Miss Me? - Sweet and Raw

Episode Date: October 23, 2025

Jordan Stephens and Miquita Oliver discuss Lily Allen’s new album and the complex art of music videos This episode contains very strong language and adult themes.Credits:Producer: Natalie JamiesonTechnical Producer: Will Gibson SmithAssistant Producer: Caillin McDaidProduction Coordinator: Rose WilcoxExecutive Producer: Dino SofosAssistant Commissioner for BBC: Lorraine OkuefunaCommissioning Editor for BBC: Dylan HaskinsMiss Me? is a Persephonica production for BBC Sounds

This episode contains very strong language and adult themes. Listen, I'm a professional broadcaster. You're seeing this mic stand? I've got a mic stand. I've got a mic stand. Hello and welcome to miss me. God, you've got a mic stand. It was really irking me every day. But the jury's out on whether or not it's an improvement, Makita.

It's something that was requested, let's be honest, by a furious miss me listener on the comments. Why can't the BBC? What did they say? Can BBC not stretch to get Jordan and mic stand or whatever? I like that you slouch and you hold it and you always look so cosy and cute. I'm doing a slouchy. Let's give this as the demo. Okay, let's just all breathe.

I'm feeling a bit techy and glitchy today. Like there's a glitch in me. Like I'm having a technological breakdown. if I was a machine. That's bizarre. Why, yeah, why are you making an equivalence to machines to describe that? Don't know, but you know when like a computer is going like, that's how I feel today.

I'm like, it. You feel like you got the wheel of death, the rainbow wheel. Do you think it's the weather? No, I like the weather because I'm all high up, so I feel like I'm on a ship, like the top of the Titanic. I wouldn't want to be on a Titanic. That's what a wild thing to do. I feel like I'm on the Titanic.

Every day at my house. It wouldn't be my first choice for ship. It's been a busy Last week was a busy week But I don't want to talk about my week Because of course Because you didn't shut up last week About the fact that I didn't ask you about your week

So we're going to start with How was your week? I knew that would rattle you I knew that would rattle you Because it made me feel like such a selfish bitch I'm just like so I did this I was like you need to ask you all to what he's been up to And he's got a big busy life too

No no no no It wasn't to do with my busy life The only reason I made that joke last week was because I'd just done Cheltenham Literature Festival and I'd had a conversation that was genuinely interesting but we're going to talk about it next week. Why? Because it's not, well, because we've got a lot to get through today

but also because it's not, unfortunately, not going to go away the issue actually around technology so maybe you in glitch state won't be the best form to engage in that conversation. But it's quite literally about the advance of AI and not in the way we've covered it before where it's like, ah, isn't it scary that robots can think? It's like, no, who's programming these. robots and are we going to do anything about what the algorithm is already telling us? Like, are we actually going to just do anything about that?

I brought up that issue previously. But it's very real. Yeah. It's just wild because, you know, like the thing that ties me out the most of them at the moment is so many topics of like hot topics in political discourse have just so many like severely contradictory elements to them that I can't, my brain cannot rest. Let's do your week first. Didn't you go see Jade play?

Jade was phenomenal. She was truly brilliant and I always blown away by how she brings her wacky little ideas to life It's really inspiring Yes, it's in the world It's massive and really powerful now I'm so happy you went to it

Me and Lily are going this week Lily's taking me Because Lily's such a huge Jade fan She's been telling me I've sorted you out of tickets actually So you can thank me later Oh thanks Thank you for that

Lily often tells me how much she loves my girlfriend She says sometimes that she likes me too. Yeah, but she really likes Jade. Well, yeah, that's great because, you know, Jade looks up to Lily, for sure. Lily's obviously an incredibly gifted songwriter. Still incredibly gifted, if anyone's wondering. But I don't know when we're going to talk about that. Should we just say it?

It's okay. It's okay. I've been so scared to talk about this for so long and I've been sitting on my hands for weeks. Yes, you have been. Now that it's everywhere, we can finally say, Lily fucking Alan is putting out a new album It will be her fifth album

And her first album I think in seven years I can't believe it's happening Jordan Like I mean obviously this is the time we can finally say This is why Jordan has gallantly stepped in So that Lily can go and do this And he can come and do this And Jordan is staying He's absolutely staying

You don't have to leave We're not going to tell you to fuck off Thanks You've done a really good job and you've passed the test Lil might drop in, though. Lil might drop in, absolutely. But it's me and Jordan for a bit now. It's just really nice to be able to say

that Lily's got this album out finally. Because, you know, she did not write music in her marriage. It was a part of her that was very closed off in that marriage. And I didn't think she'd ever write again. I actually didn't think she'd ever make music again. Really? God, no. She had no fucking interest.

She was just like, that's done. And, you know, sometimes the most painful shit that happens to us creates a fire and it can bring a lot of creativity back to the I've had that before it's arguably the biggest motivative of creativity is pain turn your pain into power I listen to Lil's album West End Girl it's brilliant like I genuinely I'm trying to think a most balanced way to say it because like who knows what it's like to make music again after that break especially I would say as a female artist there are like there's an extra level of pressure and I guess expectation I mean maybe that's been broken recently

actually there's a few artists who've kind of broken up mould a little bit about like when you're expected to be in your prime or looking a certain way or of a certain age or whatever yeah no i mean that shit's still about sure right but listen when little when little chats and you chat is as if like you guys are just out the loop like like when the way lily talks about like the artist that she you know will like muck about with nowadays if she goes out or obviously she got brought out by Olivia Rodriguez and all that kind of stuff the way he talks about it is like she's never seen a computer before. She's never listened to the radio. It's like she plays old songs on a gramophone and then like, you know, contemplates in a diary written with a quill, whether or not

she'll return to, and then I've played this album and I'm like, this is fucking current. Yeah, man. Don't like amazing. And it reminded me. And I say this in a, I don't say this in a kind way. Like, because we have so much music nowadays, because anybody can just put it out. And there are other reasons why musicians get heard, i.e., they might be really funny, or they've got a great personality, or they're friends with somebody, or they've got big TikTok following, right? I think the thing that we felt, because I did play a bit of it to Jay, too, so I got excited when I was listening to it.

Yeah, Matt, and that's right. We were both like, oh, she knows how to write a fucking song. She knows how to write a pop song, doesn't she? She really knows how to write a fucking pop song. It feels almost authoritative. The one promise I made to look was not to say too much about what's on the record. That is where we'll stop. Yeah, it is like...

Is that tomorrow, though? out tomorrow for the world to go, fuck. Yeah, it's a big fuck. Yeah, it's a big, fuck. It's like, fuck. Oh shit. I also think it's, for me, I really realized that there hasn't actually been another Lily since Lily, which is fascinating. That's a big statement.

I just don't think there has been. I really don't think so. So what would be definitive of Lily? Honesty. That level of honesty. She tells the fucking truth. And she always has. I think Lily's got some kids out there, some pop kids out there.

Definitely people have. inspired by her moves but there hasn't actually been another Lily Allen like someone that is like that politically engaged and manages to make it sound like a nursery rhyme or something I don't know what is she has this way

of being very sweet but very raw and real yeah sweet and raw bear in mind there are people who are on like the proximity of that there are artists like May Muller Katie Beezer yeah sure

Sasha Keble have you heard Sky Newman that song that popped off last year Family Matters I can tell you about me But you don't understand Should we call Lily and ask her Who she thinks

And should we say Who do you think was the you After you? Yeah? Before Lily answers Can I say If she fucking answers She will

Unavailable Wait, she just hung up on you Bro, she just hung up on you I'm being dead ass It's over! Yo, Macita Makita It's over

She's probably on D&D No, I spoke to her five minutes ago And she was at the headdresses I don't know how the fuck She thinks she is now She's elusive and cool She's a pop star man

She's exactly, now the album's actually no longer doing to me. Is that about it? Okay, well, we'll call her back. Okay, can I say one thing that's my pet peeve, though, and I wonder if Lily will speak on this, is it annoys me that, because one thing that was so dope about Lily originally was she was unapologetically British when she sung.

Yes. Same of Kate Nash is of that era. Now, I think everybody should be unapologetically singing in the accent they sing in, if possible. I totally understand why people... They do, don't they? No, I understand why people sing in American this. I know that with Jade, for example, she's Geordie.

So, like, she started to introduce Geordie turns of, like, you know, slight intonations. But, you know, there's a massive, you know, you want to be as accessible as possible. But my point I was going to quickly make was when people use a British accent and people go, oh, that's like Lily Allen, that annoys me. Right. I know that Lily did it at a time where it wasn't, like, fashionable, which she'll forever have hold the mantle for that. Like, we did a song with Rachel Chinariri, Rizzo Kik song, and loads of people said it reminded

them of Lily Allen, but Rachel was just singing in a British accent. Yeah, she's just sounding like herself. The beat maybe was a little bit on school Lily actually, I don't know. What, a bit like, bit hornsy, bit trumpety. Excuse me, as you know, Rizzle Kicks invented trumpets, but well, yeah. Very good. Very good.

Look at me. You're trying to give trumpets to Lily Allen when Rizzle Kicks very much invented the trumpet. No, but listen, don't get a twisted man. We were in with Lily's producers quick when we started out. Future cut. I love that sound. For me, that's like a real British pop sound that I love.

Come on, Lily Allen. I'm so excited. I'm also, it must be terrifying. Like, you did it this year with like touring and like going to Glastonbury and stuff. And Emma was saying to me actually, because I saw Emma this week because I finally went to see Jordan in his play. Stupendous you were, but we'll talk about that in a minute. But Emma said to me when you guys play Glastonbury because Emma, Jordan's mom went on stage

with them, she was like, yeah, we were like, there'll probably be about 20 people here. And it was fucking nuts. I couldn't believe that. That moment before, I love that you were still going to do it, though. You're there to do it no matter who the fuck turns up, and then that comes. You must have, like, what did you do with your fear of it not going well, the comeback? Do you know what's crazy? Oh no, well, the comeback had already gone well by that point.

That's what's weird. That's actually why we got booked for Glastonbury. Right, makes sense. There was a lot of interest, so we knew there was interest, but, you know, we were on early on the Friday. People who worked in and around Glastonbury said to me a lot, they were like, yo, that's a good slot, you know, good slot for our type of music. and there wasn't much competition in a way. People had them in awake for three nights by that point, just the one.

So, like, it was at a good time. But, like, facts, I was the most nervous I've ever been. I always get anxious before anything, because I'm alive. But, like, it was a joke. Is this an anxiety about people turning up or about being able to do the job? Yeah, it's out of my control, isn't it? It's like, you know, at a festival, you've got no fucking idea what's going to happen, you know, the expectation.

Also, I was quite frustrated because everyone was telling me it was going to be rammed. Like I hate stuff I'd literally rather someone said nothing Me too So I didn't want to have the expectation Because you know In the past it hasn't worked out

So Harley had his kids My god daughter a while They're all below 10 They're like like I think is 8 Maybe 7 or 8 And I had gone off into the dressing room On my own Because Harley obviously is the one

With stage anxiety And I didn't want him to see How scared I was But you were so scared I almost threw up I've honestly never felt like that in my life I almost vomited Like I was an unbelievable

I've never felt like that before And I think it's because in my mind I'd always held Glastonbury on such a high pedestal. And when Rizzle Kicks was at a peak, there was a weird tension between music that's perceived, at least, as pop. And, you know, something like Glastonbury. You know, there's a lot of snobbery around who can and can't play Glastonbury. Of course, very much a barometer.

So I just had it in my head anyway. Awala and Arco ran into the room when I was almost sick. And they just completely healed me. in seconds because they went in and they just didn't care they didn't they got no a while it's coming like where's the chocolate I need chocolate and I was like why do I what am I doing I'm so I'm just caught up in this like obsession over like what I can and can't feel and there's like these kids is just like man what the fuck man we just want water like some drink a drink and some chocolate like life's good life's good you're right and I just like maybe life is good

went on stage and then you went out and saw that saw about 65000 people huge crowd It was ridiculous. Missed my first line because I couldn't believe it. I literally, the words, like, took my breath away. Genuinely, it was mad. Anyway, why are we talking about that? Why we're talking about Glou? The point is, Lily's going to come back.

She's going to perform. It's going to be great. She's going to get a massive rush out of it. People who are dying to watch her. Like, it's going to be great, honestly. Thank you. I'm really happy that you're saying that because, you know, it's that weird thing, I suppose, that we all have as creatives

that want to put things out in the world. It's like, she's scared, but she's fucking ready as well. And she's doing this and she's excited. Like, again, look, a lot of this has been written in that Vogue piece, so like, I'm not ruining anything, but she did this album very quickly. And I think it's a testament to the reality that regardless of what you think of a person, whether you align with their beliefs, whether you like the style of music they make, like there are some people on this planet who process how they feel through music. And it's an important body of work. It's not just like, yeah, Lillian's having a comeback. Like, she's really been through something and she turned it into something beautiful.

aren't we lucky to be in the arts I'm, you know, here I am doing this podcast with you, you're in a play Lily's putting an album out, we are truly creatives in this world making work and that is a luxury Yeah, it is a lot It shouldn't be

I'm being serious, it shouldn't be I really firmly believe that I, you know, this is more, this is to what we said when we spoke about grandparents last week, it's like being creative as a human right I really believed that

I really truly, with all my heart and soul believe that every single human being needs to have space to be creative. And if they aren't, it manifests in other ways that aren't as fun. And I think that on top of that, we should be actively as a community, you know, nationwide, want people to be able to survive to make music and not music that's just serving the lowest common denominator, music and culture and theater and writing that's pushing forwards people's Outlooks on Life.

We've just had Sam Fender win the Mercury. Yeah, shout out of Sam. He's from, I didn't know, he's from North Shields. Jay's from South Shields. He's from North Shields. Yeah, listen, I'm preventing the greatest marriage of all time. I'm literally, I'm literally preventing the greatest, the greatest union in Shields history.

A real life, Romeo and Juliet, love story. I'm just bang in the middle, just fucking that shit up. You're fucking shit up. Fuck that shit. The Shield community must be so proud of them, I hope, Jade and Sam. There's a lot of, even specifically South Shields. There's a lot of talent that comes out of South Shields, bro.

Really? Nuts. Yeah. Okay. I think what I love most about Sam and Jade and how they've gone about it is they've just brought through the culture that they were raised in. And I think it's like, it's engaging and exciting to watch.

And I think that's why people are drawn to them. Sam's managed to keep alive, you know, a genre of music or a type of music that well actually i mean he's been making it for a long time it's having a great wave at the moment the waves on it on a up well you know people are wanting i think instrument music again do you think yeah i think like i think bands people playing with bands i think i don't know man that's my that's what i'm on right now i fucking love that shit while on the topic of arts for example you know it is amazing that a person can open up their laptop and make a beat and it can be great i love that but i watch my dad play bass guitar

and I'm just like that's what how incredible is that he'll just sit at home plug in the guitar and just be gone for like two hours wow this is why I'm agnostic you know what I mean it's just there's some other it's this connection this human connection to something to waveform that just transcends all this other bullshit bro like for real we're so I feel like so many fractions of society are desperate to understand everything and meaning and productivity and you have to have a result and a product and a da-da-da it's like no man you can literally just play music for no reason bro and and feel amazing. But I think that that's why it really upsets me when I hear people talk about the fact that in the music industry, you sort of have to show, well, like most industries, you have to show popularity

before you're given opportunity now. I just think that's the death. I honestly think the music industry is absolutely fucked. In what sense do you think it's fucked? The amount of power that's been stripped from an artist is out of this fucking world. I can't explain to you how difficult it is

for anybody who isn't being backed by a massive label to make any impact without having an opportunity on TikTok. But that writes into, like, just make it yourself. You have to make this kind of hype and have this huge popularity online before you're given any support. For me, which I miss, and look,

I'm going to sound like here because it is... Because people used to have to do this. They used to have to tour the UK. Yeah, but the reality of it now, right? And it has always, to an extent, had this. It's always to an extent, listen, if you're charming, if you're charismatic, you know, you're going to be able to navigate certain spaces

easier than other people, sure. And I don't think this means this is the death of a mysterious artist. And I don't think it means that, you know, the democratic opportunity that something like TikTok has provided being that you can just download an app, place some music, and loads of people can suddenly decide they love it. That's amazing. But to the same extent, there was once a job within a label,

like an A&R and a marketer, they would go and find musicians who loved making music, might be paying in a little bar, two people in real life. and they would go, I think I can make them big. And then their job is to market this person. Do all that shit. Yes. And put it out.

Yes. Right. So you would have musicians who are by nature, introverted, fascinated, scientists, obsessed with synths or guitars or whatever else. They'd give something to a person and go, right, I'm going to deal with this now. Now the artist is expected to be. To be their own fucking marketer. The marketer, the PR, like before being seen by people.

And that breaks my heart because. there are so many people who are naturally introverted who aren't getting seen because they can't do a fucking to camera piece. I know exactly. Imagine asking Bob Dylan to do that. Like, excuse me, he was like, you know, tortured genius. I do feel hesitant because I do think there are opportunities

for us to be able to engage with Newtonology in ways that can benefit artistry. I don't, I'm conflicted in a sense that on one hand, I am wanting to have back what I felt was a brilliant time for music. And on the other hand, just have to have to surrender to the reality that we are in a rapidly evolving world. And an example of this I can give you is music videos. So this is, this is just, this has just happened, right?

Where MTV have dropped their music video channel. I know. I can't fucking believe it. Which is huge. Sorry, it's from December, Jordan. Two more months. Massive, massive change, right? And because for us, for my generation, also it was introduced to your generation once you guys got tellies, that there was a lot of joy to be had

watching an artist put visuals to their sounds that's a huge thing for Rizzle kicks and I really mean this this is the best Rizzle kicks we had down with the trumpets on our MySpace for nine months nine months we had it on our MySpace

a few people liked that we entered the competitions nothing really came of it we made a video two down with the trumpets with our friend Toby and we were signed within three wow for us

that meeting of sound and visual cemented people's understanding of who we were. So, now we were confronted with the reality that because artists have no money, by the way, which is what I was complaining about before, because a lot of artists would make money from physical sales that's gone. Streaming has absolutely fucked artist's revenue.

And also, we're living in some form of hell because this guy's leveraging, Daniel A. Eck, the owner of Spotify, is leveraging the money he's made from artists to invest in AI drones for warfare. Oh my fucking God. So in my head, that is hell. Like artists bleeding into their music,

having their actual revenue robbed from them and then it's used to... And then put into something... For warfare. That's hell. That's actually hell. So for balance, I will say, earlier this year,

Spotify pushed back against claims that it doesn't pay artists fairly. The company said that in 2024, an artist who got about one out of every million streams on a platform made more than $10,000 on average. according to Spotify, that's 10 times more than they would have earned for the same share of streams 10 years ago.

Okay, mate, you used to get, if you even got 20% of a physical sale, do you know, that is substantially more than you'd earn per a single stream. You have to literally earn, you know, you have to get a million streams to earn £5,000, a million. But I know people that are like, you know, my auntie,

obviously when she put music out in the 90s, Nana, like albums would sell. Living off it, babe. She's still living off that. Still living off it. Do you know how, bro, I wrote a song once called Big in the 90s because it's literally the dream.

It is the true. Fucking Oasis had helicopters and shit in their video for no reason. TV was the same. We would go to like Japan or Aspen, I'm not joking, to like film a trailer for like a week and fly first class.

Yeah, man. How times it changed. Anyway, yeah, so basically if you had a hit in the 90s, you're sorted, brother. People used to do that. He did dip in and dip out. Artists now have had to cut back on music video money

because they don't have any other income to spend. Like, you know, they have to use their income on content. That's what you do now. You film yourself doing the song loads of time so you can flood the TikTok and Instagram feeds, right? That's what you've got to do. And then the other thing is, you know, you might make some money off merch.

But even with live music, live is kind of the only arena where you might be able to make some money. But again, you're probably offset in costs you've incurred elsewhere with the profit you've made from life. And also, this is the other thing. If you want to have an engaging live show, which we should have, so i.e., a five-piece band, God forbid a screen, maybe even some lights, you're probably not going to be able to make massive profit off the tour either.

How much does that kind of set up cost then, like to get like a band and visuals on the road? So this is the way to look at it in music, which is wild, right? Music artists haven't, we haven't experienced an inflation in our income, if anything, the opposite. When you're booking bands, it's like, you know, people have got to be paid, what, £300, £350 a day. if you want a five piece band

where you're looking at $1,500 pound a day to rehearse, right? We can do that with Rizzle kicks, right? Because there are ways in which we can afford that. Can you imagine that though? If you were actually wanting to pay your band fairly,

you're paying £1,500 a day, that's just for the band. Then you've got to pay for the sound person, you've got to pay for any text that want to come in, the load in, the load in, the van for the loading. You've got to pay for a tour manager. If you want an assistant tour manager,

you've got to pay the bus driver. Like, by the end of it, these things cost, you know, five, 10, 15,000 pounds, right? So if you're getting paid, like, whatever per show, it gets constantly funneled back in. People have paid day rates for travel days, as they should, per diem's on the day as they should.

These are all things that should happen. But the artist themselves, we're paying it out of our pocket, Rizzle kicks. Is there like a tear to it? There are certain people that get on the road and have huge productions. I think it's pretty obvious who I mean. And then, exactly.

And also give us videos. and they're a very high level. Like, so it's just like 10 artists. Yes, they have loads of, they have an incredible amount of money. So this is how I understand it, is that. But when I'm explaining that, that's us, that's a Rizzle kick.

So we're funding a lot of that ourselves, if not all of it. So I haven't even asked Lil if she's doing a video, so she probably will do one. She will do some videos, yeah. I used to figure out who an artist was from their video, like someone like, even like somebody like Britney Spears, like when Slave for you came out,

that video was so fun. fucking slick and sexy and the art direction was like at high level. And it was, you know what it was, it was exciting. It was exciting when those videos came out. And an artist is like someone like Missy Elliott. Like that's how she defined who she was. She's the absolute go. Come on, these innovative bitch.

So just to tie it back to what I was trying to say before, even though I could rant about this for a long time, is that. Yeah, I can feel that. There is an opportunity, right, which is something that we would do as artists. to look at the restrictions placed upon us and find incredibly exciting ways to work around these restrictions. So you think it might breed creativity?

One of my favourite sayings of all time is the absence of limitation is the enemy of all art. For example, with a lot of artists, they will struggle to write anything as good as their first album because their first album, they were limited. They were limited and challenged.

They did it on like an eight track in their bedroom or they were going through a breakup and no one would listen to them or they have you know there's this you can feel the pain right so and then suddenly it blows up they've got loads of money they're in l.A. with rick reuben or whatever and now and now suddenly they don't know what to write about do you know what I mean because they there's no limitation it's like what we're saying earlier with with lily and and the new album and like yeah it's come from i think she wouldn't mind me saying this it's like it's come from a very painful place yes but it's the best thing she's written in years like welcome welcome to being an artist right well done for finding a

counter argument at the death of MTV and the rise of the internet because I was just wanted to have a little nostalgia fest about the MTV video music awards all right yeah so let's go to an ad break hey keats sure let's go let's go welcome back to miss me what's your favourite music video of all time. I was remembering moments. Don't remember when NERD put fucking Alicia Dixon in their video? And we were like, how did the chick from Mystique get to, like, you know, in those days you'd be like, how did she go to America?

And she dances. If you haven't seen Alicia Dixon dance. Like she goes in, brother, what you're talking about? Dum-da-Dum-da-Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum. And it's a bit abstract that out. Like, isn't she running away from like a weird deer or something? Probably. But it was such a moment of like,

Where did Farrell see Alicia Dixon? How did she get from where you usually see her to this? I mean, moments like that where you just feel like something big is happening. Kate Moss, don't know what to do with myself. Oh, for the white stripes, that was a good one. Yeah, and my friend Gemma's dad is this wicked, sorry, not wicked, sorry, Steve, fantastically talented director who did iconic music videos.

He did Billy Jean, Michael Jackson. Wow. That's like a serious situation. Jake Narva did the single ladies really. that's like I did a thing recently with his brother. Oh, it's that who did single Ladies, Jake Narva. See, this guy was about any video that I did like behind the scenes on from Pop World or something. He was always a Jake Narva video and then he went to America.

Anyway, but I just want to say as well, it wasn't just videos. Like MTV started as a place for basically it was like the first adolescent television. And it was, you know, it consisted of the music video. But by the time it was the 90s, it was like VMA's movie movies. awards, MTV Spring Break, MTV's select, like, I basically MTV became one of the most powerful brands in the world, I would say. Yeah, MTV's huge. But the idea that it's now, they're not just getting rid of it and letting it live in its

legacy. No, no, no, that would be too easy. It's becoming a reality TV station. Like, that's just depressing. Well, it's not, can I just say MTV do hold the mantle as one of the OGs for reality television. We have to be clear about that. That's true.

It did the real world. It's not like they've walked into reality television and a desperate attempt to stay alive. Like they've just gone to the one part of their enterprise that seems to maintain. But the thing that's wild about it is like, yeah, the music video, I want to, let's shout out some great music videos. We did. So bad girls, MIA, unbelievable.

Oh, come on. What's another one I love, Spike Jones, praise you. Genius. And weapon of choice. I mean, Fat Boy Slim, we'll talk about that. I know it's biased. I'm throwing it in there, Jade, Angel of My Dreams, Unbelievable video. Let's throw you in as well.

You're in this party. I think probably our biggest video in terms of just like the production or whatever else is to Lost Generation we had like sets and actors and no no no no no but listen but listen

I'm explaining but our niche was to do videos on the fly to do DIY videos that was our thing what do you mean on the fly just to give an example of how much people used to spend

the music videos we are officially a profitable act so Ireland made money off us which is like quite rare for an artist to recoup so they let us leave no stress We had no debt. We still get money off our music now.

But a lot of the reason why we recouped so quickly is because we spent no money on music videos. We just shot with our mate Toby and did some fun shit we fucked about, you know? Did Toby do Mama Do the Hump? So no. So this is the one weird story, right? Is that I shot Mammata Do the Hump

with my uncle to help me. Oh, yeah. It was on Gopros. Yeah, yeah. So we had a whole video that we'd spent thousands on and I got it back and it was good. But it's just like, because of the legacy of Fat Boy Slam, I thought, like, it's got to be provocative.

It's got to have something. It's got to be, I want people to say something. Like, even if they hate it, I want them to be like, God, have you seen that near Rizel Kick's video? I want that. Yeah, especially in the vein of that Spike Jones, praise you, your energy of just like, it's a bit fucking weird, but we, you know, it's stayed in our consciousness.

Yeah, so in short, I asked my label how long I had to shoot a video. They said about six days, I wrong Emma and Auntie Sandra, Emma being my mum, said, learn these lyrics. And I went, why, I was like, when you're free, Tuesday night, learn the lyrics, I see you then. Tuesday night, rocked up,

shot the video in an hour and a half. All at Sandra's house. All at Sandra's house. Hosh was there as well, wasn't he? Hosh was there. Amon was there. My dad was there. Right at the end, James Corden, pops up.

Oh, yeah. Who I bumped into outside Nando's in Birmingham, like literally the week before, and said, do you want to come to my auntie's house on Tuesday, came over, did the hum. No, I'm sorry. And that video changed things for you guys, I think. Yeah.

What I think was genius about it, if I don't say so myself, is that the song was coming out around Christmas. So that's all I wanted to have was a family feel to it in a way where people could feel like they could shoot their own mum and do the hump video. That's what I wanted people to feel like. You clever little munchkin. That was like preceding things going viral. Yes, it was before TikTok was invented, Makita.

And you were like, wouldn't it be great if other people were making their versions of this? Fuck you TikTok. Jordan invented this. So if anyone's going to solve the TikTok crisis of taking over the universe in the wrong way, it's probably you because you invented it. I love that fucking video. My mum is still annoyed.

She's not in it. She was like, I'm always at Sandra. Why was my mayor that night? We'll find another one for Andy. I'm proud of you. I forgot that you directed it. I think we've put the world to rights today. About music.

There was a lot I wanted to talk. about within the world of music day. Now that Lily's re-entering it, I think I've been thinking a lot about the way that industry was when we were kids and like, you know, what it did to hurt the good parts as well as the bad parts and what it really means for Lily

to like go back into that world. Here's a nice note to end on, which I think is important, is that Ireland have introduced this scheme, right? So this is, that's what we're saying. Island have introduced this scheme, there's a grant basically you can apply for which allows you a, you know, a wage of some kind

to create music. You know, basically it's Ireland saying they take the creative art seriously and they're trying to empower people to make music. And I'm assuming that the subtext is make music you want to make. Do it because you love it. And get paid to do it.

Fucking hell. It's not even just for musicians, Jay. It's for the arts in general. It's called Ireland's basic income for the arts. Love that. Yeah, go on. Which is just like, there's so many other countries in Europe who do have schemes like this.

And we do obviously have Arts Council funding I work a lot of the Arts Council and they do what they can but the budgets have just been like axed me It's upsetting And it's like this is the livelihood of people man Shall we try FaceTiming Lily one more time Because she just text me

Hi We just want to know Say that's Jordan We just want to know Who do you think was the other Because I said Lily coming back Makes me realise that there hasn't been A Lily Allen since Lily Allen

Jordan disagrees? I think there's more, I think people have been in and around it. Yeah, he had a few people we thought, what about you? Is there anyone that you actually think? So I think that there's anyone

that's come close to me since I've been away? Yes. Yes, that's what I want to know. I was a fucking ridiculous question. Fuck's sake. No, I mean... So the answer really is no.

There's only one me. There's only one, Lily. There's only one fucking Lily. That's the only answer. I can answer without sounding like a complete cunt. Sure, what else do we want to ask Lil, Jordan? How are you feeling, billboards? The billboards are up.

We're doing the billboard run. Me now and Wells. I've rented a little Audi convertible, but it's pouring with brains. Oh my God. What, you're going to go find all the billboards to take a little picture? Yeah, I saw her do. Yay! Ask how she's doing music videos.

I'm sorry. Wait, yeah, Jordan was talking about music videos today. Are you going to do a video? Some visualizers. Setting up a GoFund me, so if anyone wants to donate. Okay. That is the state of the industry. Oh my God, guys.

I'm so happy you're doing that. You go fucking see your billboards, bitch. You go fucking take a look. We will. Okay. All right. Love you. I'll call you later.

Bye. Bye. Bye. Why do I feel so emotional? Because I didn't think this day would actually come. I just thought she'd talk about it a lot. I don't know if she'd actually fucking go for it. So proud of everyone.

When are you going to make an album? Yeah, that's next. No, I've just got something else to put out, haven't I? That's all, you know, we're all having our times. This isn't my time. This is Lily's time. Okay, Mickey, I've got one more question for you before we wrap up because it's really important, actually.

What's your favorite morning pastry? That's funny, because today I was going to ask you what your alarm clock sound is. So it's good that we're getting to know each other. I don't use an alarm clock. Only when I've got to like wake up a dick at a clock to get a flight or something. Thank you. It's great to know. On my side, my favourite morning pastry is a plain quasson dipped in hot milk.

I'm with you on a plain quasson, but like, are you, are you, are you, sorry? Have you done it? Have you done it, though? Are you going into cafes and ordering hot milk? Yeah, I get baby chino. Which I know her for children But I just love hot foamy milk When me and Lily were kids

When we used to go to this restaurant With our parents all the time We'd order glasses of foam Have you told your therapist this? Yeah, yeah, yeah No, of course not This doesn't mean anything Yeah, I do quite like baby food as well

Grow up, McGee-ya I actually think it's in response To my mother being a chef When you say you eat baby food Do you mean this shit that comes in those little tubs I have like apple sauce in my fridge that I eat. For babies.

Urayed apple for babies, yeah. Four, no, no, you're fucking with me, man. It's so delicious, though. And I do love a baby chino, and I love, I just like pure-aid foods. My mum said I've always been like this. Maybe this is a thing.

Listen, let's put it out there, guys. Let us know in the comments to whatever clip we post is probably not this one, but... Don't think this is a clip. Do you eat baby food as an adult? And, by the way, parents are not included in this

because that's ridiculous. Makeda is not a parent. She's going into the baby section of the supermarket to buy baby food for herself. Yeah, and it'd be good. I'd like to reach my community if they exist. Thank you for doing this. I'll see you on Monday for Listen Bitch.

The theme is boredom. And, well, yeah, because it's Halloween time and it's my favourite fireworks night time in lieu of being able to do, you know, historical plots that went wrong, historical political plots that failed. We're going to do the things that scare us. The things that scare us. And that can be, you know, abandonment from the one you love.

Or it can be the omen. Whatever really does just freak you out. Just send your voice notes to 08,030, 40, 90. Great topic. We'll see you then. Bye. Thanks for listening to Miss Me. This is a Persefonica production for BBC Sounds. I'm Julie Andrews, and it is my great pleasure to bring you Jane Austen Stories,

the new show from the Noiser Podcast Network. I'll be reading Pride and Prejudice. We'll walk grand estates and take tea with well-dressed gentlemen. women, but in this tranquil corner of England, not everything is quite as it appears. Listen to Jane Austen Stories on BBC Sounds.