A couple of years ago, when British pop tartlet Lily Allen stepped away from music to become a wife and mother, some wondered if we’d ever hear her sweet, sultry sounds ever again. Now, the “Smile” singer is back, and she’s using her razor-sharp claws to take swipes at the music industry in “Hard Out Here.” Packed with lyrical sarcasm (“Forget your balls and grow a pair of tips/It’s hard out here for a bitch”), the glossy, hip-hop influenced tune is a great tool for stirring up controversy, but also a welcome return to the fray for Allen.
