Lola Young Stays Consistent on “I’m Only F*cking Myself”
Lola Young for her new record, I’m Only Fucking Myself
On her new record I’m Only Fucking Myself, Lola Young gets a bit more vulnerable about sex and drugs and insecurities, building on the themes within her body of work she’s been curating for her entire career. Her lyrics are raw and confessional, honest to the point of uncomfortability. Sonically, however, the record offers more of the same as her previous release, This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway; sexy RnB, grungie poppunk, and piano ballads with soaring vocals are staples of this record as well as the previous. It works for Young, her dynamic and raspy voice fit for Amy Winehouse-style jazzpop, but it leaves the record feeling, at times, like a deluxe version of her 2024 release rather than a brand new body of work.
Young speaks candidly about cocaine addiction (“I’m a dumb little addict so I’ve been tryna quit the snowflake” she sings on lead single “Not Like That Anymore”) and doesn’t try to polish it up with any wise musings or claims of a rebirth, but rather with self-deprecating humor and unflinching honesty. She’s not apologizing nor justifying herself or her behaviors, but rather just laying them bare for the world- and herself - to examine. She also revisits themes that keep cropping up in her work; toxic exes and her inability to walk away, wanting to hide from the world at large, and generally feeling like a fuck-up. All valid album fodder, but it is starting to get a bit redundant.
Young continues to make some interesting creative decisions when it comes to album structure. The album opens with an “interlude” which is just a voice memo that is assumingly from a friend of Young’s discussing her gratitude for her life and their friendship. The interlude is called “how long will it take to walk a mile?” a question the caller poses at the end of her message. It’s odd, and I found myself wondering about this particular choice, especially since, structurally, an interlude does not come at the start of a body of work - so isn’t this an introduction? But the album also closes with an “interlude,” another voice memo from the same person as the first, this time musing poetically on human behavior and feelings and…death? It’s all very curious and perhaps I’m more hung up on this than I should be but what can I say? Both tracks feel so erroneous it does take away from the project as a whole, not unlike the rambling outro on This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway. At least she’s consistent.
Speaking of consistency, each track on I’m Only Fucking Myself can easily be matched with a twin counterpart on This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, which adds to the redundant feeling of the record. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t good stuff here. Lead single “One Thing” is still as catchy as ever, a decent contender for song of the summer in an otherwise all-over-the-place season for pop music. “Spiders” is genuinely devastating, and Young’s vocals take listeners to church. “why do i feel better when i hurt you?” is a dreamy jazz jam. It’s not necessarily a weak record, but it’s all pretty familiar.
Lola Young has proven herself as a promising voice in pop. Her vocal talents are undeniable and she has officially cemented her own brand of confessionalism and this record is more solid proof of such. Now, it’s time for her to elevate those talents to the next level. Hopefully the next record is a larger departure.
