Rising pop star Lola Young packs Nashville’s Exit/In

As a dedicated music fan, I firmly believe that the UK is home to some of the greatest music in the world. Year after year, I discover bands and artists that seem to be pushing boundaries in ways that set them apart globally. New acts like Palace, The Mysterines, Idles, Fontaines DC, and Soft Play are redefining the landscape of sound. While the United States certainly boasts an abundance of exceptional talent, I believe the most innovative musicians continue to emerge from the UK.

Lola Young, a rising pop star, is no exception.

With Nashville’s constant flow of concerts and events, I had concerns about Lola’s show. I hadn’t encountered many people in Nashville who knew her and she was competing with a massive stadium performance by Charli XCX that same Tuesday night. There is always something I love about hanging onto an unknown artist for as long as possible, but when they tour the world, you hope people in your hometown come out to support them. My worries quickly disappeared when I arrived at Exit/In and found the venue packed from front to back. The show ultimately sold out, a significant achievement for any artist performing on a Tuesday night in Nashville.

The evening opened with Claire Maisto — a local artist. Typically performing with a full band, Claire was limited to running tracks on her laptop for this show. Her smooth R&B pop sound complemented the vibe of the night perfectly. She performed for maybe 30 minutes and the crowd seemed to enjoy her music. Having heard her name mentioned around town, I’ll definitely make an effort to catch one of her full-band performances in the future.

Lola Young is what I would call a ‘poet-musician’.

While her instrumentals are undeniably catchy, it’s her lyrics that resonate deeply with her audience. Songs like “Conceited”, “Messy”, and “What Is It About Me?” are so well-written that several audience members were openly crying while singing along. The central theme of her songs seems to revolve around the complexities of toxic love cycles. Many people in the audience compared her to the late Amy Winehouse in that her voice is sultry and smooth, but Lola’s sound is definitely more modern. One of the standout moments of her set was when she performed her song “Messy” acoustically, only to follow it with a full-band rendition immediately afterward. In all my years of attending live shows, I had never seen this done and it worked flawlessly.

Lola Young’s performance was one of the best I’ve seen all year and I have no doubt that this is just the beginning for this immensely talented pop star.

Photography by Derek Jones

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