Feed The Needle Vol. 1
Lola Young – This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway
Welcome to Feed The Needle, a weekly deep dive into the albums that move us—sometimes sideways, sometimes forward, always somewhere real. This series is for the lovers of liner notes, the playlist architects, the midnight listeners, and anyone who still believes in the power of a full album. Each post is a tribute—to the artist, to the craft, and to the chaos that makes music matter. Let’s dig in.
Some albums polish their sound until there’s no trace of fingerprints. Lola Young did the opposite—she pressed her whole soul into this one and left the smudges in plain sight. This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway is a wild, bleeding, brutally self-aware debut that feels like it was scribbled in lipstick on a mirror, then turned into a record.
At just 22, Lola doesn’t sound like she’s finding her voice—she sounds like she’s sharpening it. The South London singer-songwriter doesn’t hide behind metaphors or manicured beats. She sings from the raw wound, over a backdrop of gritty guitars, piano ballads, and genre-defiant swells. And while comparisons to Amy Winehouse or Arlo Parks might surface, Lola isn’t following footsteps—she’s carving out cracks in the sidewalk and calling them her own.
This album is about chaos. But not the kind that makes headlines. It’s about the quiet chaos that lives in our relationships, our heads, our patterns. It’s not meant to comfort you. It’s not here to be liked. It’s here to be felt.
🔥 Track-by-Track Reflections
1. Conceited
The album opens like a bar fight with a diary entry. Lola’s vocals snarl over distortion and lo-fi grit, unloading a fierce monologue of self-realization post-breakup. It's not about bitterness—it’s about refusing to shrink. "Conceited" isn’t just a mood; it's a line in the sand.
2. Don’t Hate Me
Underneath its sharp title is a plea wrapped in vulnerability. The chorus pulses with guilt and longing, like the last argument before someone walks out. The beat shuffles like a heartbeat skipping from anxiety. This one lingers.
3. Wish You Were Dead
Shock title? Yes. But Lola plays it with restraint. Rather than rage, she offers something more dangerous: numbness. Her delivery is deadpan, almost resigned. It’s the sound of letting go through gritted teeth.
4. Messy
There are no metaphors here. Just a mirror held to emotional wreckage. Her voice cracks in all the right places, while the production dances like cluttered thoughts and frayed edges. You feel like you’re inside her head—and maybe your own too.
5. Big Brown Eyes (Version 1)
Stripped back and intimate, this version is the emotional belly of the album. She’s not just singing about someone—she’s haunted by them. It’s the kind of track that plays in the background when you’re staring at the ceiling at 2am.
6. Big Brown Eyes (Version 2)
Same lyrics, different weather. This rendition storms where the first one sighed. With fuller instrumentation and more intensity, it's like watching a memory replay itself but with different lighting. Both versions belong here. Both hurt.
7. Annabel
A haunting closer that refuses to resolve. The melody floats like a ghost, and the lyrics feel like a final voicemail you listen to on repeat. "Annabel" doesn’t wrap things up—it lets them unravel slowly.
✍️ Favorite Lyric
“I’m not who I thought I’d be by now, but I still dance in empty rooms.”
If you’ve ever lost yourself, rebuilt yourself, or stood somewhere in between, this lyric lands like a hug from someone who knows.
🎧 If You’re Into This, Feed the Needle With:
-
Cleo Sol – Mother
-
Joy Crookes – Skin
-
Arlo Parks – My Soft Machine
-
Amy Winehouse – Frank
-
Olivia Dean – Messy
Lola Young didn’t just make an album—she made an emotional map for those of us still figuring out how to navigate heartbreak, self-doubt, and messy growth. This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway isn’t for everyone. But if you’ve ever felt too much, too fast, or too often, it might be exactly what you need.
Lola, if you’re reading this—thank you for telling the truth. We needed it.
#PLYVNYL #VNYLIST MUSICMATTERS #MUSICDISCOVERY
