Lily Allen has always been more renowned for her lyrical genius that her singing abilities but her voice was truly put to the test when she was selected to sing the soundtrack to department store John Lewis' Christmas advert.

Lily Allen
Lily Allen Was Picked This Year To Sing The John Lewis Xmas Ad Song.

In the past few years, John Lewis' ad - more a mini movie - has become a sure sign that Christmas is on its way and uses sweet, thought-provoking and emotive storylines to persuade viewers to go and buy as much as they can possibly stuff in their car. The accompanying song is routinely pushed up the UK charts once the ad begins to air.

Watch John Lewis' 2013 Christmas Advert:

Previous years have seen Gabrielle Aplin and Ellie Goulding perform equally sombre piano covers of much-loved songs. This year was no different: singer Lily Allen covered Keane's 'Somewhere Only We Know' whilst a tear-jerking scene of a hare making Christmas special for a bear plays out on screen.

Lily Allen Esquire
Lily's Cover Has Been Criticised By Some.

The advert reportedly cost £7 million to make, according to The Guardian and will definitely get the British public feeling all Christmassy as we approach the festive season. However, although her cover has been praised by many for its stark beauty, Lily has received a degree of backlash for what some deem to be a ruinous feature. Indeed, it lacks the touching poignancy of Aplin's 2012 'The Power of Love' and Keane's version does invoke a greater wave of emotion than Lily's comparatively flat rendition.

Keane
Keane Wrote The Original Version Of 'Somewhere Only We Know.'

Thankfully, we are spared the cockney twang and profanity-laced lyrics of Lily's solo music and we'd dare you not to brush away a tear when the chorus kicks in. However, this may be more to do with the hare/bear crimbo romance playing out before our eyes or at least the imminent threat of the year's most eye-wateringly expensive celebration.

Regardless, we wouldn't be surprised if it's only Keane's version of 'Somewhere Only We Know' that climbs the charts this Christmas. John Lewis' The Bear & The Hare will debut on ITV during The X Factor on Saturday 9th November.