Messy (Lola Young song)
| "Messy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Lola Young | ||||
| from the album This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway | ||||
| Released | 30 May 2024 | |||
| Genre | Soul-pop | |||
| Length | 4:44 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Lola Young singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Messy" on YouTube | ||||
"Messy" is a song by English singer Lola Young, released on 30 May 2024 as the sixth single from her second studio album This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway (2024). It went viral on the video-sharing app TikTok and became her first charting song.
Background
[edit]Lola Young stated in an interview with Metal Magazine:
"Messy" is an ADHD anthem, it really showcases everything I felt during my last relationship, but also it is deeper than that, as it talks about how I feel about myself in general — being too messy one day and too clean another, struggling to find that balance in myself.[1]
In an interview with Atwood Magazine, Lola Young said that "Messy" had her favorite lyrics in This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway and she considered them some of her best. She also described, "It's raw, honest, and encapsulates a lot of the themes of the album. It's about embracing imperfections and finding strength in who I am, scatty or not lol."[2]
Composition
[edit]"Messy" is a soul-pop song.[3] It finds Lola Young in an increasingly angry vocal tone, as she directs sharp criticism toward a lover for certain expectations imposed on her.[4]
Critical reception
[edit]Brian Denney of Atwood Magazine wrote, "'Messy' is a beautiful display of Young's gritty vocals and world-class lyrical storytelling. As a listener, it plays out as if you are watching the singer leave an angry voicemail to her lover, simply fed up with the irrationality of trying to please a partner who will never be satisfied."[4]
Promotion
[edit]On 28 November 2024 social media personalities Jake Shane and Sofia Richie posted a clip on TikTok of them dancing to the song, with moves including finger guns and a "half-shimmy". It led to the song gaining significant popularity, skyrocketing to 3.9 million official on-demand streams in the United States (according to Luminate)[3] and being used in over 250,000 videos on TikTok, including one by Kylie Jenner of her lip syncing to the song.[5]
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2024–2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[6][7] | 6 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] | 32 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[9] | 52 |
| Germany (GfK)[10] | 68 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[11] | 62 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[12] | 3 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[13] | 25 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] | 45 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] | 8 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[16] | 30 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] | 55 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] | 42 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[19] | 7 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[20] | 64 |
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[21] | 7 |
References
[edit]- ^ Miller, Eythana. "Lola Young - A Londoner and Her Lyrics". Metal Magazine. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ Mosk, Mitch (24 October 2024). ""Finding my voice has been a journey of resilience": Lola Young Is Raw, Honest, Unapologetic, & Messy – and We Wouldn't Have Her Any Other Way". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ a b Denis, Kyle; Lipshutz, Jason; Unterberger, Andrew (18 December 2024). "Lola Young Scores the Year's Last (?) Big Viral Hit". Billboard. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ a b Denney, Brian (21 June 2024). "Today's Song: Lola Young's Fresh New Single "Messy" Isn't for You. Perhaps That's What Makes It So Irresistible". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ Phillip, Riann (13 December 2024). ""It's A Big 'Messy' Moment, Innit?": Lola Young Spills On Her Viral Gen-Z Anthem, Staying Grounded & That Sofia Richie Grainge Dance". Vogue. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Christmas creeps into the top 20". Australian Recording Industry Association. 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Lola Young – Messy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of December 21, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Lola Young – Messy" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Global 200: Week of December 21, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "2024 51-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Lola Young – Messy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Singel 2024 uke 51". VG-lista. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 51, 2024". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Lola Young – Messy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100: Week of December 21, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: Week of December 21, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved 20 December 2024.