Who is Lola Young? The Rising Star You NEED To Jump On Now
In 2023, the Edge Team wrote, “Lola is far from a one-time TikTok trend”. That statement has proven to be true time and time again.
Between becoming a viral TikTok sensation, being featured on Tyler, the Creator’s album, opening for Billie Eilish, and now playing Coachella, she has been garnering much attention around the globe. Her sudden rise to fame begs the question: who is Lola Young and where did she come from?
As a singer and songwriter from South London, Young is best known for her viral 2024 hit Messy, which topped the UK Singles Chart – the first in her catalogue to do so. Prior to her widespread online success, however, she was racking up achievements. From being nominated for the Brit Awards for Rising Star in 2021 and placing fourth in the BBC Sound of 2022 poll, to Ticketmaster’s Breakthrough Artists for 2022, Young was already making her mark in the industry. But her success in music goes back even further.
In her youth, Young attended the Brit School for Performing Arts and Technology, a fine arts school in Croydon, focused on developing future artists and creatives. At age 15, she won the Open Mic UK competition with her song Never Enough, leading to a publicity package with Future Music and granting her £5,000 to hone her craft. Notably, the first ever winner of this competition was Skinny Love singer, Birdy. The following year, Young participated in CBBC’s Got What It Takes? competition show in which she placed second. Upon graduating from the Brit School, she continued performing at local open mic events, where she eventually caught the attention of her current managers and notable industry figures, Nick Shymansky, who previously managed Amy Winehouse, and Nick Huggett, who signed Adele. In the past, Young has been quoted saying it is a “lot of pressure” working with such successful figures, but she handles it well – as evidenced by her song Messy becoming the most successful song of 2025 in the UK.
In 2019, Young signed with her current label, Island Records, and debuted with the single 6 Feet Under, which was shortly followed by her EP, Intro. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Young sustained momentum by releasing her next EP, Renaissance, and promoting it through various virtual performances. In 2021, Young began to cast a wider net with her appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden and contribution to the John Lewis Christmas advert. She released the lead single for her debut album, My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely, in 2022, prompting a successful European tour leading up to the album’s release in 2023. Her second album, This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, came out this past year and gave us hits like Conceited, Wish You Were Dead, and of course, the platinum-certified single, Messy. The widespread success of Messy on TikTok is largely to thank for Young’s rapid rise to recognition. There was a time where users could not open the app without hearing the song, either through advertisements or through videos utilizing the sound, which allowed the UK star to reach international audiences.
However, success does not come without its fair share of struggles. In interviews, she has been candid about her battle with mental health following the diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, a rare mental condition comprising symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. She spoke of her condition publicly for the first time in an interview with the Telegraph, where she expressed that, while there are some challenges, she believes that her diagnosis is a superpower. However, she finds it important to be upfront about her condition for two reasons: 1.) because it can bring productive conversation about reducing mental health stigma to the forefront and 2.) because it helps give fans a better understanding of why she may have to cancel shows sometimes or take a break from being in the public eye. Shortly after the interview went live, she wrote on Instagram, “You are never alone. You are never unworthy of love and support. Mental health is fucking real and it fucking matters more than anything”.
In addition to schizoaffective disorder, Young has recurring cysts on her vocal cords, she told the Standard. At 22, she was told she needed to undergo surgery to have it removed, only to go through with the operation and have the cyst return. She doesn’t let this change discourage her, however. She embraces it, appreciating the raspy tone of voice it gives her. It all serves as a testament to her commitment to remaining optimistic as she continues her assent to the top.
Young has achieved many accolades in the past year. Messy remained No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks, making her the longest-running British female artist since Adele’s Easy on Me in 2021. She is also the youngest British female artist to reach No. 1 since Dua Lipa’s New Rules in 2017 and youngest British artist to have a UK chart-topping single since Dave’s Starlight in 2022. But while the awards and record-breaking is impressive, what stands to be the most remarkable is her authenticity, being honest in her lyrics and interviews. In a time of social media and concerns about overconsumption, this kind of authenticity is key, and a marker of a good artist. We can’t wait to see where she goes next in her career, and hope that she stays true to herself along the way.
