# Lola Young (singer)

Lola Emily Mary Young (born 4 January 2001) is a British singer and songwriter from London. She is best known for covering "Together in Electric Dreams" for the 2021 John Lewis Christmas advert and for her 2024 song "Messy", which was her first song to top the UK Singles Chart. In 2024, Young was featured on the song "Like Him" on Tyler, the Creator's album Chromakopia.
Young has been recognised receiving many nominations for awards. She was nominated for the Brit Awards for Rising Star in 2021, Best Pop Act in 2025, and placed fourth in the BBC Sound of 2022 competition.

## Early life

Young grew up in the Beckenham area of London to a Jamaican-Chinese father and English mother. She attended Balgowan Primary School in Beckenham, Kingsdale Foundation School and later attended the BRIT School in Croydon (south London). Her stepdad, a bass player, and her mother nurtured her musical talents. Her great-aunt, Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo (1999), also influenced her creative development. At six years old, she began piano, guitar, and singing lessons developing a deep love for songwriting by the age of 11.

## Career
### 2013–2017: Career beginnings

Young's early foray into music saw her participating in Open Mic UK singing competitions. At 15, she won the competition with her song "Never Enough", which led to a consultation package with Future Music and £5,000 for music development. This victory opened the doors to the BRIT School, where she honed her skills. In 2016, Young appeared on CBBC's Got What It Takes?, finishing as a runner-up. After graduating from the BRIT School in 2018, she continued performing at local gigs and open mic events, eventually catching the attention of industry figures Nick Shymansky, Amy Winehouse's former manager, and Nick Huggett, who first signed Adele. The two soon became her managers.

### 2018–2023: Breakthrough and My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely

In 2019, Young signed with Island Records and released her debut single, "6 Feet Under", followed by the EP Intro. Her next EP, Renaissance, was released on 28 April 2020. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, she maintained her presence through virtual performances and continued to release music, including the single "Woman". In 2021, Young gained wider recognition with her performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden and her rendition of "Together in Electric Dreams" for the John Lewis Christmas advert. She was nominated for the Brit Award for Rising Star. Young's lead single for her debut album, "Stream of Consciousness", was released on 25 November 2022 and a successful European tour followed. The album, My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely, was released in 2023.

### 2024–present: This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway

Young's second album, This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway, came out on 21 June 2024. Singles including "Messy" gained popularity through TikTok, leading to a rise in her international popularity. In 2024, Young collaborated with Tyler, the Creator on his album Chromakopia and continued to release singles such as "Wish You Were Dead" and "Big Brown Eyes". On 21 January 2025, Young performed "Messy" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Her single "Flicker Of Light" is featured in the video game EA Sports FC 25.

## Personal life

Young has spoken openly about her diagnosis with schizoaffective disorder at age 17. She has faced having recurring vocal cord cysts which has caused issues with her singing, resulting in having to cancel shows. She also has had mental health issues throughout her life.

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Album details | UK | CAN | US |
| My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely | Released: 26 May 2023 Label: Island Format: CD, LP, digital download | — | — | — |
| This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway | Released: 21 June 2024 Label: Island Format: CD, LP, digital download | 16 | 38 | 64 |
| "—" denotes album did not chart in that territory. |||||

### Mini-albums

| Title | Album details |
| Intro | Released: 7 November 2019 Label: Island Format: CD, digital download |

### Extended plays

| Title | EP details |
| Renaissance | Released: 28 April 2020 Label: Island Format: Digital download |
| After Midnight | Released: 20 August 2021 Label: Island Format: Digital download |

### Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name :
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
| Title | Year | UK | AUS | CAN | IRE | NZ | SWE | US | US Rock | WW | Certifications | Album |
| "6 Feet Under" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Intro |
| "Pick Me Up" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Renaissance |
| "Woman" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Ruin My Make Up" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Bad Tattoo" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Blue (2AM)" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | After Midnight |
| "Fake" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Together in Electric Dreams" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "So Sorry" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Non-album singles |
| "Stream of Consciousness" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely |
| "Annabel's House" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely |
| "Don't Hate Me" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely |
| "What Is It About Me" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely |
| "Money" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely |
| "Conceited" | 2023 | 94 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway |
| "Wish You Were Dead" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway |
| "Intrusive Thoughts" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway |
| "Big Brown Eyes" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway |
| "Fuck" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway |
| "Messy" | 2024 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 5 | BPI: Platinum ARIA: Platinum MC: Platinum RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: Gold | This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway |
| "Good Books" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway |
| "Flicker of Light" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | TBA |
| "Charlie" (featuring Lil Yachty) | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | TBA |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |||||||||||||

### Other charted songs

List of other charted songs, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name :
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
| Title | Year | UK | AUS | CAN | IRE | NZ | SWE Heat. | US | US R&B/HH | WW | Certifications | Album |
| "Like Him" (Tyler, the Creator featuring Lola Young) | 2024 | 33 | 55 | 43 | 28 | 28 | 16 | 29 | 6 | 37 | BPI: Silver MC: Platinum | Chromakopia |

## Tours

* US Tour (2023)
* EU Tour & London (2023)
* UK & EU Tour 2024 (2024)
* US & Canada Tour 2024 (2024)
* This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway Tour (2024–2025)

## Awards and nominations

| Organization | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| BBC | 2021 | Sound of 2022 | Herself | Fourth |
| Brit Awards | 2021 | Rising Star | Herself | Nominated |
| Brit Awards | 2025 | Best Pop Act | Herself | Nominated |
| Ticketmaster | 2022 | Breakthrough Artists for 2022 | Herself | Nominated |