Lola Young has made a captivating debut performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Check out her rendition of ‘Messy’ below.
READ MORE: Lola Young: the distinctly south London star breaking America
The rising alt-pop singer from south London made her debut on the chat show on Tuesday (January 21), and gave her first in-studio late-night TV performance following a remote appearance on Corden back in 2021.
Before the live performance of her viral track ‘Messy’, Young sat down with the host for a brief interview. Here, she recalled the differences between a headline show and a festival appearance, as well as her love for SZA and Frank Ocean.
Saying what fans can expect at one of her gigs, she explained: “A Lola Young show is fun, it’s edgy, it’s raw. It’s a bit slap-and-dash, it’s not always tip-top.
“Sometimes my voice goes and all sorts, and sometimes I’m too tired to even be doing it! But every show is wonderful and a different experience. [It’s] electric and I love performing.”
The rendition of ‘Messy’ comes as the breakup son went viral over recent months, and has since climbed to Number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. It featured on her 2024 debut album ‘This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway’.
Tune in below:
Elsewhere in the interview segment, Young recalled how she managed to lock in a feature on Tyler, The Creator’s huge ‘Chromakopia’ album last year – starring on the ‘Like Him’ track.
Describing the rapper as a “magic human being”, Young told Fallon about the unconventional way that he reached out to her before suggesting the collaboration. “He messaged me with a photo,” she began. “It was a sticker of Busta Rhymes with no context. That’s what he does every time he speaks to me…
“I don’t know if he does it to anyone else,” she joked. “It’s odd, he’s an odd guy.”
Last summer, Young’s aforementioned debut album was given a glowing five-star review from NME, and described as “the most distinctive and daring realisation of her experimental tendencies yet”.
“Young’s first full-length album moves with an auteur-like touch to its production; opulent soul set pieces stand tall next to raw, scratchy indie tunes, all of which see the south Londoner face desire in its many complications. It’s a collection that feels equally empowered and tormented,” it read.
“Though Young’s specific type of yearning and bluntness may be indebted to SZA, she possesses the genuine star power to further develop an already strong artistic identity. This is a record that always remains sure of itself, even in its deepest, darkest moments.”
Lola Young ‘This Wasn’t Mean For You Anyway’ album artwork. Credit: Press
Around the same time, Young spoke to NME as part of The Cover, and shed light on the diaristic approach she has to songwriting. “I think any artist where [they’re] not honest [in their lyrics], you see straight through,” she said.
“I’ve learned that songs are perfect for you when you’ve written them, and then they’re gonna connect with people, but, for you, it changes. The album is gritty, real and raw. It’s honest and that’s what I want to be and what I am at the moment.”
To celebrate her time as Cover star, Young also put together a playlist titled ‘Songs For When I Want To Feel Sexy’, which featured tracks from Doja Cat, Gwen Stefani, Willow, Amaarae and more. Check it out here.
The post Watch Lola Young’s captivating performance of viral hit ‘Messy’ on ‘Fallon’ appeared first on NME.
