Lola Young

A stylistically dynamic vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Lola Young builds on the traditions of Amy Winehouse and Adele with her smoky vocals and fearless songwriting. The South East London native made an impression soon after 2019's debut EP Intro, earning a nomination for the 2021 Rising Star BRIT Award. Her first full-length, 2023's confessional My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely, laid the groundwork for Young's brash 2024's album This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway, home of the multi-platinum, viral single "Messy." With 2025's I'm Only F**king Myself, she listeners more of her unguarded lyrics and genre-melding sounds.

While growing up in Beckenham, south London, Young learned piano and guitar early on and started writing songs at the age of 11. Within only a couple years of dedicating herself to developing her talent, she won an open-mike competition. She attended the BRIT School -- coincidentally the same creative arts school previously attended by Amy Winehouse and Adele -- and won the Open Mic UK singing contest while studying there. Shortly after graduation and still a teenager, she signed a deal with major-label Island. Young's first commercial release was Intro, an assured EP made with producers such as LEX1K and Al Shux, Two Inch Punch, and Manuka. Intro appeared in November 2019, and was followed a few months later by Renaissance, consisting of three additional Manuka collaborations. A four-song EP made with Manuka and Paul Epworth, a couple additional singles, and a version of Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's 1985 hit "Together in Electric Dreams" -- heard in an advertisement for department store John Lewis & Partners -- raised Young's profile significantly in 2021. Before the end of that year, she was shortlisted for the 2021 BRITs Rising Star category.

Young continued in 2022 with "So Sorry" and "Stream of Consciousness," singles that strengthened her connections to Manuka and Epworth. In early 2023, she issued her debut album, My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely. The release saw her bringing in producers Cass Lowe and Jim-E-Stack, to expand on the work she had previously released. This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway, a more candid and sometimes vitriolic second album, appeared in June 2024. Once again featuring production work by Manuka, it reached number 16 in the U.K. and was led by "Messy," what Young defined as "an ADHD anthem." The song went viral, staying at the top of the chart for four weeks in the U.K. and achieving multi-platinum status there, in the U.S., and four other countries. The non-album singles "Flicker of Light" and "Charlie" (featuring Lil Yachty) were out before the end of 2024. She also appeared on Tyler, The Creator's "Like Him" from the album Chromakopia.

Early in 2025, Young covered the Cure's "Close to Me" for the Australian radio station Triple J before performing at festivals including Coachella and Glastonbury and opening for Billie Eilish's concerts in Paris. During these shows, she premiered some of the songs that appeared on September 2025's I'm Only F**king Myself. Young's third album explored sex, addiction, and trauma with her trademark candor and with sounds ranging from Afrobeat to indie and folk. ~ Heather Phares & Andy Kellman