Today, Ariane X – aka Ariane Sherine, writer of multiple books, newspaper & magazine columns and music – has released a pop album entitled Better.

Why for her daughter? Why Better? Why Ariane X?

Here, she explains in her own words…

Pop stars don’t really write songs about their kids. I can think of a couple: Little Star by Madonna, Lullaby by Mel B… but, generally, they prefer to write about relatable topics like romantic love, heartbreak and feuds. Pretty much everyone will have experienced these things, but not everyone has a child.

For me, it was different though: my Daughter Lily inspired my pop career.

On my 40th birthday, when she was nine, I was sitting by her bedside, looking at her tousled dark blonde curls as she slept, and I heard the line in my head: It’s a kaleidoscope of colour/I’m so grateful I’m your mother.

I immediately got up and wrote the song Kaleidoscope, about how she had made my bleak life so much better.

My daughter is quite amazing. She’s had to deal with a lot: I left her dad when she was 17 months old so, since then, she’s had to travel between two houses – his in the very North of London, mine in the very East, so two-hour journeys.

Her dad started a new family, which she found challenging. She also had to cope with seven house moves by the time she was 11, which she describes as her ‘house trauma’. And she developed hygiene OCD during Covid, washing her hands over and over.

And yet she’s kind and thoughtful and hilarious, bright and athletic and diligent, hardworking and compassionate and beautiful. She’s top of her class, has loads of friends and cares deeply about animals and the environment. Now nearly 13 years old, she’s a total force of nature and I’m so proud to be her mum.

The songs came to me almost fully-formed. As well as Kaleidoscope, there was Happy:

You could be a pop star

You could be a scientist

You could do anything

Why not make a big long list?

With its chorus:

All I want you to be is happy, is happy

All I want you to be is happy

And Tiny Girl:

I love you, tiny girl

You’re only four foot five

But you are by far

The best thing in my life

So innocent and sweet

So wholesome and so pure

Loving you completely’s 

What my life is for

That was written four years ago.

Since then, my daughter has shot up in height and is now five foot two!

But the album isn’t all sweetness and light. There are also songs about my traumatic childhood such as When I Was Your Age and hiding my mental health problems from Lily, such as Demons, Not Normal and Well, Baby.

Well, baby

You know that I’m not well, baby

You know I’ve been through hell and back

And I’m scorched charcoal black

Though my soul is the colour blue

Well, baby

I’d catch you if you fell, baby

I’m trying to be well for sure

‘Cause you’re all I adore

So I’m sticking around for you

I bought a home studio – just a computer, interface, keyboard and mic – and began laying down tracks in the Apple audio program Logic Pro X, which is why I’ve called myself Ariane X.

It all felt like such a natural process – probably because I have a music production degree, though I abandoned the music world half my life ago to become a writer, deeming the thought of becoming a pop star ‘unrealistic’.

But who cares if it’s unrealistic? Yes, I’m nearly 44 – an advanced age for a debut artist – but the tracks are beautiful: melodic electropop songs with heart and soul. They’re all about the overwhelming love I have for my daughter. And the wonderful thing is that, when I’m gone, she will be able to listen to them and hear how much I love her. 

Two weeks ago, she and I filmed the video for the first single from the album, Secret Asian…both wearing a kameez (long tunic), jutti (South Asian slippers) and Indian jewellery such as a maang tikka.

Despite being a professional actor and starring in a BFI-funded film last year, Lily was a little shy about doing Indian dance moves, but we both had great fun making the video.

My next three albums, which are already mostly written and recorded, are all about ex-boyfriends. But I’m glad that my debut album is about Lily. She’s by far the most important person in my world, and always will be, and I’m so pleased that my love for her is immortalised forever in song.