Lola Young is having her moment — and she's determined to define it herself. The 25-year-old British singer is the cover star of British Vogue's November 2026 issue, and in a remarkably candid interview she opens up about burnout, addiction recovery, online scrutiny, and the famous friendship that helped carry her through.
Young's rise has been meteoric and bruising in equal measure. In September last year she began to feel "severely burned out," she tells British Vogue, having been to rehab twice in 12 months while writing her third album, I'm Only F**king Myself, in the midst of her struggles. "A lot of things were going on for me personally. I was working but I also was self-sabotaging and that is not a good combination," she says. She also confronts criticism aimed at her team head-on: "I'm in control; my team work for me and that's the truth."
One of the interview's warmest threads is her bond with Elton John, which began after she performed at his Oscars party. The two are now regular FaceTime companions. "It's 10 minutes of him saying he loves me and me saying I love him," Young says. Asked whether Elton bought her a protective evil eye charm, she raises a piercing-studded eyebrow: "He bought me a diamond ring." She also shares an emotional story about meeting her childhood idol Avril Lavigne — "I have her number. And she said she'd cook me a beef Wellington."
Young also addresses the scrutiny of women's bodies online and her feelings about returning to the festival where she collapsed last year. As British Vogue puts it, her rise has seen her redefine fame on her own terms — clear-eyed, full of joy, and still, thankfully, a little bit messy. With a new album on the way, the mess is becoming the message.
Photo: Raph_PH / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)