Lola Young is the New Grammy Best Artist Nominee You Need to Hear

Grammy season is about to get a little messier, and honestly, that feels like the best kind of news.

Lola Young, the English singer who gained fame with her viral hit “Messy,” is making her way back into the spotlight. The 25-year-old will perform publicly for the first time in four months on Jan. 29 at Spotify’s Best New Artist party, which honors nominees in one of the Grammys’ biggest categories. She’s also scheduled to join other contenders during Sunday night’s award show broadcast, marking a major comeback after a tough period away from the stage.

Born on January 4, 2001, in South London, Young grew up surrounded by creativity and care. Her mother worked for a mental health charity, while her stepfather played bass. She began performing at open mic nights when she was just 14. In January 2016, she won the under-16 category of Open Mic UK. A showcase gig at a London pub soon led her to meet manager Nick Shymansky, who also managed Amy Winehouse early in her career and later produced the documentary about her.

Young released her debut single ‘6 Feet Under’ in October 2019, followed by her Intro EP the next month. She gained wider recognition after landing a spot in John Lewis’ iconic holiday campaign and later appeared on the BBC Sound of 2022 list alongside artists like Tems, Wet Leg, and Mimi Webb. Momentum continued to grow. This led to her releasing two full-length albums: 2023’s ‘My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely’ and 2024’s ‘This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway,’ which featured ‘Messy’.

“It’s funny, because you get to a moment where you go, ‘Oh, (expletive), like I’m kind of experiencing what I’ve been longing to experience for a while and it hits you in the face,” Young told the New York Times in August. “And then what?”

 

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By the time ‘Messy’ was released as a single, fans had already connected deeply with Young’s honest and vulnerable songwriting. What made it even more popular was a viral TikTok moment, with celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Reese Witherspoon, and Hailey Bieber dancing along to its imperfect energy. Sofia Richie Grainge also joined in, adding to the track’s runaway success. “My relationship was ending, and it was closure for me,” Young told Variety last January. “Then I started to think about my relationship with myself.”

According to Variety, Young later realized many of the lyrics were actually criticisms she was directing inward, and she chose to own them. The song has now surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. Just before taking a break, Young released her third album, ‘I’m Only F**king Myself’. She openly discusses topics like addiction and recovery in songs like ‘Dealer’ and ‘Not Like That Anymore,’ while exploring intimacy and connection in tracks like ‘Post Sex Clarity’ and ‘One Thing’.

Now a nominee for both best new artist and best pop solo performance, Young continues to draw comparisons to Winehouse, especially for her raw vocals and emotional honesty. Winning a Grammy would only elevate her profile. It would also give her another platform to share a message she has already embraced: accept yourself, even when things get messy!

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