翻譯：Nomanlandever

In the decade-plus since she coasted to stardom via Myspace, Lily Allen has tested quite a few variations of the same musical formula: chipper pop laced with venom. The results were winsome on “Smile,” her signature breakup jam, and “Not Fair,” the country ditty where she lamented the sexual performance of an otherwise Nice Guy; they were less so on songs like “Hard Out Here,” her miscalibrated stab at music industry sexism. At a glance, Allen’s upcoming album, No Shame, could easily be more of the same, its title reading like a no-fucks-given celebration of the singer’s well-documented sensational streak. But new single “Higher” is noticeably lacking in the singer’s signature snark.

在Myspace平臺躥紅后的十多年里，Lily Allen一直都嘗試在同一種音樂模式里做出不同成品：歡快的流行音樂中摻雜著惡毒譏諷。她的“分手神曲”代表作?“Smile”和“Not Fair”在該模式下都格外耀眼?！癗ot Fair”，一首講述對男神的床能力感到失望的鄉(xiāng)村小調(diào)，但在該模式下炮轟音樂界刻板印象的“Hard Out Here”等歌曲的效果都不理想。乍一看，Lily Allen即將發(fā)行的新專輯《No Shame》很可能出現(xiàn)更多類似的內(nèi)容，專輯名讀起來像是慶祝對過去轟動一時的爆炸新聞不屑一顧的姿態(tài)。但新單曲“Higher”顯然拋棄了這位歌手過去標志性的刻薄嘲諷的風格。

The song sees Allen condemning a tainted relationship. But where the Lily of yore might have hurled insults and F-bombs at a deceitful lover, she’s keyed down here, laying out her grievances in plain, heartfelt language. “Sorry, but I know your type/I won’t be undermined,” she sings, solemn and steadfast, as a slow, snaking rhythm and syncopated percussion pulse around her. On the feathery chorus, she simply whispers the word “higher,” like an incantation to lift up any cerebral deadweight. Compare the track to “Smile,” and you’ll notice a lot of similarities: Both center on a breakup with an unworthy partner, who inevitably ends up in tears. But after hearing this songwriter wield her sharp tongue for so long, it’s nice to hear her lead with her heart.

歌曲中Lily Allen譴責了一段不光彩的交往關(guān)系。遇到類似情況，以前的Lily Allen會對偷吃的情人大聲呵斥辱罵，F(xiàn)***級的炸彈伺候。但歌曲里，Lily降低腔調(diào)，用直白誠摯的語言表達她的不滿?！癝orry, but I know your type/I won’t be undermined,”（我清楚你是什么東西/我不會再受影響了）她嚴肅又強硬地唱道，緩慢而曲折的節(jié)奏和切分的打擊樂縈繞著她。在輕如羽翼的副歌中，她簡單反復(fù)地淺唱著一個詞“Higher”，如同一道鏟除大腦創(chuàng)傷的咒語。把這首歌和“Smile”共同比較，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)有很多相似之處：兩首歌都是在講述與渣男分手的故事，男方懊悔莫及地以淚水收場。但在聽過這位詞曲作者那么多尖酸刻薄的話語后，很開心能聽到她袒露真情的歌聲。