Get to know more about 'Messy' singer Lola Young
Her track has been a TikTok sensation
Last updated 6th Mar 2025
It's fair to say that Lola Young is making some pretty big waves in the music industry right now. With a powerful voice, and knack for blending genres such as pop, soul and R&B, it's no surprise that her huge track 'Messy' has been pretty much TikTok's soundtrack for the past few months. Want to know more about the London-born singer/songwriter? We've got you covered.
Famed for her relatable, all-too-real lyrics and addictive personality, join us as we delve into Lola Young's musical journey, and the impact she'd already had on the music industry. From John Lewis Christmas ad soundtracks, to a Platinum-certified Number 1 single, BRIT Award performance AND nomination, here's everything you need to know about one of the most exciting talents on the scene, Lola Young...
How old is Lola Young?
Lola is just 24-years-old! The singer/songwriter was born on 4th January 2001 - making her a Capricorn.
Where is she from?
She is from London, having grown up in the Beckenham area (Greater London). Her father is Jamaican-Chinese, and her mother is English.
Lola grew up in a musical home, and began to grow her passion for the arts from a young age. With her step-dad being a bass player, and mother encouraging her musical passions, it's no surprise she began learning the piano by age six, as well as guitar.
Also adding to Lola's creative flare was her aunt - Julia Donaldson - who is the author of 1999 children's book The Gruffalo.
Whilst also attending singing lessons, Lola was just 11-years-old when she developed a love for songwriting. Following secondary school, Lola attended the famous BRIT school in Croydon.
How did she become famous?
Lola has been working on her music career for most of her life. Learning instruments from the age of six, and writing songs before she was even a teenager, she soon began competing in Open Mic UK competitions. At 15-years-old, she won with her song 'Never Enough' - with the victory bagging her a £5,000 music development grant and a consultation package with Future Music, which ultimately aided in her admission to BRIT School.
In 2016, Lola finished in second place on CBBC's show Got What It Takes?, and it was two years later, in 2018, that she graduated from the BRIT School.
By continuing to perform at open mic nights, and perform local gigs, Lola soon caught the eye of industry figures Nick Shymansky, who is Amy Winehouse's former manager, and Nick Huggett, who first signed Adele back in 2006. Both iconic artists were also former attendees of the highly esteemed BRIT School.
Both figures soon became Lola's managers, and it was then in 2019 that she signed her first record deal with Island Records and released her debut single '6 Feet Under'. Her first EP 'Intro' was released that same year, and her next - titled 'Renaissance' - followed in April 2020.
Lola's breakout moment is widely considered to be her cover of 'Together in Electric Dreams', which she performed for the John Lewis Christmas advert in 2021. She performed the cover on The Late Late Show with James Corden, gaining wider recognition, and received a nominated for the BRITs Rising Star Award that same year.
Her debut album 'My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely' was later released on 26th May 2023, through Island Records.
On 21st June 2024, Lola released her second album 'This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway', which included her viral Number 1 hit 'Messy'. On top of that, she also featured on Tyler, The Creator's track 'Like Him', which was released on 28th October 2024 and featured on his seventh studio album, 'Chromakopia'.
What are Lola Young's most popular songs?
Although 2024 was undeniably a huge year for Lola, she has actually been releasing music since 2019, when she first signed with Island Records. With two studio albums now under her belt, Lola has an impressive discography of popular tracks under her belt.
'Messy'
Featuring on her second album, 'This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway', 'Messy' is widely considered Lola's most popular song to date, with it aiding the singer in achieving international recognition due to its popularity on TikTok.
Released on 30th May 2024, the track is now certified Platinum, hitting the Number 1 spot in the UK Chart and racking up almost 50 million views on YouTube (at the time of writing, that is).
Not only did it hit Number 1 in the UK, but also Australia, Belgium (Flanders), Croatia, Ireland and Israel. To top it all off, as with most TikTok viral tracks, the song acquired its own dance, with Sofia Richie's 'two-second two-step' to thank.
🚨 WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE USED
'Wish You Were dead'
Released in early 2024, also featuring on her second album, was 'Wish you were dead'. Following suit with Lola's writing style, the track was praised for its raw emotion and candid portrayal of a toxic relationship.
The music video landed on YouTube on 12th January 2024, and has now had over 1.8 million views to date.
🚨 WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE USED
'Conceited'
With another catchy melody and powerful lyrics, 'Conceited' is another of of Lola's most popular tracks so far, ranking in over 5.5 million views on YouTube since the video's release in 2023.
WATCH: Lola Young 'Conceited' official music video:
'Don't Hate Me'
With over 1.8 million views on YouTube at the time of writing, 'Don't Hate Me' is another well-known and popular track from Lola. Released back in March 2023, the catchy tune and all-too-real lyrics proved to be another perfect recipe from Lola.
Not surprisingly, a snippet of the 2023 track also went viral on TikTok, further amplifying its reach and global success.
WATCH: Lola Young 'Don't Hate Me' official music video:
'Together In Electric Dreams' (cover)
In 2021, Lola recorded a cover of Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's 'Together In Electric Dreams', with the track used for the highly-anticipated John Lewis Christmas advert - a modern day festive staple.
Lola performed the track on The Late Late Show with James Corden, with the touching ad now having over 3.2 million views on John Lewis' YouTube channel.
LISTEN: Lola Young's cover of 'Together In Electric Dreams':
Lola Young and The BRIT Awards 2025
Lola Young is no stranger to a BRIT Awards nomination, having been up for Rising Star back in 2021. This year, however, not only was she up for Best Pop Act, but she also took to the stage, performing her hit 'Messy'!
In January 2025, it was revealed that Lola was up for Best Pop Act - against the likes of Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, JADE and Myles Smith. At the ceremony on 1st March, the gong went to JADE.
Lola joined an impressive line-up of performers on the night including Sam Fender, JADE, Myles Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Teddy Swims and The Last Dinner Party.
Is she on tour?
She certainly is. As well as completing her own headline tour at the moment, Lola also has plenty of exciting live performances in the pipeline - including The BRIT Awards 2025 with Mastercard, Manchester's Parklife, Reading and Leeds Festival and the world-famous Coachella festival over in the US.
In the UK, you can catch Lola in cities such as Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol, London, Birmingham and Brighton. Shows in the UK will continue until mid-March 2025, before she heads across the US and Europe - performing in locations such as Belgium, Denmark, Portugal and Germany.
Lola Young's UK tour dates 2025:
FEBRUARY
Glasgow, Glasgow Garage - Mon 24th
Manchester, New Century Hall - Tues 25th
MARCH
Bristol, SWX - Sun 2nd
London, O2 Forum - Mon 3rd
Birmingham, O2 Institute - Wed 12th
Brighton, Chalk - Thurs 13th
Buy tickets to see Lola Young
Lola Young will also take to the stage at Coachella in April, Parklife 2025 on 14th June, Reading and Leeds Festival the weekend of 22nd-24th August and Glastonbury on Friday 27th June.
Is Lola performing at Glastonbury?
Yes! In March 2025 it was announced the 'Messy' singer will perform at this year's Glastonbury Festival in Somerset. She'll take to the stage on Friday 27th June 2025 along with Gracie Abrams and Myles Smith.
What shows has she been on?
Since bursting out onto the music scene, Lola has appeared on many talk shows, as well as giving live performances on TV over the years. In 2021, she appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden, where she performed her rendition of 'Together in Electric Dreams'.
In January 2025, Lola appeared on The Graham Norton Show, alongside the likes of Renée Zellweger, Leo Woodall, Sterling K Brown, Anthony Mackie and Cyndi Lauper. Lola performed her hit track 'Messy' on the show.
That same month, Lola appeared on The Jimmy Fallon show, where she talked all things 'Messy' and Tyler, The Creator.
She also, of course, appeared on CBBC's Got What It Takes? in 2016 - with clips of the show resurfacing on TikTok following her skyrocketing to worldwide fame in 2024.
Check out these huge pop stars who attended BRIT school:
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After a hiatus, Adele delighted her fans when she released her huge track 'Easy On Me' on 15th October 2021. The singer then sent the Internet into a frenzy when she confirmed her new album '30' would be released on Friday 19th November of the same year.
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Jessie J
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Kate Nash
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RAYE
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In 2024, RAYE broke nomination history by being nominated for seven awards in six categories. She went on to win six awards on the night of the ceremony.
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