Lola Young has addressed online criticism aimed at her management team after she suffered an onstage collapse last year.
The British pop star, 25, has been open about her struggles with substance abuse. While promoting her third album, I’m only F***ing Myself, she collapsed mid-set at All Things Go Festival in New York in September 2025, after which she announced that she would be temporarily stepping out of the spotlight.
After the incident, many of Young’s fans accused her team of not looking after her, some of whom directly targeted her manager, Nick Shymansky, who used to manage Amy Winehouse.
“A lot of things were going on for me personally,” Young told British Vogue in a new cover interview for its November 2026 issue. “I was working but I also was self-sabotaging and that is not a good combination. Recovery isn’t linear. It’s a non-stop journey.”
She continued: “I want to say this: there was a lot of hate [online] to people around me, my manager and other people that were in my team. I’m in control; my team work for me and that’s the truth.”
Following her collapse, Young, who shot to international fame in 2024 with her viral song “Messy”, checked herself into a treatment facility for two months. She was already working with a sober coach, but also joined Alcoholics Anonymous.
“It was a decision… that I had to make, and it was sad that I had to do that,” she told Rolling Stone of cancelling her tour dates, in an earlier interview. “What else was I going to do, die? That was the reality of where my addiction was heading.”
While the experience of collapsing was deeply unpleasant, Young – who has schizoaffective disorder and ADHD – said that she was in fact “very grateful” for it.
“It was, what do you call that? Like, a breaking point which allowed me to then be able to be here today, allowed me to be better for my fans, better for the future, and better for myself,” she said.
Young released the first song from new music she’s been working on in September. “From Down Here” was written the day after she won the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance, for “Messy”, earlier this year; Young explained that it is about missing the highs certain substances gave her, but accepting “this is a better life for me”.
“I’ve lost the dark times,” she said of her recovery. “I’ve lost the kind of pain and the comedowns and the really excessive big feelings. And I’ve lost being high. But I’ve also gained so much perspective and clarity and joy.”
Young is the cover star for British Vogue’s November 2026 issue, out now.
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.
In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.
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