2009, prepare for Lily Allen to stake her claim on you.

Lily Allen just announced her first tour dates of the year. Pop Justice has also already given a glimmering review of the forthcoming It's Not Me, It's You... meaning: it's SO on.

The eternal Lolita Hazed heroine entered 2008 with a determination to own it. After entering the American pop scene with her acclaimed debut Alright, Still and gaining both the control and interest of the public eye with her admirably brazen voice, she had both the clout and resources to make her sophomore album yet another hit. She was pregnant with boyfriend Ed Simons' baby, the new face of an upcoming Agent Provocateur collection and taking charge of BBC3 with her talk show, Lily Allen & Friends. But time passed and not only did she miscarry and get dropped from the Agent Provocateur campaign at the last minute-- she had to live under the constant scrutiny of the public eye. Since spring, she has a lot of well-deserved time to think things over, and she has come out stronger than ever.

Fans who have kept an eye on Lily this year are well aware she hasn't stopped working, nor has she let the small stuff get her down. She has instead spun her problems into gold, providing us with one good song after the other and perfecting the final touches on what I'm led to believe will be Lily's most personal and artistically-centered album yet. After all, Alright, Still was quite obviously more of a Mark Ronson production, and with all the tracks she's released lately, you can tell she's much more in charge of her sound now-- and she's certainly showing she handles the independence well! The songs she's been making are the best she's ever done, and not only do they stay true to her outspoken nature-- they show that in two years time, the eternally honest wild child has matured into a well-rounded young lady, her trademark sass developing a refined quality as she focuses less on shock and more on creating a general statement that is likely to strike the public more directly. With hot electro beats and very strategic lyricism, Lily Allen is poised to prove that she could change the world.

Pop's reigning brain is back with a vengeance, and this time, she's truly ready to show Planet Earth she means business. It's Not Me, It's You drops in UK record stores on February 9, 2009.