22

“22” is the fourth track from British singer and songwriter Lily Allen and her second studio album “It’s Not Me, It’s You”, released in 2009. “22” is a pop song written by Allen and producer Greg Kurstin, with Kurstin credited for production on the track.

“22” is a narrative-driven track, featuring Allen talking about a woman who is nearly 30 and is reminiscing over her younger years. In an interview with The Observer, Allen spoke about “22”:

“It’s more about girls that haven’t figured out what they want to do with themselves. Especially really pretty girls. They can rely on their looks to an extent: people will pay for their dinners and drinks and they don’t really have to think. And then suddenly it hits them that they’re not doing anything with their lives and it’s too late. And, yes, it’s about a specific person. Most of my songs start like that and then become more general.”

The music video was released shot in East London in June 2009 and directed by Jake Scott. Uploaded to Lily Allen’s YouTube channel in July 2009, the video features Allen at a club heading into the women’s bathroom, where when she looks into a mirror, she sees her younger self. As the song progresses, more women gather around the mirror and we are shown shots of a young Allen dancing with a man. As of mid-August 2020, the video has 27 million views and 119 thousand likes.

Release Date: 24th August 2009

Songwriter/s: Lily Allen & Greg Kurstin

Producer: Greg Kurstin

Label: Regal

Music Video Release Date: 12th July 2009

Music Video Director: Jake Scott

Chart Rankings & Certifications: In its year of release, “22” performed well on mainstream charts, reaching chart positions around the world: #12 in Australia, #54 in Austria, #43 in Belgium, #72 in Brazil, #23 in France, #85 in Germany, #12 in Ireland, #28 in New Zealand, #4 in Scotland, #71 in Switzerland and #14 in the UK. “22” is certified Gold in Australia and Silver in the UK.

The lyrics to “22” can be viewed here: LINK