Messy (song)

This article is about the Lola Young song. For other songs, see Messy.

"Messy"
Single by Lola Young
from the album This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway
Released	30 May 2024 (2024-05-30)
Genre	Soul-pop
Length	4:44 3:15 (radio edit)
Label	Island
Songwriter(s)	Lola Young Conor Dickinson
Producer(s)	Solomonophonic Manuka Monsune Carter Lang
Lola Young singles chronology
"Fuck" (2024) "Messy" (2024) "Flicker of Light" (2024)
Music video
"Messy" on YouTube

"Messy" is a song by British singer Lola Young, released on 30 May 2024 as the sixth single from her second studio album This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway (2024). It went viral on the video sharing app TikTok and became her first charting song, peaking at the top of the UK Singles Chart. Outside the United Kingdom, the song reached number one in Australia, Belgium (Flanders), Croatia, Ireland, and Israel. It also peaked within the top ten in several other countries, including Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. It peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Background

Young stated in an interview with Metal Magazine:

"Messy" is an ADHD anthem, it really showcases everything I felt during my last relationship, but also it is deeper than that, as it talks about how I feel about myself in general—being too messy one day and too clean another, struggling to find that balance in myself. ^[1]

In an interview with Atwood Magazine, Young said that "Messy" had her favorite lyrics in This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway and she considered them some of her best. She also described, "It's raw, honest, and encapsulates a lot of the themes of the album. It's about embracing imperfections and finding strength in who I am, scatty or not lol." ^[2]

Composition

"Messy" is a soul-pop song. ^[3] It finds Young in an increasingly angry vocal tone, as she directs sharp criticism toward a lover for certain expectations imposed on her. ^[4] In a Variety interview, Young stated she took the demo to 64Sound in Los Angeles where she described the analog studio "like a studio in the '70s". She described the influences in the song as “It feels a bit rocky, there’s a ’90s hip-hop influence, folk music inspired the lyricism and there’s some pop too.” ^[5]

Critical reception

Brian Denney of Atwood Magazine wrote, "'Messy' is a beautiful display of Young's gritty vocals and world-class lyrical storytelling. As a listener, it plays out as if you are watching the singer leave an angry voicemail to her lover, simply fed up with the irrationality of trying to please a partner who will never be satisfied." ^[4]

Promotion

On 28 November 2024, social media personalities Jake Shane and Sofia Richie posted a clip on TikTok of them dancing to the song, with moves including finger guns and a "half-shimmy". It led to the song gaining significant popularity, achieving 3.9 million official on-demand streams in the United States, ^[3] and being used in over 250,000 videos on TikTok, including one by Kylie Jenner of her lip syncing to the song. ^[6]

Young has performed the song live on The Graham Norton Show , ^[7] The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , ^[8] Like a Version , ^[9] and Elvis Duran and the Morning Show . ^[10]

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Messy" Chart (2024–2025) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [11] 1 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [12] 7 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [13] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [14] 2 Brazil (Brasil Hot 100) [15] 97 Bulgaria International (PROPHON) [16] 8 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [17] 7 CIS Airplay (TopHit) [18] 39 Croatia International Airplay (Top lista) [19] 1 Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100) [20] 33 Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [21] 20 Denmark (Tracklisten) [22] 8 Estonia Airplay (TopHit) [23] 3 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [24] 32 France (SNEP) [25] 6 Germany (GfK) [26] 7 Global 200 ( Billboard ) [27] 5 Greece International (IFPI) [28] 7 Hungary (Single Top 40) [29] 36 Iceland (Tónlistinn) [30] 3 Ireland (IRMA) [31] 1 Israel Airplay (Media Forest) [32] 1 Italy (FIMI) [33] 32 Italy Airplay (EarOne) [34] 1 Japan Hot Overseas ( Billboard Japan ) [35] 18 Latvia (LaIPA) [36] 5 Latvia Airplay (LaIPA) [36] 1 Lebanon Airplay (Lebanese Top 20) [37] 2 Lithuania (AGATA) [38] 5 Luxembourg ( Billboard ) [39] 4 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [40] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [41] 4 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [42] 4 Nigeria (TurnTable Top 100) [43] 28 Norway (VG-lista) [44] 4 Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100) [45] 4 Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) [46] 8 Portugal (AFP) [47] 18 Romania (Romanian Radio Airplay) [48] 2 San Marino (SMRRTV Top 50) [49] 1 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100) [50] 20 Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [51] 26 Spain (PROMUSICAE) [52] 55 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [53] 8 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [54] 5 Thailand (IFPI) [55] 15 Turkey International Airplay (Radiomonitor Türkiye) [56] 8 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) [18] 200 UK Singles (OCC) [57] 1 US Billboard Hot 100 [58] 14 US Adult Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [59] 10 US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [60] 2 US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [61] 13 US Rock Airplay ( Billboard ) [62] 2

Monthly charts Monthly chart performance for "Messy" Chart (2025) Position CIS Airplay (TopHit) [63] 45 Estonia Airplay (TopHit) [64] 4 Lithuania Airplay (TopHit) [65] 6 Romania Airplay (TopHit) [66] 59

Certifications

Certifications for "Messy"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [67]	Platinum	70,000‡
Belgium (BEA) [68]	Gold	20,000‡
Canada (Music Canada) [69]	Platinum	80,000‡
France (SNEP) [70]	Gold	100,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [71]	Gold	15,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway) [72]	Gold	30,000‡
Portugal (AFP) [73]	Gold	5,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [74]	Gold	30,000‡
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [75]	Gold	15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [76]	Platinum	600,000‡
United States (RIAA) [77]	Gold	500,000‡
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece) [78]	Gold	1,000,000†
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Miller, Eythana. "Lola Young – A Londoner and Her Lyrics". Metal Magazine. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
2. Mosk, Mitch (24 October 2024). ""Finding my voice has been a journey of resilience": Lola Young Is Raw, Honest, Unapologetic, & Messy – and We Wouldn't Have Her Any Other Way". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
3. Denis, Kyle; Lipshutz, Jason; Unterberger, Andrew (18 December 2024). "Lola Young Scores the Year's Last (?) Big Viral Hit". Billboard . Retrieved 20 December 2024.
4. Denney, Brian (21 June 2024). "Today's Song: Lola Young's Fresh New Single "Messy" Isn't for You. Perhaps That's What Makes It So Irresistible". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
5. https://variety.com/2025/music/news/lola-young-messy-went-breakup-demo-unexpected-hit-1236279582/
6. Phillip, Riann (13 December 2024). ""It's A Big 'Messy' Moment, Innit?": Lola Young Spills On Her Viral Gen-Z Anthem, Staying Grounded & That Sofia Richie Grainge Dance". Vogue . Retrieved 20 December 2024.
7. "Lola Young - Messy (Live On The Graham Norton Show)". YouTube. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
8. "Lola Young: Messy | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". YouTube. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
9. "Lola Young – 'Messy' (live for Like A Version)". YouTube. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
10. "Lola Young: "Messy" | Elvis Duran Live". YouTube. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
11. "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
12. "Lola Young – Messy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
13. "Lola Young – Messy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
14. "Lola Young – Messy" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
15. "Billboard Brasil Hot 100: 3 February 2025". Billboard Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 7 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
16. "PROPHON – Charts". PROPHON. Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
17. "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of March 8, 2025". Billboard . Retrieved 4 March 2025.
18. Lola Young — Messy. TopHit. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
19. "Airplay Radio Chart Top100 – 03. veljače 2025" (in Croatian). HRT. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
20. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 9. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
21. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 9. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
22. "Track Top-40 Uge 2, 2025". Hitlisten . Retrieved 22 January 2025.
23. "Top Radio Hits Estonia Weekly Chart: Feb 20, 2025". TopHit . Retrieved 21 February 2025.
24. "Lola Young: Messy" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
25. "Top Singles (Week 8, 2025)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
26. "Lola Young – Messy" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
27. "Billboard Global 200: Week of January 18, 2025". Billboard . Retrieved 14 January 2025.
28. "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 02/2025" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
29. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
30. "Tónlistinn – Lög: Streymi, spilun og sala viku 8. Birt 22. febrúar 2025 – Næst uppfært 1. mars 2025" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
31. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
32. "Media Forest charts". Media Forest. Archived from the original on 29 January 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
33. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 6" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 8 February 2025.
34. "Messy - Lola Young". EarOne. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
35. "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of March 5, 2025". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 March 2025.
36. "Latvijas mūzikas topa 2025. gada piektajā nedēļā dominē divi izteikti līderi" [Two clear leaders dominate the fifth week of the Latvian Music Chart 2025] (in Latvian). TV Net  [ lv ]. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
37. "OLT20 – Combined Chart – Week of Sunday February 4th, 2025". The Official Lebanese Top 20 . Retrieved 8 February 2025.
38. "2025 3-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 17 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
39. "Luxembourg Songs: Week of March 8, 2025". Billboard . Retrieved 4 March 2025.
40. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 7, 2025" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
41. "Lola Young – Messy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
42. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
43. "TurnTable Nigeria Top 100: January 31st, 2025 - February 6th, 2025". TurnTable . Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
44. "Singel 2025 uke 05". VG-lista . Retrieved 1 February 2025.
45. "OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay" (Select week 15.02.2025–21.02.2025.) (in Polish). OLiS . Retrieved 24 February 2025.
46. "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 24.01.2025–30.01.2025.) (in Polish). OLiS . Retrieved 6 February 2025.
47. "Top 200 Singles: Semana 01 de 2025" (pdf) (in Portuguese). Audiogest.pt. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
48. "Media Forest – Weekly Charts. Media Forest. Retrieved 5 March 2025. Note: Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.
49. "Top 50 – Radio San Marino RTV – 25/02/2025" (in Italian). San Marino RTV. 25 February 2025. Archived from the original on 25 February 2025. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
50. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 9. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
51. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 9. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
52. "Top 100 Canciones/PROMUSICAE". El Portal de Musica. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
53. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 2, 2025". Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved 11 January 2025.
54. "Lola Young – Messy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
55. "The Official Southeast Asia Charts – This Week's Official Thailand Chart Top 20 from 10/01/2025 to 17/01/2025". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 23 January 2025.
56. @RadiomonitorTR (7 March 2025). "Radiomonitor Türkiye Uluslararası Listesi 10. Hafta Top10" [Radiomonitor Turkey International Chart Week 10 Top10] (Tweet) (in Turkish). Retrieved 8 March 2025– via Twitter.
57. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
58. "Billboard Hot 100: Week of February 8, 2025". Billboard . Retrieved 4 February 2025.
59. "Adult Pop Airplay: Week of March 8, 2025". Billboard . Retrieved 4 March 2025.
60. "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: Week of February 8, 2025". Billboard . Retrieved 4 February 2025.
61. "Pop Airplay: Week of March 8, 2025". Billboard . Retrieved 4 March 2025.
62. "Rock Airplay: Week of March 1, 2025". Billboard . Retrieved 25 February 2025.
63. "Top Radio Hits Global Monthly Chart: February 2025". TopHit . Retrieved 7 March 2025.
64. "Top Radio Hits Estonia Monthly Chart: February 2025". TopHit . Retrieved 7 March 2025.
65. "Top Radio Hits Lithuania Monthly Chart: January 2025". TopHit . Retrieved 8 February 2025.
66. "Top Radio Hits Romania Monthly Chart: February 2025". TopHit . Retrieved 8 March 2025.
67. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2025 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 7 February 2025.
68. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2025". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
69. "Canadian single certifications – Lola Young – Messy". Music Canada . Retrieved 8 March 2025.
70. "French single certifications – Lola Young – Messy" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved 11 February 2025.
71. "New Zealand single certifications – Lola Young – Messy". Radioscope. Retrieved 1 March 2025.Type Messy in the "Search:" field.
72. "Norwegian single certifications – Lola Young – Messy" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
73. "Portuguese single certifications – Lola Young – Messy" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa . Retrieved 11 February 2025.
74. "Spanish single certifications – Lola Young – Messy". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved 3 March 2025.
75. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Messy')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
76. "British single certifications – Lola Young – Messy". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 28 February 2025.
77. "American single certifications – Lola Young – Messy". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 15 January 2025.
78. "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Εβδομάδα: 07/2025" (in Greek). IFPI Greece . Retrieved 19 February 2025.