By Lewis Hannah
We know the popular music artist loves the spotlight, but maybe this is only when things are going well? What happens when the spotlight is shining on an artist during a moment of vulnerability or embarrassment too hard to deal with?
Well, you could ask Lola Young that. The Croydon-born popstar suffered a horrible collapse on stage at the All Things Go music festival in New York in September 2025, as a result of a severe cocaine addiction that was beginning to threaten her life and health, and the sudden rising pressure that came from rapid shot up to superstardom.
Cancelled gigs
This naturally resulted in a string of cancelled gigs as Lola Young sought out professional help. It garnered her a lot of, if we’re being honest, unwarranted hate, since, in her words, “Going away was a decision that I had to make…what else was i going to do? Die? That was the reality of where my addiction was heading.”
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Lola Young would’ve taken at minimum a year off of touring and performing. She clearly needed every bit of help she could get. Her return, though, came a lot quicker than many expected.
Lola Young’s return to the stage
In March, after a brief intimate show at the London Palladium in early March, Lola Young announced a small headline tour of shows across the UK, starting in June. As an artist with a devoted and massive following, Lola Young’s fans were eager to show up in their numbers to support her.
Spirit and quality
I saw Lola Young perform at the Apollo in Manchester on her second night, after making her full return the night before. To say that this was an artist who suffered through many ordeals, the performance that night resonated to me as one of two things. It could either be seen as a performance of spirit, of rising from the ashes of which Lola Young found herself in. Or it might be regarded as a performance of sheer embellished quality, as if she never left. Perhaps it was a combination of both of these things.
Backed by very vocal sold-out support, the kind that made me wake up the next day with hearing issues after listening to the entire venue belt out the chorus to ‘One Thing’, Lola Young’s second night at the Apollo wasn’t just a terrific performance, but also an important lesson of realising the strength we have as people, and willing that power into our own hands. This was best shown in the “Manchester mantra” that Lola read out, which she intends to change up for every different show.
Beyond the powerful speeches and exuberant support, the actual set and show was stellar from top to bottom. Lola Young’s confident vocals shone with buoyancy and backbone, seen in songs like ‘Big Brown Eyes’, the iconic pop hit of ‘Messy’ and the very underrated ‘Post Sex Clarity’.
If there was ever a sign of what this gig meant, at the end of the show, I spotted two friends hug each other for a solid ten seconds straight. It was heartwarming and touching, and a reminder of what we as people can achieve, and hopefully for Lola Young, a strong reminder of what she means to so many.
Interview with music journalists Abbie Moore and Anayo Eltringham Onuora on Lola Young’s return, and the powerful message sent to her fans.
