Lily Allen: Sly Lyrics in a Cockney Accent

Lily Allen.

Lily Allen's ska-infused pop music has officially achieved ubiquity: She's gone from a buzzed-about underground sensation to a mainstream darling in the span of only a few months. Her sly lyrics, Cockney accent and joyful energy have all helped make her a star.

Now 21, Allen has lived a transient life, moving all over London and getting expelled from several schools before dropping out altogether at 15. Her eclectic tastes in music — from punk to ska, and from T. Rex to Kate Bush to Eminem — have influenced her pop music, which reveals stories and vignettes about love, friends and life in London. After topping the U.K. singles chart last summer with "Smile" (now also a hit in the U.S.), Allen released Alright, Still here in January.

This segment originally aired on Apr. 6, 2007.