Inside Lola Young's TikTok-fuelled rise to fame as her hit song dominates charts - but did her nepo-baby status give her a leg-up?

She's dominating the UK's music charts thanks to her popular track Messy - and yet, most households probably still don't recognise Lola Young's name. But that all looks set to change for the 24-year-old after she impressed viewers on both sides of the pond with performances on American late-night talk show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and the BBC's The Graham Norton Show. The South-London born songstress - who suffers with a rare schizoaffective disorder - also made history after becoming the youngest British female artist to score a solo number-one single since Dua Lipa in 2017.

Her new-found global success can be credited to her track Messy - which she's said is an 'ADHD anthem' and an ode to 'narcissistic men', with lyrics such as 'I'm too perfect 'til I open my big mouth' and 'I want to be me, is that not allowed?'. The song went viral on TikTok after enchanting millions with it's relatable verses - and even A-listers such as Kylie Jenner and Sofia Richie Grainge posted clips of themselves singing and dancing along to the catchy number.

It's now reached number one in the charts for the second week in a row, which is no doubt quite the unexpected accomplishment for the singer considering the song's album, This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway, was initially released in May last year. Despite her recent triumph, some fans have branded the singer a 'nepo baby' after discovering her aunt is none other than Julia Donaldson, the renowned author behind the beloved children's book The Gruffalo and many other best-selling titles.

However, the BRIT school alumni, who is easily recognised by her facial jewellery, voluptuous eyelashes and curl-kinked mullet, has insisted the relatability of her listener's 'not feeling [like they're] enough', is the reason for the song's success. She's dominating the UK's music charts thanks to her popular track Messy - and yet, most households probably still don't recognise Lola Young's name (pictured with her Official Number 1 Single Award).

However, fame wasn't instant for the star, who recently earned the title of the first current British artist to have a UK number one since Chase and Status and Stormzy in August, the youngest since Dave in 2022 and then Dua Lipa in 2017. Her musical instincts kicked in from an early age, with the hitmaker saying she has been 'singing since I could talk'. She begun writing songs at just 11 years old before going on to win a national open mic competition aged just 13.

But she is humble about her talents and previously said her achievements were all down to 'hard work' and that being 'born with the voice' was 'not the case at all'. Previously describing her musical influences, Lola said she was raised on a diet of Joni Mitchell and Prince and feels inspired by artists who she considers poets first. Lola's childhood was filled with musical opportunity. As a child, she appeared alongside her mother, Imogen Moore De Pulido who works in HR and project management - in CBBC's Got What It Takes? - a musical bootcamp set to test a group of talented performers and their mothers.

In the show, young hopefuls took on a series of challenges for the ultimate prize of performing at that year's BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend. Meanwhile, she also appeared on a television show that gave young teens a sense of what life working in the music industry was like. Her musical instincts kicked in from an early age, with the hitmaker saying she has been 'singing since I could talk'. As a child, she appeared alongside her mother, Imogen Moore De Pulido who works in HR and project management - in CBBC's Got What It Takes? - a musical bootcamp set to test a group of talented performers and their mothers (Lola pictured as a teenager with her mother, Imogen Moore De Pulid, left).

Lola's (pictured) new-found global success can be credited to her track Messy - which she's said is an 'ADHD anthem' and an ode to 'narcissistic men', with lyrics such as 'I'm too perfect 'til I open my big mouth' and 'I want to be me, is that not allowed?'. Amid spiralling success, the young artist (pictured in January 2025 in Australia) made musical history after becoming the youngest British female artist to score a solo number-one single since Dua Lipa in 2017.

But the singer has never shied away from crediting her 'artistic family', who, she told The Telegraph, were 'really helpful' in building her career. She eventually went on to hone her craft at the prestigious Brit School in Croydon, which is known for producing stars like Adele and Amy Winehouse. Her manager Nick Shymansky vowed to never manage an artist again following the tragic death of the beloved Back to Black hitmaker - but quickly changed his tune when he met Lola.