Hard Out Here by Lily Allen

"Hard out Here" is a song by English singer Lily Allen, released on 17 November 2013 as the lead single from her third studio album, Sheezus (2014). Allen co-wrote the song with its producer, Greg Kurstin. Musically, "Hard out Here" is a synth-pop song with lyrics revolving around "body image pressures and misogyny in the entertainment industry". "Hard out Here" was critically acclaimed; many critics praised its lyrical content and praised Allen's take on the industry, dubbing the song a "feminist anthem through and through". According to The Wire, the title is a "thinly veiled reference" to Three 6 Mafia's Academy Award-winning 2005 song "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp". The song topped the Austrian chart and reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland. To promote the song, Allen performed at YoYos pod in London. The music video for the song was directed by Christopher Sweeney and premiered on Allen's website on 12 November 2013. The video depicts Allen receiving liposuction and twerking. The video received positive reviews from most critics, but also sparked minor controversy over the ethnicity of the backing dancers.