The past year has been a remarkable one for British music: Olivia Dean, RAYE, Central Cee, Yungblud, Sleep Token and more have dominated charts worldwide and proved that this tiny island can still produce stars and compelling, unique music.
The biggest personality in this cast of characters, however, was Lola Young. Her unfiltered personality drew comparisons to Amy Winehouse and Adele and her vocal chops were displayed on “Messy,” a U.K. No. 1 single and global smash. An alumni of the BRIT School, a non-fee-paying state school that has produced a number of the aforementioned stars, Young was everything you could want from a pop star: brash, contradictory and immensely talented.
In September, Young collapsed onstage at the All Things Go Festival in New York in a deeply troubling incident. “I’m going away for a while,” she wrote in a statement, adding that she was taking time to “work on myself and come back stronger.” All live dates were canceled, including a homecoming run in the U.K.
She’s been true to her word. In February, she beat Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan to the best pop solo performance prize at the 2026 Grammys (and gave a suitably sweary speech). On Saturday, she took home breakthrough artist at the BRIT Awards and said during her acceptance speech “music was a safe haven” and a place to “escape for so many, including myself.”
On Wednesday she fulfilled the final part of her comeback by returning to the stage at London’s Palladium. Billed as a one-night-only event, it saw Young return to the stage in stunning fashion and come back as an even stronger live performer. These were the best moments from the show.
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Back where she belongs
Set in the heart of London’s Soho district, the Palladium has seen a number of greats pass through over the decades: The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland, to name but a few. This historic 2,200-seater venue requires a certain level of clout and personality, and Young has both in spades. At the show’s start, she strutted back onstage for her first full live performance in months, blew a kiss to the crowd, and tiptoed to the piano for a hushed solo version of “Bad Game (3AM)” punctuated only by the occasional supportive yelps from audience members. It was absolutely stunning. How’s that for a comeback?
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Raw vocals and talent
When she collected the Grammy for best pop solo performance earlier this year, she was flabbergasted: “I don’t know what to say,” she said before dropping an F-bomb (because, well, it’s Lola after all). But for those who’ve followed Young’s career since her first release in 2019, the strength of her performances and vocals has never been in question. She sounded superb in tonight’s show, particularly in the first five songs, which were performed just with the piano or with a solo guitarist. “Spiders,” perhaps the finest song in her own catalog, sounded particularly stunning in this sparse arrangement, as did “Why Do I Feel Better When I Hurt You?”
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A bouncing balcony
By the show’s sixth song, a five-piece band joined Young onstage to help build a fuller sound. “Penny Out of Nothing” from her third LP I’m Only F***ing Myself brought the audience up and out of their seats and “Conceited,” a fantastic, grooving song from her second This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway had the upstairs balcony wobbling from the synchronised two-stepping.
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A shout-out to James Blake
Midway through the set, Young thanked both the crowd and specifically someone who “has come into her life quite recently” and was sat in the stalls: James Blake. She pointed him out and made him wave to the crowd and in doing so, perhaps hinted at a potential collaborator for future new material. Blake’s production discography has seen him work largely in the electronic and hip-hop space, but he’s also had success with Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus in the pop world. Hopefully we can add Young to that list.
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You can call me…
The strength in Young’s lyrics lie in the knotty contradictions of Gen Z life and, predominately, love. “Big Brown Eyes” is a shining example where she sings of an ex she doesn’t need (“I could have anybody else”) but is drawn to regardless (“You can call me b-tch if you say it with your big brown eyes”). In lesser hands, these lines could miss the mark, but she lives them and sells them with conviction.
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Wanna bet?
Upon its release in May 2025, Elton John made a bold gamble: If Young’s “D£aler” didn’t make it to No. 1, he’d give her the keys to his house. The song ended up peaking at No. 27 in the U.K., a great disservice to a catchy pop song that deserved better; “One Thing,” too, stalled at No. 18 despite its slinking bass line and sharp chorus. In a live setting, these songs sound fresh and renewed – don’t be surprised if these turn into sleeper hits in 2026. The Rocket Man is rarely wrong.
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The song that “changed my life”
Young is so much more than “Messy,” but that doesn’t mean we should take the song away from her: It is a bona fide smash, and one of post-pandemic pop’s finest songs. It is complicated, accomplished and brilliant. It’s so ubiquitous amongst her fans, Young shouts mid-verse that she doesn’t need to sing it because the crowd is doing her job for her. Before the final song, Young called it the “song that changed my life,” and judging by the response from the crowd, the message of self-acceptance changed many of their lives too.
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The full setlist
“Bad Game (3AM)”
“Spiders”
“Walk All Over You”
“Why Do I Feel Better When I Hurt You?”
“Sad Sob Story”
“Wish You Were Dead”
“Penny Out Of Nothing”
“Conceited”
“Big Brown Eyes”
“Post Sex Clarity”
“Dealer”
“One Thing”
“You Noticed”
“Not Like That Anymore”
“Messy”
