While Lola Young’s previous album, “This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway,” encompassed the tailend of a tumultuous relationship, her latest album, “I’m Only F**king Myself,” incredibly lays out the aftermath. The album, released on Sept. 19, describes in great detail Young’s sexcapades, her struggles and reflections on her last relationship in 46 minutes. Its 14 songs display her phenomenal lyricism and musical range as semblances of shoegaze, funk and rock music.
This album kicks off with “how long will it take to walk a mile (interlude).” It is a message of gratitude towards life from an unnamed loved one addressed to Young.
“F**K EVERYONE” takes on a vastly different theme with lines like “I’ve been smoking on your father, giving him head / He’s been blowing up my phone, but I blow him instead.” It has a fast-paced, funky bass, and the instrumentation swells as the song climbs to its chorus, encapsulating its intensity. “F**K EVERYONE” and the track that follows, “One Thing,” portray Young’s sex life. The instrumental latter does so with breezy synths, giving the song a blissful aura.
The first single of the album, “d£aler,” gives the first glimpses of Young’s struggles with drug abuse and need to escape her environment. “SPIDERS,” the second single for the album, lays out her desperation for intimacy to validate her identity. It is a visceral track with shoegaze influences that heighten its potency.
The chorus of “Penny Out of Nothing” is downright divine. Young describes the lengths she would go to — the miracles she would perform — to deceive a man. Lyrics like “Create a penny outta nothing, take a bullet out a gun” and “Make an atheist forgive, get on his knees and pray to God” are examples of elite lyricism that have been absent in mainstream pop.
“Walk All Over You” sounds like Young’s side of an argument put into a pop song. She reads her ex to filth with wonderful vocals over an acoustic guitar and bubbly instrumentation.
The pitch and steady pace of “Post Sex Clarity” feel like a perfect fusion of pop, rock and country. Young is brutally honest about her push-pull situationship on this ballad with lines like “I still love you, and I don’t know why” and “When I finish, it’s not the end of you and I.”
The storytelling over the piano in “SAD SOB STORY! :)” makes for a splendid listen. Young vents about her last relationship and what it taught her, but the way she transforms what could have been a diary entry into a poem is a clear indication of her prowess as a songwriter.
Listening to “CAN WE IGNORE IT? :(” feels like being a fly on the wall watching Young’s relationship fall apart. It is picturesque but bitterly tragic with how relatable it is. Her pleas for an escape, coupled with almost overwhelming instrumentals, are powerful and gut-wrenching.
“why do i feel better when i hurt you?” is the all-encompassing exhaustion that follows a fight. This song is slow and somber but beautiful nonetheless. Its placement is the perfect comedown after hearing “CAN WE IGNORE IT? :(.”
The album picks up the pace while descending into darker themes in “Not Like That Anymore:” Its upbeat sound is made ironic as the lyrics depict Young hitting rock bottom, stating “I guess life sucks d—k, but especially, if you sniff it all away,” along with “And so I’m fucking myself, but not like that anymore.”
“who f**king cares?” is an absolute gem for long-term fans as this stripped-down track is reminiscent of Young’s 2021 EP “After Midnight.” Her voice is raspier now, and her intonation and cadence allow her personality to shine through the lyrics more than ever before.
A freestyle poem in “ur an absolute c word (interlude)” wraps things up. It is the same speaker as before; Young gives them high praise for the poem and abruptly announces the album’s end.
“I’m Only F**king Myself” highlights how much Young has grown as an artist and as an individual. Before this album, a lot of her hit songs centered on breakups. Rather than play it safe by making more of the same music, she pivots to tell her own story while exploring different genres. Each song and album Young puts out cements her status as an impeccable pop star climbing to the top of the industry.
