Lola Young left her mark with the viral hit “Messy” — and she’s just getting started.
The British musician made an impression on two major players in the music world — Nick Shymansky, who managed the late Amy Winehouse, and Nick Huggett, who signed Adele — early on in her career. She released her debut single, “6 Feet Under,” in 2019 and continued to use the internet to her advantage before dropping her first album, My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely, in 2023.
Young’s second album, This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway, came the following year and featured the now-platinum single “Messy.” The song took off on TikTok in 2024, thanks in part to Sofia Richie Grainge‘s dance moves, and Young quickly shot to the top of the charts.
Following her viral success, Young broke down the meaning behind “Messy” during a 2025 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
“[It’s] a song that seems to resonate because people can relate — not every day [you have the] clean girl aesthetic,” she explained. “Some days you haven’t washed your socks. Do you know what I mean? You don’t need to wash your socks every day. It’s ridiculous.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Young before her third album, I’m Only F**king Myself, drops this month:
She’s Related to an Author
Young’s great-aunt is Julia Donaldson, who wrote the popular children’s book The Gruffalo. In early 2025, Young clapped back at claims her relationship to Donaldson got her further in the entertainment industry.
“People are saying I’m a nepo baby because my great aunt wrote The Gruffalo. I mean, what kind of rubbish is that?” Young said in an interview with Capital Buzz. “I have so much to say on that which I can’t even talk about. But I’m not a nepo baby, I’m not an industry plant, there we go I said it. I’ve cleared that up for all those losers that want to comment rubbish on the internet. Just find something better to do, you’re sad, you’re lonely.”
She Won a Singing Competition as a Teen
Young’s songwriting journey began as early as age 11. She attended the BRIT School, a performing arts school in the U.K. At 15, Young won the Open Mic UK singing competition for an original track titled “Never Enough.” Young graduated from the BRIT School in 2018.
She’s Candid About Her Mental Health
In 2022, Young opened up about being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a mental health condition marked by symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorders including depression or bipolar disorder.
“I cant find the words to describe how much this diagnosis has affected my entire life, and my outlook on the world around me. I have struggled immensely learning to accept this part of myself, and I am still learning,” she wrote via Instagram at the time after detailing her experience in an interview with The Telegraph. “I have to remind myelf that I am a regular f***ing person, I am human and I am, like everyone, capable of incredible things, my mental health condition does not define me. It is my superpower.”
She ended her lengthy caption with an encouraging message to fans, writing, “Anyway you are never alone. You are never unworthy of love and support. Mental health is f***ing real and it f***ing matters more than anything. You never know what happens in someones mind, dont label them, dont presume, be kind and try to understand.”
She’s Discussed Her Sexuality
In a 2025 TikTok video shared by Notion, Young revealed that Avril Lavigne was her celebrity crush when she was younger. She later made a more direct reference to her sexuality while replying to a fan who commented on a social media video that “no man deserves” to be with Young.
“I like p***y as well u kno,” the singer quipped.
She Opened for Billie Eilish
After joining Imagine Dragons on their 2022 Mercury World Tour and Melanie Martinez on her 2024 Trilogy Tour, Young was one of many artists to be featured on Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour in 2025.
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