Lily Allen has changed her sound somewhat on Sheezus, her first album in five years, moving away from the sunny ska and pop-reggae of her early days and delving deeper into electro-pop and hip-hop. The British singer still retains her lacerating sarcasm on the new album's title song, where she cheerily name-drops presumed rivals such as Katy Perry, Lorde and Lady Gaga and wonders why female singers have to be ranked (“I'm ready for all the comparisons/I think it's dumb, and it's embarrassing”) before jokily throwing her hat in the ring (“Give me that crown, bitch, I wanna be Sheezus!”). Brimming with cleverness and a wit that's often too quick for her own good, Allen still pumps out giddily uplifting tunes, leavened with saucy lyrics that elevate her far above her more plasticized pop peers.

Fri., Oct. 10, 8 p.m., 2014
(Expired: 10/10/14)

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.