At London’s Scala, anticipation swelled as the crowd awaited Lola Young, an artist whose authenticity and vibrant music promised an unforgettable night. The crowd continued to fill up Kings Cross venue until 30 minutes before the show when the support act, the band Bug Eyed, took the stage. The night was sold out, the pit full of people in their late teens, some of them blowing flavourful vape smoke into the air without getting caught – cheeky, mischievous behaviour is what the night’s headliner Lola Young represents after all. Bug Eyed successfully captured everyone’s attention with poppy tunes and catchy melodies, causing people to absentmindedly swing along, followed by the lead singer’s sweet disposition as he excitedly confessed to fan-boying over Young as well.
Lola Young made her entrance fashionably late, greeted by the chorus of fans already immersed in the lyrics of ‘Conceited,’ which played as her instrumental backdrop. “Sorry, I was busy rubbing that lotion…glitter… What is it called? Body Glitter! I was rubbing that all over my legs for you, London!”, she spoke honestly to the audience upon arrival, her fans laughing and nodding approvingly – just girly things. ‘Wish You Were Dead’ was the first song Young performed, her big, raspy voice filling the small venue within seconds. “I know you know I like to waffle, but tonight I have to keep it professional,”, she joked in between songs, before she introduced the song ‘What Is It About Me’ as a “belter about love” as “love is what makes the world go around and crumble, right?” – right. The crowd went quiet and her voice crawled directly underneath everyone’s skin as she emotionally delivered, “What is it about me that makes you question your life and lets you make me question mine?”.
Young took a few deep breaths before addressing the audience again, noticing how even her sense of fashion seemed to have an impact on her audience: “It’s crazy, you look like an extension of all my friends!”. She continued to excitedly announce that her debut album was finally coming and surprised the crowd with a few brand-new unreleased songs.
Young also took the time to shed light on the importance of mental health, her own diagnosis with schizoaffective disorder and how it impacts her life, and explained how she wanted to make sure that everyone in the room knew that, “We love you, we got you, and you’re not alone”. Young then closed the show with her hit songs ‘Don’t Hate Me’ and ‘Conceited’ which made the floor vibrate with people jumping up and down, and disappeared stage diving into the crowd right after. However, fans demanded one last song and Young climbed back up on stage without hesitation, performing ‘3rd of Jan’ with just her acoustic guitar.
While this might mark only the beginning of Lola Young’s journey, her exceptional vocal talent, true-to-life performances, and genuine connection with her audience herald a bright future. Young is not just a performer but an experience, promising to lead her much further in her burgeoning career.
Written by Vicky Madzak
GEM Magazine 