The singer opens up about being a mum of two and how it’s affected her career
Lily Allen admits that being a stay at home mum wasn’t for her. The Smile singer is back with her third album and explains why she went back on her pre-motherhood retirement plans.
‘I don’t think it was really retiring,’ Lily told the Sun. ‘It’s just that my husband’s got a job and he couldn’t just pack up his bags and follow me around the world on tour. He wouldn’t be happy doing that and I just knew I wanted to give my husband and I a chance.
‘But it seemed like, you only get one crack at those things and a crack at this job as well — though this is my second crack at this job, I guess.’
Lily did plan to be a stay at home but says it ‘just didn’t work for [her] like that.’
‘I tried to write through my pregnancy with my youngest, but the hormones were really weird and it was just really forced and sounded terrible,’ admits the singer. But Lily found her voice again and then ‘just bashed it all out.’
However, now she’s a mum, Lily admits that her straight-talking lyrics and performing style needs to change slightly – something that her husband Sam Cooper has asked her to keep to.
‘He’s told me to tone it down now I’m a mum,’ said Lily. ‘On my last tour, when I sang Not Fair, I used to act out fellatio using my microphone.
'I have tried to tone down my language. I would never use the C word in front of my children.'
‘But I have tried to tone down my language. I would never use the C word in front of my children. I wouldn’t mind them swearing in my house, when they’re older. The only thing that I have with swearing is that I wouldn’t want them to pick it up, say it front of their friends and their parents, who then say, “I don’t want your kids hanging around with my kids”.’
Being a working mum does mean that Lily has to take her daughters to rehearsals with her sometimes, which can be a distraction.
‘It was really funny last week because I took them to sound check before my gig,’ explained the singer. ‘I was there with one of the dancers and my eldest was screaming – she just wanted to be held. But I had to practise my routines. So there I was, twerking with my eldest in my arms and I was like, “This is really weird”.’
But now with two young daughters, Lily says she’s trying to work out how to tour, be a mum and not be away from them for too long and ‘hate[s] not being near them.’
‘They are both so little, so I don’t really want to unsettle them,’ said Lily. ‘It’s about finding out what’s best for them and playing it by ear.'
How do you feel about swearing in front of your child? Let us know in the comments box below.