alright, Still, was released. Most of the tracks had been previewed on her Myspace page, including the singles "Smile", "LDN", "Knock 'Em Out", and "Alfie".
September 2006: "Smile" Available on iTunes Store
In September 2006, Lily Allen's song "Smile" became available on the US version of the iTunes Store.
December 2006: "Smile" Music Video Airplay
In December 2006, Lily Allen's music video for "Smile" was played on various music channels, and the song received some radio airplay.
2006: Success with "Smile" and Alright, Still
In 2006, Lily Allen's debut single, "Smile", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. Her debut album, Alright, Still, was released, receiving positive reviews and achieving significant sales. The album spawned follow-up singles "LDN" and "Alfie".
January 2007: US Release of Alright, Still
On January 30, 2007, Lily Allen's album, Alright, Still, was released in the US, landing at number 20 on the Billboard 200 chart.
July 2007: Glastonbury Festival and Concert for Diana
In July 2007, Lily Allen played at the Glastonbury Festival, replacing MIA, and appeared at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium, London, singing "LDN" and "Smile".
October 2007: Cover of "Don't Get Me Wrong" and War Child Benefit
In October 2007, Lily Allen contributed a cover of The Pretenders' "Don't Get Me Wrong" for the album Radio 1: Established 1967 and performed at a benefit concert for War Child, singing "Smile" and "Everybody's Changing".
2008: Hosting Lily Allen and Friends
In 2008, Lily Allen hosted her own television talk show, Lily Allen and Friends, on BBC Three.
January 2009: Alright, Still Sales Update
By January 2009, Lily Allen's album Alright, Still, had sold 960,000 copies in the UK and 520,000 copies in the US.
February 2009: Viral Marketing Campaign with "The Game"
In February 2009, the online game "Escape the Fear" (aka "The Game"), part of the viral marketing campaign for Lily Allen's album, had been played over two million times.
September 2009: Considering Acting and Hiatus from Music
In September 2009, Lily Allen announced she was considering an acting career, would not renew her record contract, and had no plans to make another record.
September 2009: Face of the National Portrait Gallery and Chanel Campaign
In September 2009, Lily Allen became the face of the National Portrait Gallery as part of the gallery's marketing campaign. Karl Lagerfeld, the head designer for Chanel, hired and photographed Allen for a campaign to promote a luxury line of handbags.
October 2009: Release of Digital Musical Petition and Deletion of Social Media Accounts
In October 2009, Lily Allen and several other musicians released the world's first digital musical petition aimed at pressuring world leaders attending the December 2009 climate change summit in Copenhagen. She also deleted her social media accounts and announced "I am now a neo-luddite. Goodbye."
October 2009: Deletion of Social Media Accounts
In October 2009, after having created her career on Myspace, Lily Allen deleted her social media accounts and announced "I am now a neo-luddite. Goodbye."
December 2009: Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen
In December 2009, Lily Allen and other musicians aimed to pressure world leaders attending the climate change summit in Copenhagen with a digital musical petition.
2009: Reunion of The Specials
In 2007 Lily Allen reunited two members of The Specials, an act that guitarist Lynval Golding claimed played a "massive part" in the group's 2009 reunion.
2009: Lily Allen and Friends TV Show
In 2009, Lily Allen hosted her own BBC Three TV show titled Lily Allen and Friends, which was based on the social networking phenomenon that helped launch her music career. Due to music commitments, the show would not air in the spring of 2009 as originally scheduled.
2009: Release of "It's Not Me, It's You"
In 2009, Lily Allen's second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You, debuted atop the UK Albums Chart and the Australian ARIA Charts. The album featured the successful singles "The Fear", "Not Fair" and "Fuck You".
February 2010: Re-activation of Twitter Account
In February 2010, Lily Allen re-activated her Twitter account after previously deleting it in October 2009.
June 2010: Feature on "Just Be Good to Green"
In June 2010, Lily Allen was featured on the UK top five single, "Just Be Good to Green" by Professor Green.
September 2010: End of It's Not Me, It's You World Tour
In September 2010, Lily Allen concluded her It's Not Me, It's You World Tour, which had been ongoing for two years.
September 2010: Last Performance Before Hiatus
In September 2010, Lily Allen gave her last performance for two and a half years, supporting Muse at Wembley Stadium in London.
September 2010: Opening of Lucy in Disguise
On September 15, 2010, Lily Allen and her sister opened their own clothing store, titled "Lucy in Disguise".
January 2011: Launched Record Label
In January 2011, Lily Allen launched her own record label, In the Name Of, with financial backing from Sony Music.
September 2011: T-Pain's "5 O'Clock" Featuring Lily Allen Reaches Top 10
Released in September 2011, T-Pain's song "5 O'Clock", which features a verse from Lily Allen's "Who'd Have Known" as the chorus, reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Allen's first Top 10 single in the United States.
2011: Launch of Record Label
In 2011, Lily Allen launched her own record label, In the Name Of.
June 2012: Working with Greg Kurstin
In June 2012, Lily Allen confirmed that she was working with Greg Kurstin in the studio on new music.
September 2012: Featured on Pink's Album
In September 2012, Lily Allen, then known as Lily Rose Cooper, appeared on the track "True Love" on Pink's sixth studio album, The Truth About Love.
2012: Songwriting for Bridget Jones's Diary Musical
In 2010, Lily Allen started writing songs for the musical version of Bridget Jones's Diary, scheduled to open in London's West End in 2012.
February 2013: Paris Fashion Show Performance
In February 2013, Lily Allen performed live at a Paris fashion show produced by Mark Ronson, calling it her "mumback," and hinted at a new album inspired by her motherhood experiences to be released by the end of the year.
May 2013: Warner Music Group Acquires Parlophone
In May 2013, Warner Music Group acquired Parlophone from Universal Music Group.
August 2013: Name Change and New Music Announcement
In August 2013, Lily Allen changed her professional name back to Lily Allen and announced on Twitter that new music would be released "soon".
November 2013: Cover Song and Music Video Release
In November 2013, Lily Allen recorded a cover of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" for the John Lewis Christmas advert, with proceeds benefiting Save the Children's Philippine Typhoon Appeal. The song was released as a download single and reached number one in the UK. She also premiered the video for her song "Hard Out Here" that month, and it was released as a download the following week, reaching number nine on the UK singles chart.
December 2013: Signing with Warner Bros. Records
In December 2013, Lily Allen was announced as one of the newest signees at Warner Bros. Records following Warner Music Group's acquisition of Parlophone from Universal Music Group in May 2013.
January 2014: "Air Balloon" Premieres on BBC Radio 1
On January 13, 2014, Lily Allen's song "Air Balloon" premiered on BBC Radio 1.
March 2014: "Air Balloon" Released
On March 2, 2014, Lily Allen's song "Air Balloon" was released as the second single from her third studio album, Sheezus.
May 2014: Release of "Sheezus"
On May 5, 2014, Lily Allen's third studio album, Sheezus, was released and Lily Allen performed at the Glastonbury Festival 2014.
2014: Adderall Addiction for Weight Loss
In 2014, Lily Allen became addicted to the prescription drug Adderall to lose weight before supporting Miley Cyrus on her Bangerz tour.
2014: Closure of 'In the Name Of' Record Label
In 2014, Lily Allen's record label, In the Name Of, which had released the debut album of Tom Odell, closed.
2014: Release of Sheezus
In 2014, Lily Allen's third album, Sheezus, was released and peaked atop the UK Albums Chart.
April 2016: Support for the Women's Equality Party
During the London assembly and mayoral elections in April 2016, Lily Allen announced that she would be giving "half her vote to the Women's Equality Party".
May 2016: Launch of Bank Holiday Records
In May 2016, Lily Allen announced the launch of her second record label, Bank Holiday Records, with British-American R&B singer Celeste being one of the first artists to sign.
June 2016: Support for Jeremy Corbyn
In June 2016, Lily Allen published several tweets and attended protests in support of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, after mass resignations from his cabinet and a leadership challenge.
2017: Dreamland short film aired
In 2017, the short film Dreamland starring Morgana Robinson aired, which was later developed into a comedy-drama for Sky Max starring Lily Allen.
2017: Working on a New Album
In late 2017, Lily Allen uploaded numerous songs online, including the track "Family Man," in preparation for her new album, which would address personal issues such as her relationship with her children, the breakdown of her marriage, and substance abuse. Allen worked with Mark Ronson during the production.
January 2018: Album Announcement
On January 24, 2018, Lily Allen announced that her new album would be called No Shame.
June 2018: No Shame Album Release
On June 8, 2018, Lily Allen released her album No Shame, which was later nominated for a Mercury Prize. To promote the album, Allen embarked on her worldwide No Shame Tour.
September 2018: Publication of Memoir
On September 20, 2018, Lily Allen published her memoir My Thoughts Exactly with Blink Publishing. The book received nominations and was chosen as one of the best celebrity memoirs of 2018.
2018: Release of My Thoughts Exactly
In 2018, Lily Allen released her autobiographical book, My Thoughts Exactly.
2018: Release of No Shame
In 2018, Lily Allen's fourth album, No Shame, was released and peaked at number eight.
April 2019: Working on Next Record
In April 2019, Lily Allen revealed on Beats 1 radio that she was working on her next record, which she described as a concept album.
July 2019: Appearance in 'How to Build a Girl'
In July 2019, Lily Allen appeared as Elizabeth Taylor in How to Build a Girl, alongside her brother Alfie.
November 2019: Support for the Labour Party in UK General Election
In November 2019, during the 2019 UK general election campaign, Lily Allen declared that the Labour Party manifesto was "the best I've ever seen" and shared a picture of her polling card.
2019: Acting Debut in How to Build a Girl
In 2019, Lily Allen appeared in the film How to Build a Girl as an actress.
March 2020: New Album Update
In March 2020, Lily Allen mentioned that her new album features only "odd mentions" of her past addictions, stating she felt she had mentally moved on from that period.
October 2020: Collaboration with Womanizer
In October 2020, Lily Allen partnered with sex tech company Womanizer to create her own sex toy, Liberty, a clitoral pump. As Chief Liberation Officer at Womanizer, she leads the #IMasturbate campaign to encourage women to embrace their sexuality.
June 2021: West End Play Announcement
In June 2021, Lily Allen announced that she would play the lead role of Jenny in the West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story at the Noël Coward Theatre, debuting in August 2021.
August 2021: West End Debut
In August 2021, Lily Allen debuted in the West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story at the Noël Coward Theatre, playing the lead role of Jenny.
2021: West End Debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story
In 2021, Lily Allen made her West End debut in the new play 2:22 A Ghost Story, receiving a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress.
2022: Glastonbury Performance with Olivia Rodrigo
At the Glastonbury Festival in 2022, Lily Allen appeared during Olivia Rodrigo's set to perform "Fuck You" in protest against the 2022 Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights. She expressed uncertainty about performing sober on such a stage again.
2022: Olivier Award Nomination
In 2022, Lily Allen received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress and also won a WhatsOnStage Award for her performance in 2:22 A Ghost Story.
2022: Unreleased Music Studio Session
In late 2022, Lily Allen booked five weeks in a music studio, but felt the music was not ready for release because it felt "contrived".
April 2023: Starred in Dreamland
In April 2023, Lily Allen starred alongside Freema Agyeman in Sharon Horgan's comedy-drama Dreamland for Sky Max.
2023: Starred in The Pillowman
In 2023, Lily Allen starred as Katurian in a revival of Martin McDonagh's play The Pillowman at the Duke of York's Theatre, London.
2024: Podcast and OnlyFans Account
In 2024, Lily Allen began hosting a BBC Sounds podcast, Miss Me?, with Miquita Oliver and opened an OnlyFans account to sell pictures and videos of her feet, earning more than from her Spotify listeners.
2024: Recording New Music
In 2024, Lily Allen said she had recorded around 50 songs for her next music project, which she was still working on.
August 2025: Starred as Hedda Gabler in Hedda
In July and August 2025, Lily Allen starred as Hedda Gabler in Hedda, a new re-imagining of Henrik Ibsen's play adapted and directed by Matthew Dunster for the Ustinov Studio, Bath, Somerset.
October 2025: Release of "West End Girl" and reflection on relationship's demise
Following the release of her studio album West End Girl in October 2025, Lily Allen stated that the album was partially based on the "demise" of her relationship with Harbour.
October 2025: West End Girl Album Announcement and Release
On October 20, 2025, Lily Allen announced that her fifth studio album West End Girl would be released four days later. The album discusses her ex-husband David Harbour's infidelity and sex-addiction.
2025: Release of West End Girl
In 2025, Lily Allen released her fifth and most recent album, West End Girl, which peaked at number two and was met with broad critical acclaim.
February 2026: Vinyl Release Announcement
On February 13, 2026, Lily Allen announced that all her albums, including 'Alright, Still,' which has never been released on vinyl, will all be released on vinyl.
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