Lola Young Manchester review: ‘Impossible not to find joy”
Inside Manchester’s intimate yet historic O2 Apollo, there was a notable level of appreciation between Lola Young and the sold-out 3,500-strong audience alike, who continually showered the artist with applause and serenaded her with chants of "Lola, Lola, Lola” as the artist marvelled at the display and allowed everything to sink in. It was an evening that nobody will be forgetting in a hurry.
Remarkably, the performance at the O2 Apollo, which marked the start of a six-date tour that culminates with back-to-back nights at London’s Brixton Academy, was just Young’s 2nd headlining show in the United Kingdom since her brief hiatus in the autumn that saw the artist subsequently cancel her remaining tour dates in 2025. For the 25-year-old, who claimed a Grammy Award for the Best Pop Solo Performance for 'Messy' and the award for Best Breakthrough Artist at the Brits earlier this year, the time away from the spotlight has proved beneficial.
In Manchester, Young was reenergised and rejuvenated as she opened the performance with ‘Sad Sob Story’, backed by the tight musicianship of her five-piece backing band. Behind the refreshing candour and vulnerability of her lyrics, there’s a richness to Young’s vocals, something that was particularly notable on ‘Dealer’ as she transitioned seamlessly between soft, breathy deliveries and belting out her soul. The powerhouse performance was certainly appreciated by the endearing Mancunian audience, who backed the singer vocally every step of the way.
Equally, Young was relishing the moment as much as the audience, dancing and thoroughly enjoying playing conductor on singalongs that were so loud the 25-year-old confessed she couldn’t hear herself at one point of the evening, but there was also the relatable and refreshing candour we’ve all come to love about Young. In the lead-up to the performance, she wrote a unique speech titled “The Manchester Mantra” to say at the Apollo, offering a reminder to herself of who she is and the resilience she has shown to rebound in the past few months. Young’s candour has been a big part of her ascent as an artist and will undoubtedly continue to provide the fuel for the remainder of her career.
‘Big Brown Eyes’ and ‘Conceited’ were met with raucous singalongs; the honest, pop-soul ‘Penny Out Of Nothing’ benefitted from a lively arrangement, with the keyboard part reminiscent of The Doors’ psychedelic soundscapes, and ‘One Thing’ was delivered with some perfectly tight drumming and a funky bass line. By the end of the rendition, it was clear that Young was where she’s meant to be; she’s in red-hot form, and she’s back where she belongs.
The raw ‘Why Do I Feel Better When I Hurt You’ was delivered with a powerful vocal delivery and an acoustic-driven sound. ‘Walk All Over You’ was performed with a lively arrangement and was met with a rousing singalong, so much so that Young joked, “My face is going to be stuck in a smiling position after this", and every single person in the 3,500-strong audience will have undoubtedly echoed that sentiment. ‘Spiders’ erupted midway through into a rock-y jam with distorted guitars and driving drumming, firmly capturing the song’s emotive energy of facing and conquering fears while simultaneously encapsulating the excitement and energy inside the O2 Apollo. It was impossible not to find joy in the performance.
"If you leave tonight with anything other than sweaty armpits," she joked with the charm and charisma we’ve all come to love, before expressing her gratitude for everyone in attendance, leading into a rendition of ‘Not Like That Anymore' – a reflective anthem that emphasises finding joy in subtle, present moments. As the evening wound down, Young closed out the show with her most recent single – 'From Down Here' – and a euphoric rendition of ‘Messy’, which culminated with Young declaring that "this has been indescribable, thank you,” with a smile on her face as she exited the stage. For everyone in attendance, watching Lola Young live is a perfect metaphor for finding joy in the present, and it was damn good to see her back in Manchester once more.