"URL Badman" is a song by English singer-songwriter Lily Allen, released on 13 July 2014 as the fourth single from her third studio album, Sheezus (2014). The B-side to the single, "Bass Like Home", is an unofficial World Cup song for England.
| "URL Badman" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Lily Allen | ||||
| from the album Sheezus | ||||
| B-side | "Bass Like Home" | |||
| Released | 13 July 2014 | |||
| Recorded | November 2013 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:39 | |||
| Label | Parlophone | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Greg Kurstin | |||
| Lily Allen singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "URL Badman" on YouTube | ||||
Composition
edit"URL Badman" is a dubstep and synth-pop song,[1][2] with Allen rapping over "a surprisingly hip-hop beat".[3] In the song, there is an introductory dialogue between a boy named Alexander and his mother; Alex is in his room typing at a computer when his mother calls him for dinner. The main theme of the song is the Internet, and blog critics who "spend their life on the computer". Allen said she wrote the song after a blogger criticised the music video for "Hard out Here" because it used mostly black dancers. Joe Bishop, the writer who inspired the song, said in an opinion piece for The Guardian that his "first reaction was to feel flattered".[4]
Release
edit"URL Badman" was released on 13 July 2014 by Parlophone. The B-side "Bass Like Home" contains her singing about the UK. "Bass Like Home" is not available in the US.
Live performances
editAllen performed the song on 24 May 2014 at the BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend, after "Littlest Things" and before "Our Time".[5]
Track listing
edit- Digital download[6]
- "URL Badman" – 3:39
- "Sheezus" (Redlight Deconstructed Mix) – 4:37
- "Bass Like Home" (Lily Allen & Kid Harpoon) – 3:59
Chart performance
edit"URL Badman" peaked at number 93 on the UK Singles Chart
Charts
edit| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 93 |
References
edit- ^ Lee, Christina (6 May 2014). "Lily Allen's 'Sheezus': Album Review". Idolator. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ^ Reed, Ryan (2 July 2014). "Lily Allen Confronts Internet Trolls in 'URL Badman' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ^ "[Year-End] Top 50 Albums of 2014 (#2) X Lily Allen Sheezus". The Urban Alternative. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ^ "Lily Allen wrote a song about me because I accused her of racism". The Guardian. 4 July 2014.
- ^ "BBC – Radio 1's Big Weekend – Glasgow – Acts – Lily Allen". BBC.
- ^ "iTunes - Music - URL Badman - Single by Lily Allen". iTunes Store UK. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 January 2020.