Lola Young – ‘I’m Only Fucking Myself’ album review: Good enough, you know
Before sitting down to write this review, I saw a video of Lola Young, pop’s newest obsession, complaining to a crowd about the critical reception of her new album, I’m Only Fucking Myself, the very album I’m about to judge.
The world of pop fascinates me in many ways. I’m taken by the way certain new artists are plucked out of the ether and the way one single can change everything, like the uber-hit ‘Messy’ did for Young. I’m fascinated by the dichotomy pop demands, balancing depth and ease, serious skill and silliness. I’m fascinated by the baffling reaction so many so-called music lovers have towards the genre, quick to write the whole thing off as placid, stupid and worthless, claiming that pop music isn’t real music. I’m also fascinated by the behaviour of pop stars, the way they present themselves and the places their identity goes when, more so than any other genre, pop seems to demand that an artist becomes a character, and then the way they break that character in moments of sadness at the way it’s received.
On I’m Only Fucking Myself, Young both does that and doesn’t. There are moments where she’s very much the popstar, like on ‘One Thing’ where somewhat lacklustre verses roll into a completely foolproof, endlessly hooking chorus of sexual liberation with the beat breaking apart for the singer to declare, “Break your bed and then the sofa / I wanna pull you closer / Everybody wants to know ya / But me, I only want one thing”. It’s the type of song you can hear once and then sing along forever, and songs like that fascinate me.
Elsewhere, she frees herself from that. ‘Spiders’ is genuinely gut-wrenching, and suddenly her voice sounds different; softer, more interesting and embedded within an instrumental that’s both simple and gritty, straddling both high production and raw sounds.
There are moments of interest in her lyricism throughout: another element of pop that keeps me hooked is when the genre’s stars shake off any semblance of cliché to make the world’s most specific and personal lines feel utterly universal. ‘Sad Sob Story’ does that, but in terms of vocal performance, it’s a weaker moment. Weaker still is ‘Who F__ing Cares’, where Young smacks you round the face with her British accent that surely must be ramped up because who actually sings like that.
It’s a waning moment because it feels a crafted juncture where the character of Lola Young comes in, gobby, bratty, unfuckwithable. A rough-around-the-edges pop star from London, complete with rebellious piercings, wow! That’ll hide the British school diploma! At certain points, you can sense the marketing meetings, felt even in the tone of the guitar in some places, as if everything needs an added crunch to match her tough girl vibe.
Maybe I’m over-analysing this; what is the point of pop music if not light entertainment? You get that here, you get good songs that you can learn quick and sing in the shower, relating to every tone of heartache, anger, confidence boosting and sharp insecurity to be found here. In contrast to her debut, which housed ‘Messy’ and felt more like a loose gathering of songs around a hit, I’m Only Fucking Myself does feel like a genuine album with a through path and a sonic uniformity, so it’s understandable why Young is bummed out about people not honouring that, or not seeing the vision.
But really, there is no grand vision. These are good songs by a good artist with a good voice, not revelations and not tracks that will pioneer pop into new ground as she takes her clues from the likes of Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. “And I’m fucking myself, but not like that,” she repeats on ‘Not Like That Anymore’, worthy of a chuckle, sure to get a big sin- along at the gig, but that’s about it, which sums it all up.
The most confusing track – ‘Ur an absolute c word’: I love poetry, but I’m confused what it’s doing here? It’s a moving piece and beautifully written, but it feels like another example of no one being quite sure what to do with Lola Young or what kind of energy her work should have, whether she’s going for a whole chatty, casual energy or depth. Swaying between the two only makes both sides feel wobbly, even when stuff on both ends of the spectrum is good.
For fans of: Having the perfect song to sing, whether you care about your ex, don’t care about your ex or want to pretend you don’t care about your ex.
A concluding comment from Lola Young’s record label team: “Haha, love the swearing, Lola, so fresh, so rebellious!”
Release date: September 19th, 2025 | Producer: Solomonophonic and Manuka | Label: Island Records
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