Last Night: Lily Allen at Showbox

"Can I have a drink? Some wine of the white variety?" Lily Allen asked once she got onstage. "Is anyone out there drinking? I know it's a Monday, but get a fucking life."

The British pop star smoked cigarettes and guzzled wine (presumably white) throughout her sold-out show at Showbox SoDo last night where she played to promote her new album It's Not Me, It's You.

The hour-long show confirmed what I've always suspected: The 23-year-old is a far more interesting celebrity than she is an actual performer. I enjoyed her talking between songs far more than I did her actual singing. Example: "Excuse my casual attire. I didn't have time to put on a bra. Can you see my nipples? I better squeeze them and make them hard so they're more attractive."

You get the feeling the savvy pop star's behavior is entirely intentional. Unlike many of her peers, Allen seems to know exactly what she's doing when she gets drunk and says crazy shit. The 23-year-old has a couple great singles under her belt, but more impressive is the highly marketable public persona she's created for herself.

That being said, It's Not Me, It's You is actually a brilliant pop album. And Allen has a pleasant sing-songy voice that softens the blow of her often downright dirty (but astute) lyrics.

The singer had the crowd laughing as she mimed giving her microphone a blow job during her rendition of the infectious country-tinged "Not Fair," a song about a boyfriend with a great personality who sucks in bed. And she got droves to wave their middle fingers in the air during her kiss off to former President Bush "Fuck You."

Before launching into the track "22," which ought to be her next single off the album, Allen explained, "This is for all the girls that have been fucking around the last couple years that wake up one day and realize oh shit, I've been sucking cock and getting free drinks for the last 10 years... now I've got nothing to show for it!"

For her encore, Allen returned with yet another lit cigarette and sang her 2006 breakthrough hit "Smile" followed by "The Fear." She closed the night with a cover of Britney Spears' "Womanizer" which was supposed to be funny and ironic, but really wasn't given her own status as a pop star. Far better would have been to end the night with her lovely cover of The Clash's "Straight to Hell."