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, actress, and author who gained recognition in 2005 by publishing her music on Myspace, leading to radio play and a record deal. Her debut single, "Smile," topped the UK charts in 2006 and was certified double Platinum. Allen's debut album, "Alright, Still" (2006), received positive reviews, reached number two in the UK, sold over 2.6 million copies worldwide, and earned a Grammy nomination. The album also produced successful follow-up singles like "LDN" and "Alfie."

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1998: Appearance in film Elizabeth

In 1998, Lily Allen made an appearance as a lady-in-waiting in the film Elizabeth, which was co-produced by her mother.

2001: Recording Vocals for "On Me Head Not Off Me Head"

In 2001, Lily Allen first recorded vocals for the song "On Me Head Not Off Me Head", written by her father for the film Mike Bassett: England Manager.

2002: Featured in Fat Les song "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, further establishing her presence in the music scene.

2004: Collaboration with Future Cut

In 2004, Lily Allen began writing songs and collaborating with production duo Future Cut, marking a significant step in developing her musical career.

November 2005: Recording Demos and Myspace Debut

In November 2005, Lily Allen recorded demos and posted them on Myspace, attracting listeners and leading to the release of "LDN" on vinyl.

2005: Signing to Regal Recordings and Myspace Debut

In 2005, Lily Allen signed with Regal Recordings and began publishing her music on Myspace, which gained popularity and led to radio play.

March 2006: Interest from The Observer Music Monthly

In March 2006, The Observer Music Monthly (OMM) took interest in Lily Allen after 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, featuring tracks previewed on her Myspace page.

September 2006: "Smile" Available on US iTunes

In September 2006, "Smile" was made available on the US version of iTunes Store, marking her entry into the US market.

December 2006: Music Video Airplay for "Smile"

By December 2006, the music video for Lily Allen's "Smile" was played on music channels and the song received airplay.

2006: "Smile" Reaches Number One

In 2006, Lily Allen's debut single, "Smile," reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.

July 2007: Performance at Glastonbury and Concert for Diana

In July 2007, Lily Allen performed at the Glastonbury Festival and the Concert for Diana held at Wembley Stadium, London, where she sang "LDN" and "Smile".

2008: Hosting "Lily Allen and Friends"

In 2008, Lily Allen hosted her own television talk show, "Lily Allen and Friends", on BBC Three, marking her foray into television hosting.

January 2009: Sales Figures for "Alright, Still"

By January 2009, Lily Allen's album "Alright, Still" had sold 960,000 copies in the UK and 520,000 copies in the US, indicating its commercial success.

February 2009: "Escape the Fear" Online Game Popularity

By 18 February 2009, the online game "Escape the Fear", created as part of the viral marketing campaign for Lily Allen's album, had been played over two million times.

February 2009: Release of "It's Not Me, It's You"

In February 2009, Lily Allen released "It's Not Me, It's You", which debuted at number 1 in the UK, Canada, and Australia, and number 5 in the US.

September 2009: Consideration of Acting Career and Hiatus

In September 2009, Lily Allen announced she was considering an acting career and would not renew her record contract, planning to take a break from music.

September 2009: Face of National Portrait Gallery and Chanel campaign

In September 2009, Lily Allen was named the face of the National Portrait Gallery and was hired by Karl Lagerfeld for a Chanel handbag campaign.

December 2009: Climate Change Summit Petition

In December 2009, the digital musical petition released in October by Lily Allen and other musicians, aimed at pressuring world leaders attending the climate change summit in Copenhagen.

2009: Release of "It's Not Me, It's You"

In 2009, Lily Allen released her second studio album, "It's Not Me, It's You", which debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart and the Australian ARIA Charts, marking a significant achievement in her career.

2009: Lily Allen and Friends TV show renewal

In 2009, Lily Allen's BBC Three TV show Lily Allen and Friends was renewed for a second season, but it did not air due to her music commitments.

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 running for two years.

September 2010: Final 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, England.

September 2010: Opened clothing store "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 the Name Of

In January 2011, Lily Allen launched her own record label, In the Name Of, with financial backing from Sony Music.

September 2011: Release of "5 O'Clock" featuring Lily Allen

In September 2011, T-Pain released the song "5 O'Clock" featuring Lily Allen, which became her first Top 10 single in the United States.

2011: Launching "In the Name Of" Record Label

In 2011, Lily Allen launched her own record label, "In the Name Of", expanding her involvement in the music industry.

June 2012: Working on New Music with Greg Kurstin

In June 2012, Lily Allen confirmed she was in the studio working with Greg Kurstin on new music, signaling her return to the music scene.

September 2012: Appearance on Pink's Album

In September 2012, Lily Allen appeared on the track "True Love" on Pink's sixth studio album, "The Truth About Love."

2012: Writing Songs for Bridget Jones Musical

In July 2010, Lily Allen began writing songs for the musical version of Bridget Jones's Diary, scheduled to open in London's West End in 2012.

February 2013: Performance at Paris Fashion Show

In February 2013, Lily Allen performed live at a Paris fashion show produced by Mark Ronson, foreshadowing the release of a new album.

May 2013: Warner Music Group acquired Parlophone

In May 2013, Warner Music Group acquired Parlophone from Universal Music Group, which indirectly led to Lily Allen signing with Warner Bros. Records in December 2013.

August 2013: Name Change Back to Lily Allen

In August 2013, Lily Allen changed her professional name back to Lily Allen and announced new music would be arriving soon.

November 2013: Cover of "Somewhere Only We Know" and release of "Hard Out Here"

In November 2013, Lily Allen recorded a cover of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" for a John Lewis Christmas advert, with proceeds benefiting Save the Children's Philippine Typhoon Appeal. It hit number one in the UK. Also in November 2013, she released "Hard Out Here", which entered the UK charts at number nine. The video for "Hard out Here" sparked controversy, accused of being racist, prompting Allen to address the accusations.

December 2013: Signed with Warner Bros. Records

In December 2013, Lily Allen was announced as a new signee at Warner Bros. Records following Warner Music Group's acquisition of Parlophone from Universal Music Group in May 2013.

January 2014: Premiere of "Air Balloon"

On January 13, 2014, the song "Air Balloon" premiered on BBC Radio 1.

March 2014: Release of "Air Balloon"

On March 2, 2014, Lily Allen released "Air Balloon" as the second single from her album Sheezus.

May 2014: Release of "Sheezus"

On May 5, 2014, Lily Allen's third studio album, Sheezus, was released. She also performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2014.

2014: Release of "Sheezus"

In 2014, Lily Allen released her third album, "Sheezus", which peaked atop the UK Albums Chart.

2014: Closure of 'In the Name Of' record label

In 2014, Lily Allen's record label, In the Name Of, closed after releasing Tom Odell's debut album.

May 2016: Launched Bank Holiday Records

In May 2016, Lily Allen announced the launch of her second record label, Bank Holiday Records.

2017: Uploaded songs online in preparation for new album

In late 2017, Lily Allen uploaded numerous songs online, including "Family Man", as she prepared to work through personal issues for her new album.

January 2018: Announcement of 'No Shame' album

On January 24, 2018, Lily Allen announced her new album would be called No Shame.

June 2018: Release of "No Shame" and divorce finalization

In June 2018, Lily Allen's album "No Shame" was released to positive reviews. Also in June 2018, her divorce from Sam Cooper was finalized and announced publicly.

September 2018: Publication of My Thoughts Exactly

On September 20, 2018, Lily Allen published her memoir My Thoughts Exactly with Blink Publishing, which was nominated for the FutureBook Campaign of the Year and recognized as one of the best celebrity memoirs of 2018.

2018: Release of Autobiographical Book

In 2018, Lily Allen released her autobiographical book, "My Thoughts Exactly", sharing personal insights and experiences.

2018: Release of "No Shame"

In 2018, Lily Allen released her fourth album, "No Shame", which peaked at number eight.

April 2019: Working on a concept album

In April 2019, Lily Allen revealed she was working on her next record, which would be 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.

2019: Acting Debut in "How to Build a Girl"

In 2019, Lily Allen appeared in the film "How to Build a Girl", marking her debut as an actress.

March 2020: Album with "odd mentions" of past addictions

In March 2020, Lily Allen said that her new album only features "odd mentions" of her past addictions, indicating a shift in focus.

October 2020: Collaboration with Womanizer to create "Liberty"

In October 2020, Lily Allen collaborated with Womanizer to create her own sex toy called "Liberty", a clitoral pump. She also became the chief liberation officer at Womanizer and headed the #IMasturbate campaign.

June 2021: Announced lead role in "2:22 A Ghost Story"

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".

August 2021: Debut in "2:22 A Ghost Story"

In August 2021, Lily Allen debuted in the West End play "2:22 A Ghost Story" at the Noël Coward Theatre.

2021: West End Debut in "2:22 A Ghost Story"

In 2021, Lily Allen made her West End debut in the play "2:22 A Ghost Story", earning a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.

2022: Performance with Olivia Rodrigo at Glastonbury Festival

In 2022, Lily Allen appeared during Olivia Rodrigo's set at the Glastonbury Festival to perform "Fuck You" as a protest against the Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights. Allen stated she was unsure about performing sober on stage again.

2022: Laurence Olivier Award nomination and WhatsOnStage Award

In 2022, Lily Allen received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress and won a WhatsOnStage Award for her performance in "2:22 A Ghost Story".