Lola Young is a fascinating artist that has released lots of new material recently that I have had the pleasure of reviewing. She is interesting in her influences, as they help her create a completely unique and fresh sound that is a refreshing change to some of her contemporaries. ‘Don’t Hate Me’ is her latest release and it is gathering pace as a commercial success. 

Don't Hate Me is lyrically quite a charged song, with elements of bitterness that spill out in the words. These words are pointed towards an ex partner, but fuel emotion that does transfer to the whole mix of the music. 

From the first few bars of this song, if I’m honest I wasn’t sure I was going to get on with it. Lola Young uses a unique hybrid of spoken/rap/sung approach to the delivery which I wasn’t used to. The muffled bass and heavy snare were also uncomfortably sat in the mix in the initial stages of the song. However, as the song progresses and Lola Young starts to sing more, we hear a real grit to her vocal that is becoming rare in new releases. The passion she is able to deliver in her singing is quite remarkable and by the end of the song my mind was well and truly changed and I loved the balance and buildup that layered throughout the arrangement.

Author: Phil Arnold

Phil Arnold is a musician, producer and music reviewer from Devon, in the South West of England. Whilst not writing music reviews, Phil also writes and records under the name of Ugbrooke.