I’m Only F**king Myself

Following up a global hit like “Messy” is an intimidating job. But Lola Young was never in any doubt about her next move. The South London singer-songwriter took the authenticity she’d shared in the anthem to being your imperfect self and doubled down on it.

<i>I’m Only F**king Myself</i> finds Young teetering on the brink of superstardom, with her turbulent past still looming large in her memory. Breakups, hookups, and leaving her vices behind are all covered in a raw, straight-talking but playful style that suggests she’s learned her resilience and grit the hard way. “It digs a bit deeper for me, for sure,” Young tells Apple Music. “There are a lot of different genres and influences on there, but I would say it was a reflection of where I was at in my life. It’s very of its time as well.”

The album comes little more than a year after 2024’s <i>This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway</i>, but Young felt a sense of urgency. “I was in a weird place mentally, but felt confident, so I needed to get something out,” she says. “It’s bit of a curveball, but there are definitely some hidden gems in there. And there are some songs that people will love if they love ‘Messy.’”

Young worked with her long-term collaborators Manuka (Conor Dickinson and Will Brown), who co-wrote “Messy,” and Grammy-winning producer Solomonophonic (SZA, Doja Cat), so there was already a level of trust there. “I’ve been working with them since the very beginning of my career, so I can pass ideas off of them, going back and forth,” she says. “They’re incredible collaborators and people to be around, so they help with energy as well. I get so comfortable, I don’t need to say what I’m feeling.”

<i>I’m Only F**king Myself</i> comes with a manifesto that’s as bold and complex as Young herself. “I hope it makes people feel less alone. I hope it makes people feel empowered and free,” she says. “Find a piece of themselves that they can cherish. Love themselves or hate themselves, whatever they want to feel while they’re listening to it. And have a good cry at certain points too.” Read on as Young takes you through the album, track by track.

<b>“F**K EVERYONE”</b>
“This captures a moment. I wanted to embody something confident, fun, and free for the first track. My producer Jared [Solomon, aka Solomonophonic] was playing the chords, which are kind of punky, early-2000s, but heavily alternative with distorted, crunchy guitars. Then he made a sample out of his voice and started going around with that grating sound that happens throughout the song. Jared is very much a sound person, and he’s incredible at making those little ear-candy moments in a song.”

<b>“One Thing”</b>
“‘One Thing’ is a liberating song about how women shouldn’t feel constricted by social or societal norms around how they should be having sex. It’s about wanting one thing from somebody and not being concerned about what they want, or how you should feel towards a one-night stand or someone in a relationship. When you don’t want to take it further and you don’t want to fall in love. I’m not an activist, but I’m aware that by showing my body and being confident in the way I look and the way I naturally am, I can hopefully bring out a lot of confidence in people.”

<b>“d£aler”</b>
“I do love ‘d£aler.’ I think it’s a hopeful song. A lot of the chords are very uplifting and so is the sentiment, even though there’s a sad undertone. That’s what makes ‘d£aler’ special. It’s not my favorite track on the album at the moment, but that can change day by day and I still love performing it. I love that it’s an uplifting song, but it’s got a sad message. It’s definitely one that goes a bit deeper for me.”

<b>“SPIDERS”</b>
“‘SPIDERS’ is one of my favorite tracks at the moment. I love everything about it. It’s very big and ‘feeling’ and it’s got that kind of ’90s indie influence. I love the line, ‘I’m not a woman if I don’t have you,’ which is about unity and co-existing. Making the video was a really nice experience, actually. I had to hold a tarantula, so I overcame a lot of my fears, which I guess is what this song’s about. It wasn’t easy, but that’s the whole point of it.”

<b>“Penny Out of Nothing”</b>
“I think ‘Penny…’ might surprise people. It’s a different vibe for me, for sure. The chords are kind of bossa nova, but a bit psychedelic. This track was recorded in Rue Boyer, a studio in Paris, but we moved around a bit for the rest of the album. Some of it was recorded in New York and some of it was on my own. The lyrics on this are freestyle, off the top of my head, saying how I felt. I usually work quite freely with that. Sometimes, if I’m writing on my own, it’s a different experience and I write almost subconsciously—getting the first thing that comes to mind down, and then I flesh it out or edit it.”

<b>“Walk All Over You”</b>
“After hearing ‘Penny…’ and going into that darkness, I wanted to bring it back into the light. When I’m writing the sadder songs, I’m often not thinking about an experience, but the feeling in general and how that can manifest itself in different ways in the music. This one’s more uplifting—I wrote it on my own in my bedroom, and I really like that idea of putting shoes on and then walking all over someone. It’s got character and it’s sassy.”

<b>“Post Sex Clarity”</b>
“This one is about a brief relationship I had with someone. It’s about that situation when you really felt you were interested and beyond in them, and you feel accepted, wanted, seen, and understood by them. Again, it’s one of my favorites. That line, ‘I still love you and I don’t know why,’ sums up that feeling. Obviously, on the flip of the word, it’s like having that intimate moment with someone and realizing that you still feel really amazingly about them, but you’re not together.”

<b>“SAD SOB STORY! :)”</b>
“The vocal on this is quite theatrical, which I love. It’s a storytelling song about a relationship that I had for a long time—and coming out of it and not wanting to hear that bullshit, not wanting to hear them trying to crawl back to you. As I get further away from these experiences, they do still hit me, but they also feel a bit distant because obviously I’m traveling so much. There’s that physical distance, and I’m looking at it from the situation I’m in now. The lyric ‘Life’s about learning’ is how sometimes it can show you things the hard way or in a really beautiful way. I’m definitely showcasing a different side of my experiences on this record.”

<b>“CAN WE IGNORE IT? :(”</b>
“This just flowed out. It’s about wanting to ignore my feelings and needing other people to do the same—and letting go and wanting to escape. I wanted it to feel very dark and raw, but also energetic and high-tempo. Usually, the first thing that comes out when I’m writing sticks, and the lyrics always flow out of me.”

<b>“why do i feel better when i hurt you?”</b>
“It’s a really soulful and powerful song about a toxic relationship and it’s one of my favorite vocals I’ve done. I wanted a sad, ballad moment on the album as a bit of variation. Putting the tracks in order came quite naturally. I did move them around and try different things, but this is the way that stuck and moved me the most.”

<b>“Not Like That Anymore”</b>
“This track is about me pulling myself out of a really self-destructive time. It’s hopeful because it’s about looking past that and finding new ways to feel happy. For me, that’s spending time with friends, music <i>always</i>, poetry, being present, and having small moments with people that I love. Instead of going to substances or something else that’s a quick dopamine release, it’s worth finding subtle moments. Of course, it becomes harder sometimes, but you can find a way of making it feel a little easier. It’s still a process and an ongoing journey for me.”

<b>“who f**king cares?”</b>
“This vocal started out as a voice memo on my phone and the way it was recorded is the way I released it. I didn’t want to change anything about it, so it went straight onto the album. It’s a very sad song, and I wrote it very quickly about where I was in my life and what I was feeling at that moment. There’s a glimmer of hope in there as well, which is a theme running throughout the album.”

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