This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway

South London songwriter Lola Young’s 2024 album <i>This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway</i> has a misleading title. The genre-bending rising star crafts soaring choruses that unite people speaking different languages, and blends styles from disparate genres. Lola Young is for the people—unless you’re her ex. <i>That’s</i> who this album wasn’t made for. Take “Messy”, one of the project’s early singles. The bassline and drum groove interlock to create a solid backbeat while Young dips into a half-rapped flow and shuts down excuses from a former lover. She spits, “I get what you're saying/I just really don't want to hear it right now/Can you shut up for like once in your life?/Listen to me.” It’s a song that’s emblematic of the album’s approach to hypocrisy. Throughout <i>This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway</i>, Lola Young comes correct at anyone trying to do her dirty, giving it right back without a second of hesitation.