When Did Breakup Albums Begin

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.

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