Interview: Lola Young Is Raw, Honest, Unapologetic, & Messy – and We Wouldn't Have Her Any Other Way

Unapologetic in every sense of the word, South London’s Lola Young has emerged as a musical maverick with her unfiltered, ambitious, and triumphant sophomore album ‘This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway,’ asserting herself through soulful, sweaty songs that blend raw vulnerability with youthful vigor, charisma, and undeniable charm.

Stream: ‘This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway’ – Lola Young

Finding my voice has been a journey of resilience. There have been times when I’ve felt silenced or overlooked, but music has always been my way of expressing my power and reclaiming it to a certain degree.

Bold, brash, and forever true to herself, Lola Young is a musical maverick.

Unapologetic in every sense of the word, the 23-year-old singer/songwriter from Croydon, South London, has been spilling her guts in song for five years now. She made a splash with 2023’s major label debut album My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely, yet it’s with this year’s sophomore record – the critically acclaimed This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway, released June 21^st via A Day One / Island Records – that she has transcended the local scene to become somewhat of a beloved cult figure in the alternative and pop worlds.

The attitude Young displays in songs like “Messy,” “Conceited,” “Wish You Were Dead,” and “F***” is infectious and undeniable; she holds nothing back in asserting her unfiltered, charismatic self, blending raw vulnerability with youthful vigor and charm through songs that fuse her emotionally charged, soul-soaked voice with indie rock and alternative pop instruments.

This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway - Lola Young — This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway – Lola Young

You know I’m impatient
So why would you leave me
waiting outside the station
When it was like minus four degrees?
And I, I get what you’re sayin’
I just really don’t wanna hear it right now
Can you shut up for like once in your life?
Listen to me, I took your nice words of advice
About how you think I’m gonna die
lucky if I turn thirty-three
Ok, so yeah, I smoke like a chimney
I’m not skinny
and I pull a Britney every other week
But cut me some slack,
who do you want me to be?

– “Messy,” Lola Young

“This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway captures where I am now,” Young tells Atwood Magazine. “It’s more confident, more honest, and slightly more unapologetic, although I have always been unapologetic in my writing. However, this album feels like I’ve embraced my vulnerabilities even more so; I’ve really explored some deeper parts of myself, and I think you can massively hear that in the music.”

Young wrote and recorded This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway with American singer/songwriter and record producer Jared Solomon, who goes by Solomonophonic (credits include Remi Wolf, BROCKHAMPTON, Dominic Fike). She describes it as a contemporary break-up album, encapsulating “the sound of what it means to be young and in constant romantic chaos.”

“Honestly, the songs just poured out of me,” she explains. “I didn’t plan on releasing another album so soon, but once I started writing, it felt like they needed to be out there. There were things I wanted to say, and when I met Jared, something just clicked and it felt right to start writing again. I wanted to capture this moment in my life while it was still fresh.”

“This album is a collection of experiences and emotions from a period of an intense romantic journey,” she continues. “It’s about the highs and lows, the moments of clarity and confusion. It’s my way of navigating through the chaos of young love and finding some sort of meaning in it all… and I’m still trying to find out if there is any!”

And I’m sick of your puppy eyes
You said boys should never cry
Well, surprise, I bet no one’s ever told you

You bought me some flowers,
I gave them to someone else
Told me that you loved me,
you’re just talking to yourself
I don’t wanna know,
I don’t wanna hear it
Let yourself out,
you’re so conceited

– “Conceited,” Lola Young

As spellbinding and seductive in sound as it is fearless in size and scope, This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway is a cinematic, multi-faceted fever dream from one of the music world’s fastest-rising artists-to-watch.

An ambitious and triumphant record (she herself describes it as ‘”raw, honest, and unapologetic”), Lola Young’s sophomore album emphatically establishes her as a singular and unique voice in the modern zeitgeist.

Atwood Magazine recently caught up with the singer/songwriter for a candid, in-depth conversation about finding her voice and making her second LP. Dive into This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway below as Lola Young digs into her songs, her inspirations, and what she hopes audiences gain from her music.

“I hope listeners take away a sense of empowerment,” she smiles. “This album is about finding strength in vulnerability and embracing who you are, flaws and all. For me, creating this album has been a journey of self-discovery and healing, and I hope it connects with others in a similar way.”

“For me, it’s a daily struggle, but I’ve learned that the most important thing is to stay true to who I am, even if it is super ‘messy’!”

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:: stream/purchase This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway here ::

:: connect with Lola Young here ::

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Watch: “Messy” – Lola Young

A CONVERSATION WITH LOLA YOUNG

Atwood Magazine: Lola, congratulations on This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway’s release! How does it feel to have this album out in the world?

Lola Young: Thank you so much! It feels incredibly freeing to have this album out there. It’s like a weight off my shoulders, but in the best way possible. I put so much of myself into these songs, and now they’re not just mine anymore; they belong to everyone who listens – which is such a weird, but beautiful feeling.

It's been just over a year since the release of your debut album, My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely. How has that record, and its songs, grown on you over the past year? What is your relationship with it like now, compared to when it first came out?

Lola Young: Over the past year, My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely has become like an old friend to me. When it first came out, it was all so new and raw, but now, I’ve had time to reflect and grow with it. I see the journey I was on, and I appreciate it even more for what it was – it a snapshot of my mind at that time.. it feels odd knowing that it’s a year old now, it feels like yesterday I made it, and was in the studio pouring my heart out haha!

That's such an amazing feeling to have! Similarly, how do you feel you’ve grown between these two releases? How does This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway capture your artistry as it is today?

Lola Young: I’ve grown so much in the past year, both as an artist and as a person. This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway captures where I am now. It’s more confident, more honest, and slightly more unapologetic (although I have always been unapologetic in my writing). However, this album feels like I’ve embraced my vulnerabilities even more so; I’ve really explored some deeper parts of myself, and I think you can massively hear that in the music.

You've described This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway as “a contemporary break-up album,” and that it “encapsulates the sound of what it means to be young and in constant romantic chaos.” Can you share more about the story behind this record?

Lola Young: This album is a collection of experiences and emotions from a period of an intense romantic journey. It’s about the highs and lows, the moments of clarity and confusion. It’s my way of navigating through the chaos of young love and finding some sort of meaning in it all… and I’m still trying to find out if there is any!

Likewise, what was your vision going into this record? Did you intend to put out another album just a year after your first, or did all these songs sort of pour out, and need a home?

Lola Young: Honestly, the songs just poured out of me. I didn’t plan on releasing another album so soon, but once I started writing, it felt like they needed to be out there. There were things I wanted to say, and when I met Jared (Solomonophonic), something just clicked and it felt right to start writing again. I wanted to capture this moment in my life while it was still fresh.

You open the album in a moment of raw reckoning with “Good Books,” an emotionally charged upheaval that aches relentlessly. “You make it hard to see beneath the rubble, but I shovel that shit to the left, say you're not that kind of guy. I work hard to stay in your good books, but you don't read, so why do I try?” Why open the album with this song? How does it set the scene, for you, of all that’s to come?

Lola Young: “Good Books” felt like the perfect opener because it sets the tone for the whole album. It’s raw, honest, and straight to the point. It’s about the struggle to be seen and understood in a relationship that’s falling apart, which is a recurring theme throughout the record.

“I want to be me, is that not allowed?” you sing in “Messy.” This line really struck me; I feel like part of this record revolves around that universal push-and-pull between wanting to change ourselves for others, and staying true to ourselves. How has that manifested for you, and how do you deal with it?

Lola Young: That line is definitely an important one on the album. It’s about the constant battle between trying to fit into someone else’s expectations and just being true to myself… For me, it’s a daily struggle, but I’ve learned that the most important thing is to stay true to who I am, even if it is super ‘messy’!

Similarly, another big theme that comes out is self-empowerment. Can you talk about your own journey, and what it’s been like for you to find your voice when others try to silence it, or drown you out?

Lola Young: Finding my voice has been a journey of resilience. There have been times when I’ve felt silenced or overlooked, but music has always been my way of expressing my power and reclaiming it to a certain degree. Writing and performing give me the confidence to speak my truth and be heard.

Naming a song “F***” is, quite frankly, pretty badass. Can you tell me more about that song in particular? Why name it that, too?

Lola Young: The title captures the raw energy – it’s about those moments when you’re just fed up and need to let it all out. It feels real so that’s why I chose that title, although my label didn’t love it! [laughs]

“This album is me discovering and trying to understand through my one and only true love, that is music. That I can too be my one and only true love. That I can learn to heal alone. That I can dance in the mirror and feel seen without being watched by someone.” The “Outro” is such a very intimate way to end the album, and while it’s totally unique, it also reminds me of how easy life ended their first album, with a similarly spoken-word poem. What inspired you to do this, and how does “Outro” help you find closure, if at all?

Lola Young: The “Outro” is my way of wrapping up the journey of the album..It’s a moment of reflection and acceptance. I wanted to end on a note of trying to find self love, and that I will find it one day.. even if it takes me a while.

I’ve shared a few of my favorite lines from the album; as a lyrically forward songwriter yourself, do you have any favorite lyrics in these songs?

Lola Young: My favourite is “Messy” in terms of the lyrics. Those lyrics are, in my opinion, some of my best.

Similarly, do you have any definitive favorites or personal highlights off this record?

Lola Young: It’s hard to pick a favourite, but I’d say “Good Books” and maybe “You Noticed” at the moment, but that changes weekly.

If someone is discovering you for the first time right now, here today, which song off This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway would you want them to play, to understand who you are and what Lola Young is all about?

Lola Young: I’d say “Messy” is a great introduction. It’s raw, honest, and encapsulates a lot of the themes of the album. It’s about embracing imperfections and finding strength in who I am, scatty or not lol.

I sincerely believe that this album is such a deep insight into who you are, as a person and as an artist, and it’s so fun getting to know you on that deeper level through these songs; that said, who else is Lola Young outside the music? What do you want people to know about you, that they might not get just from this album alone?

Lola Young: Outside of music, I’m just a normal person who loves to read weird poetry, cook (sometimes), party and spend time with my friends and family. I’m passionate about mental health advocacy and self-care. I want people to know that while my music is a huge part of who I am, there’s so much more to me beyond that… but the most important thing that people take from me, listening to my music, is that all of the other stuff shouldn’t matter.

I'm so excited to catch you in concert later this year; what can fans expect from you on tour?

Lola Young: You can expect a lot of energy and emotion. Performing live is one of my favorite parts of what I get to do, and I always give it my all. There will be intimate moments and fun ones… it’s a ride for sure.

Which song or songs are you most excited to translate from the studio into the live context?

Lola Young: I’m really excited to perform “Good Books” and “Messy” live, both of these are songs I haven’t performed too much yet, I want to hear the crowd sing along and dance and just feel free too.

What do you hope listeners take away from This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway? What have you taken away from creating it and now putting it out?

Lola Young: I hope listeners take away a sense of empowerment. This album is about finding strength in vulnerability and embracing who you are, flaws and all. For me, creating this album has been a journey of self-discovery and healing, and I hope it connects with others in a similar way.

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