{"id":337891,"date":"2026-03-13T21:45:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T21:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/337891\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T21:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T21:45:11","slug":"lola-young-dazzles-in-heartfelt-performance-at-rolling-stones-future-of-music-showcase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/337891\/","title":{"rendered":"Lola Young Dazzles in Heartfelt Performance at Rolling Stone\u2019s Future of Music Showcase"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lola Young strutted, skipped, and even squatted during her SXSW performance at Rolling Stone\u2018s Future of Music<\/a> showcase, running through a set that demonstrated both her onstage stamina, vocal strength and undeniable showmanship. A month after winning her first Grammy<\/a> for Best Pop Solo Performance, the British singer proved why the honor was deserved.<\/p>\n

Wearing a bright pink two-piece track suit and a bra over her tank top, Young took the stage \u2014 her first U.S. performance since September, when she collapsed during the All Things Go festival<\/a> \u2014 to enthusiastic applause from Austin fans, some who had lined up hours earlier<\/a> for a spot up front at the Moody Theater at ACL Live. She kicked off her 14-song set with \u201cDealer,\u201d setting a soulful tempo for the autobiographical tune, a signature of the artist\u2019s songwriting that carried through the night.<\/p>\n

More from Rolling Stone<\/p>\n

Since emerging on the scene in 2023, Young has positioned herself as a truly unique voice in music, melding brutally honest lyrics with pop stylings that run the gamut from stream-of-consciousness offload to deep, thoughtful introspection. Young\u2019s set was a shining example of her versatility, weaving through some of the strongest tracks on her latest release I\u2019m Only F**king Myself<\/a>, including \u201cSad Sob Story! :),\u201d \u201cPost Sex Clarity,\u201d \u201cWalk All Over You,\u201d \u201cNot Like That Anymore,\u201d \u201cWhy Do I Feel Better When I Hurt You?,\u201d and \u201cSpiders.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it was her earlier work that hit the hardest. \u201cBig Brown Eyes,\u201d \u201cWalk On By,\u201d \u201cYou Noticed,\u201d \u201cConceited\u201d and, of course, \u201cMessy\u201d<\/a> (all from 2024\u2019s excellent This Wasn\u2019t Meant for You Anyway), were an invitation into Young\u2019s head and heart. During \u201cOne Thing,\u201d the audience joined in with a sea of phone flashlights. For \u201cWalk On By,\u201d Young\u2019s belting elicited deafening cheers of support.<\/p>\n

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About halfway through the show, Young stopped to read a poem she wrote. \u201cThere is a lot of shit happening \u2026 in this world, that right now I\u2019m scared to call ours,\u201d she messaged. \u201cWe walk around on this land, our feet are sore and achy. I don\u2019t want to try and walk a day in their shoes because it\u2019s already painful enough in mine. So I write about it in songs using words I found scratched onto the back of old magazines and newspapers, trying my best to ignore whatever the fuck I just read, because it makes my skin crawl, to be honest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am scared for my friends, especially the ones I never met. Scared for their safety. Scared for my own. But art is rebellion and the fruits I grow I will share to give someone out there a barrier of hope. We must not let the powers that be censor who we are. We must continue to stand in togetherness, hold hands, and take a deep breath \u2026 The disgustingly stinky shit they dish out, we must shit on them back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clearly adept at reading her audience, they responded to Young\u2019s words in kind, an energy that sustained for the rest of her set, which ended, appropriately, with the smash hit, \u201cMessy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to be able to hear myself [singing],\u201d Young instructed the crowd as she launched into her final song. They understood the assignment, taking the lead on the song\u2019s tongue-twisters and declaratory, \u201cI want to be me, is that not allowed?\u201d<\/p>\n

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In her Rolling Stone cover story<\/a>, Young opens up about her recent struggles, telling Deputy Music Editor Julyssa Lopez, \u201cI\u2019ve taken some time out, and this is a beautiful comeback. It feels like a moment I\u2019ll remember, and maybe other people will remember, hopefully. It feels like the right thing to come back to.\u201d Truer words were never spoken.<\/p>\n

Rolling Stone\u2019s Future of Music showcase comes on the heels of the Future 25 feature in the April issue, highlighting the most promising new acts of 2026. Among them: openers Sofia and the Antoinettes, whose singer channeled the look of Hedwig with a band that also felt spiritually connected to the Angry Inch; Saint Harrison, who brought his effervescent brand of British pop-soul to the stage; and local Austin singer Susanna Joffe, whose movements conjured images of Stevie Nicks, Lana Del Rey, and Chappell Roan. The future looks bright, indeed.<\/p>\n

Launch Gallery: Rolling Stone\u2019s Future of Music Showcase 2026: The Best Photos<\/a><\/p>\n

Best of Rolling Stone<\/p>\n

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