The art of the breakup album

分手专辑的艺术

Today, Explained

2025-11-08

25 分钟
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单集简介 ...

Lily Allen's West End Girl is a scorched-earth tell-all about the end of her celebrity marriage. It's the breakup album for our parasocial age. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. The singer Lily Allen dressed as "Madeline," the name she gives to the "other woman" character on her new breakup album. Photo by Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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单集文稿 ...

  • It was already a big year for breakup records.

  • Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Fleetwood Mac, R.I.P.

  • so many, many times, but Silver Springs was born again again this year.

  • And then last month, Lily Allen's West End girl landed like a 10-ton bomb on top of her ex.

  • But you're not a stranger, Madeline." And we all had so many, many thoughts.

  • Scandalized by this album that Lily Allen put out.

  • I checked out the album, and I do have something to say.

  • My jaw is on the floor.

  • Like, I would watch the album as a movie.

  • Breakup albums have been around for half a century,

  • but for better or worse, they are evolving in a parasocial age.

  • That's coming up on Today Explained.

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