Lola Young‘s had a record deal since 2019, but it’s only in the past few months that she’s broken through with her relatable single, “Messy,” which topped the chart in her native U.K. She says her next album, due out this year, will take her to next level.
Speaking to Rolling Stone for its Future of Music series of interviews, Lola says, “The new album is going to be a lot more about my personal struggle and less so about love. There’s some real bangers on there. I can’t say too much, but I can say that this feels like a step up.”
Lola’s personal struggles include schizoaffective disorder, with which she was diagnosed at age 17. She’s been open about it, and tells Rolling Stone that that’s “very important” because, “It’s given the leeway for other people to be open about it and the drive for other people to reach out and say how much it has helped them.”
“I think that’s the whole purpose of why I make music, is to make people feel like they belong somewhere,” she says. “That’s what I want people to feel. I understand them, and millions of other people do, too.”
Nick Shymansky, who discovered and managed Amy Winehouse, came out of retirement to manage Lola. He tells MusicWeek, “I’ve always been drawn to people that are funny, talented and kind, and she’s got that. She is writing about her life … Lola doesn’t find it natural to always be perfect and she managed to write a song about the fact that she has this battle. It’s very in keeping with who she is.”
“We’ve genuinely got the most amazing record, better than the last one,” he says of Lola’s upcoming release.
Lola will make her Coachella debut next month.
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