Lola Young fires back at nepo baby accusations: ‘If someone’s got talent, then they’ve got talent’
The ‘Messy’ singer has addressed accusations that her chart-topping success is because of her connection to her author aunt.
Lola Young insists she is not a nepo baby or industry plant.
The South London-born singer-songwriter skyrocketed to fame last year with the viral hit single ‘Messy’ — securing the artist her first UK No. 1 — and she is clapping back at people who say her rapid success is because she’s a “nepo baby”.
Young’s aunt, Julia Donaldson, is the author of ‘The Gruffalo’, a children’s picture book published in 1999. The book has sold more than 13.5 million copies worldwide.
However, Young wants the world to know her aunt’s book has nothing to do with her singing success.
In an interview with Capital Buzz, the 24-year-old said: “People are saying I’m a nepo baby because my great aunt wrote ‘The Gruffalo’. I mean, what kind of rubbish is that? I have so much to say on that, which I can’t even talk about. But I’m not a nepo baby, I’m not an industry plant. There we go, I said it.”
The ‘Wish You Were Dead’ singer continued: “The thing is, industry plant is just a term for other artists and other people to use who just don’t know what they’re doing in life and feel upset that someone else is having their moment. And if you are an industry plant, you’re not going to have your moment for that long, unfortunately … If someone’s got talent, then they’ve got talent.”
‘Messy’ first came out in May 2024 on Young’s second album, ‘This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway’. It later went viral on TikTok and reached No. 1 on January 24.
Young also addressed comments about her success being linked to her being a former student of the illustrious BRIT School in Croydon, a prestigious performing arts school boasting famous alumni including Adele and Amy Winehouse.
She said: “I went to a really, like, rough school before that, and you have to audition to get in.”
Young continued: “I’ve cleared that up for all those losers that want to comment rubbish on the internet. Just find something better to do, you’re sad, you’re lonely.”
