Lola Young, a twenty-four-year-old singer from England, has become a viral phenomenon on social media sites such as TikTok and Instagram for her hit song “Messy.” However, Young’s musical career didn’t start in 2024; she had a passion for music since she was a small child. Young grew up in a musical family; her stepdad was a bass player, and her mother encouraged her talent. She began singing, piano, and guitar lessons at the age of six, and she would begin songwriting at eleven.
At fifteen, Young participated in Open Mic UK singing competitions and won with her song “Never Enough.” Her win would open the doors for her to attend the BRIT School, a school for performing and creative arts, where she could hone her skills. She could continue singing in competitions and with local gigs after she graduated from school. In 2018, Young caught the attention of industry figures and secured two managers, Nick Shymansky, one of Amy Winehouse’s former managers, and Nick Huggett, who signed Adele originally.
In 2019, Young signed with Island Records and released her debut single “6 Feet Under,” which was quickly followed by her EP Intro that same year. She released another EP titled “Renaissance” in 2020. Like many artists, she was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; however, she found a workaround by performing virtual concerts and continuing to release music. Young would gain more widespread recognition in 2021 for her rendition of “Together in Electric Dreams” on The Late Late Show with James Corden. A year later she was nominated for the Brit Award for Rising Star. Carrying that momentum into her music, Young would release her debut album, “My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely”, in 2023.
In 2024 she released her most popular record to date, “This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway”, with the hit single “Messy,” leading her to international fame. Young collaborated with Tyler, The Creator, on his album Chromakopia, providing additional vocals. On January 1, 2025, she performed “Messy” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Unfortunately, not everything has gone as Young planned in the music industry. Young has had recurring vocal cysts, which have prevented her from performing, causing shows to be canceled. Young was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as a teenager which is something she struggles with to this day and is a frequent theme in some of her tracks.
This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway (2024):
“This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway” is Young’s second formal album, released in 2024, spanning eleven tracks; the last track titled “Outro,” is a spoken word piece written by Young. The record is on the shorter side at thirty-eight minutes. Well received by websites like The Guardian and NME, both giving the track a score of four stars or higher, the album has been Young’s most successful and popular to date. The album cover sparks interest before you even listen to the record. The close-up picture of Young’s face with the bold red lettering of her name above makes you feel like you’ve interrupted some sort of personal moment in a sense, which is what her album is all about.
Young is unafraid to be vulnerable, jugular, and open up about past toxic relationships, with the record being largely addressed to Young’s past exes. “This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway” spans multiple different genres and styles of music. “Conceited” takes elements of R&B, and “Big Brown Eyes” has a touch of reggae. Although there is a lack of cohesion on the record, it is what makes it so beautiful, the fact you can listen to so many genres in one album, track after track; there’s always something unique and different about each song.
Good Books:
“Good Books” has a similar feel to Florence + The Machine’s heavy instruments and backup vocals isolated in the chorus, leaving the rest of the song nude in a vulnerable way. The zappy pops of the electronics and the heavy drums build as the song goes on. The ending of the track feels like an emotional slow ballad. The lyrics are raw and brutal, especially for those who have been in toxic past relationships, about being made to feel not good enough, and as the opening track to the album, “Good Books” provides a perfect insight into what the record has in store for its listeners.
Messy:
“Messy” is every woman’s war cry against toxic relationships and society’s expectations. The back and forth of the lyrics showing the hypocrisy of the narrator’s partner is rage-inducing; it’s no wonder why this track went viral on TikTok, with over 1.7 million videos featuring the track. Young is unafraid again to be vulgar and use crude language to explain her anger, feeling her pain and frustration in the record, such as the lyrics, “And I’m too clever and then I’m too f*cking dumb,” which reveals how toxic this relationship is in the lyrics alone.
You Noticed:
“You Noticed” is one of the slowest tracks on the album. Coming in at track seven, the acoustic Girl in Red-like piece is a relaxing but somber break from some of Young’s heavier-sounding tracks such as “Conceited” and “Messy.” The song features Young’s raw vocals backed up by string instruments and slow guitar chords. The track highlights Young’s versatility in the type of music she can play and offers a refreshing change from the rest of the record.
Lola Young is undoubtedly on the rise, having had one of the most viral sounds in the past couple of months alone. She is not a one-trick pony, and we can expect to see even more beautiful and emotional tracks from her in the future.
