"Somebody remind me where I am / Miami or Timbuktu? / Did I ever tell you my uncle’s monkey ran away from the zoo?"
Nope, those aren't little-known lines by Lewis Carroll. They are, in fact, the first lyrics to Lily Allen Rose Cooper Allen's second single off her third album. Hot on the heels of the contentious (read: drama-raising) "Hard Out Here" first single, "Air Balloon," in contrast, is dreamy, unexpected, and playful — in other words, singularly Lily Allen.
The breezy pop tune delivers delightful escapist fantasies for nearly four minutes, painting Dali-esque scenes with nursery rhyme language, making it impossible for us to think about anything but the yet-to-be-released music video. Our latest intel has Lily shooting the vid in South Africa. Though the concept is still under wraps, the image of the singer decked out in what looks like safari-themed rave attire has our imaginations working overtime. But, until the whimsical songstress sees fit to grace us with the video, we'll be content to float atop the song's bouncy melodies and fairy-tale phrases. 'Cause, we're starting to think that when it gets hard out here, a trip in an air balloon is the perfect cure.
Opening Photo: Courtesy of Parlophone.