Personally, I’ve been a Lola Young fan since Messy became a viral sensation. I fell in love with the album This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway and started listening to her more and more.

I love how raw her music, lyrics and voice are. In my opinion, she’s the most honest singer-songwriter out there at the moment.

Listening to her songs makes you feel heard, even if you’re not going through even half the things she sings about.

She produces honest, heartfelt music and doesn’t shy away from expressing real emotions. Her experience is shared with the listener, with little to no steps in between.

When her new album came out in September of 2025, I immediately knew that her style hadn’t changed one bit. In fact, it had evolved into an even stronger version.

Her album is “straight from the horse’s mouth”. It’s unfiltered and it’s raw. And that makes it so much more enjoyable to listen to.

Lola doesn’t just wrap up some heartfelt lyrics into a shiny package of a catchy beat: everything about each song is part of the experience.

Starting with the interludes. The new album sports two interludes - small tracks at the start and end, performed as “spoken word”.

This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway had an Outro by Lola herself, which carried with it that same raw energy that can be found in her songs. However, the interludes in the new album are spoken by her friend Tina.

how long will it take to walk a mile?

how long will it take to walk a mile? is a thirty second recording of Tina’s voice saying how “grateful” she is for things like cows and clean sky. She ends the recording with asking how long it would take to walk a mile and proceeds to say she’ll do exactly that.

The recording isn’t clean: it’s messy, with sniffs in between. We can hear the air around the microphone, and the breathing of the speaker.

In fact, it just sounds like a voice message left for her friend Lola.

F**K EVERYONE

Then, the album starts off strong with the song F**K EVERYONE. The beat is cheerful and the lyrics are careless. It could not be more Lola.

The song is not as honest or as raw-sounding as some others, but if you listen closely to the lyrics it is most certainly Lola Young-esque. It has a catchy tune, but you can feel the pain through the happy beat.

This song is one of my personal favourites to “scream-sing” along to.

One Thing

One Thing is actually my least favourite song off the album. As a single, I loved it: it has a very unique feel to it. However, in my opinion it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the songs.

One could argue that a song could not be more like Lola Young. Yes, it has all the references and crude language that we got in This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway. But my perception of Lola Young and her music is different.

No hate to the song though. The tune is catchy, the lyrics are satisfying to sing along to. I just don’t think the vibe/aesthetic suits the rest.

d£aler

This is a transition song, for sure. It is at this moment that the mood changes. We continue to be in Lola Young’s world, seemingly experiencing her emotions simultaneously. However, in this song the vibe of the album becomes clear.

The melody of the lyrics in the verse is absolutely magical. It’s simple, but the slight crack in her voice and the transition to the chorus makes it unique.

The music is also simple, but creates a pulsing backdrop to the storytelling lyrics.

The theme is clearly Lola Young: drugs, being lost, love, laziness. All the things we loved in the first album.

SPIDERS

I have no words for this song. It is absolute perfection.

The energy is raw and gut-wrenching. All the same it is wonderful to sing along to. It’s real, it’s relatable.

The simple guitar riff and beating drums in the background create a strong foundation. But then, the vocals bring it to the next level.

This song embodies a feeling and that makes it all the more pleasant to listen to. It’s not like the usual pop songs: it feels slightly off.

And that’s what makes it perfect.

Lola also doesn’t shy away from creating “space” in the song. The “gaps” in which we only hear the instruments are long and drawn out.

Sometimes it doesn’t sound like singing, but rather as if she’s shouting.

That, the title and the meaning all work together to create what in my opinion is the best song off the album.

Penny Out of Nothing

If there’s music in heaven, this is on the playlist. The simple drum line with an occasional high note. The chorus constantly in the background and then an unexpectedly sweet sounding voice.

All she’s trying to say in this song is that she isn’t okay, even though one may think so.

However, the way she says this is amazing. Long, drawn out words in the verses and then a short and snappy chorus.

Also, it’s incredibly satisfying when song lyrics actually rhyme. They don’t always have to and are extremely annoying to make work. But in this song they just work: the rhyme is just enough.

And then: the bridge. The same thing over and over and over. Throughout the entire song, there’s this idea of a mantra: I’ll be okay, I’ll be okay, I’ll be okay.

Walk All Over You

Yes, we made it to the feminist song of the album. Pure power.

Dreamy, floaty chords start the song but then… Lola’s back! This song is the most like This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway. Honestly, it would fit perfectly in either album.

Yet again it’s that satisfying rhyming: amazing to sing along to with a fierce expression jabbing at the mirror. (Sorry, am I the only one?!)

Can we also take a moment right now to appreciate the aesthetic of this album: from the cover to the music videos it all works. That messy London-girl vibe, served with a little bit of “broken”.

Post Sex Clarity

Besides SPIDERS, this is my favourite song off the album. A moment of gratitude for the fact that it was released.

It’s honest, raw and unapologetic. And I’m not just talking about the lyrics: I mean the song as well. The layering, the overlaps and the recurring notes. The contrast in vocals. It just works.

Plus, the end is literally heavenly. It’s just an instrumental crescendo, or rather a cacophony.

Yes, I realise I’m not giving a very varied opinion on the album. But - I’m sorry - I just can’t find much negative to say.

This song tickles my brain in just the right way. :)

SAD SOB STORY! :)

I kind of see the next two songs as a unit. Maybe because they both have a smiley face. It’s almost as though they mirror each other.

SAD SOB STORY! :) is basically Lola saying that she genuinely doesn’t care anymore, whereas CAN WE IGNORE IT? :( is her trying very hard not to care.

SAD SOB STORY! :) probably has the best melody of all the songs. It’s a jingly, catchy tune and fits the vibe nicely.

My favourite part is when she doesn’t actually sing the lyrics but kind of goes “bhu ba bhu bla”. It makes me laugh every time: it’s just so real.

CAN WE IGNORE IT? :(

The next song of the “unit” is almost the opposite of the previous. Not only the meaning, but also the feeling behind the music.

For some reason, I prefer this one though. It suits the rest more.

SAD SOB STORY! :) is Lola when healed and then it’s almost like we go back in time to reach the broken CAN WE IGNORE IT? :(

This song also allows Lola to show off her vocal skills: it’s not easy to sing the choruses and it just highlights her abilities.

The synths are simple, but there are many different verses, pre-choruses, choruses that create a variation in melody.

At the end of the song, there’s a musical bridge similar to that of Post Sex Clarity.

why do i feel better when i hurt you?

We’ve gone from two songs in all caps, to one without a single capitalised letter. You can feel the vibe change immediately. We’re nearly at the end of the album, we know what’s going on, we’re sharing mood.

And now we’re hit with the ultimate song: simple guitar chords, snappy beats and gut-wrenching vocals.

The lyrics make sense within the context of all the songs that came before.

I don’t have much more to say about this song: it is a clarification in itself. I would like to take a moment to appreciate the pre-chorus: again that satisfying rhyming.

Not Like That Anymore

In contrast to the previous song, this song is kind of more like F**K EVERYONE and One Thing. I think it was a smart move to sneak this one in between why do i feel better when i hurt you? and who f**king cares? to create that mood swing feeling.

This song is thematically like the previous album, but also encompasses the vocal vibe of this album. It’s a great song to jump around to.

who f**king cares?

And after that little break we’re back to no-caps, heartbreaking music.

Worth noting is the fact that every curse word has been censored in the song and album titles. This wasn’t the case in the previous album, and it’s certainly not as though her songs are censored in any way. I don’t know if there’s any use in reading into this but I just noticed it.

Back to this song: makes it to my top three off the album, for sure. It could not be more simple but could also not be more Lola Young.

After this, there’s only an interlude - which is most certainly missable - but this is in theory the last song. And I love that fact. It has a bit of a hopeful glimmer hidden in the somewhat depressing lyrics.

It’s almost as though her perspective changes throughout the album.

ur an absolute c word (interlude)

We’re back at an interlude. The same friend, yet this time reciting poetry. It gives the impression of a typical “notes app” poem.

The interlude ends with her saying it’s not good and then Lola assuring her it’s great.

“Anyway that’s the end of the album, goodbye.”