Lily Allen Goes Country (Sort Of)

Not Fair is a song about a man who is, in every meaningful sense, terrible in bed. Lily Allen delivers this verdict over a jaunty country arrangement—fiddles, pedal steel, the whole thing—with a smile that makes the indictment land harder. It’s a clever trick, dressing something that cutting in something that cheerful.

What I can’t figure out is why she picked this as the second single from It’s Not Me, It’s You. "Everyone’s At It" felt like the obvious follow-up to "The Fear"—same pointed social commentary, different target. "I Could Say" has that slow-burn quality that rewards repeated listens. "Not Fair" is sharp and funny and will confuse radio programmers everywhere, which is maybe exactly the point.

The video leans into the country aesthetic without winking too hard at it—Lily in great clothes and an even better haircut, surrounded by barn-dance imagery while she sings about a man who doesn’t know what he’s doing. It works. Whether it works as a commercial single is a separate question. She’s always been good for surprises. Curious to see where this lands.