Lola Young Discusses Drug Recovery as an 'Ongoing Process' After Comeback

In an interview with The Sunday Times, British pop star Lola Young candidly discussed her sobriety, describing it as an "ongoing process". The interview came after Young performed her breakout hit "Messy" at the 2026 Grammys, marking her first public appearance since collapsing on stage in September. Young has been away from the stage to focus on her recovery and well-being.

"I think I would rather for the sake of my privacy not say too much," Young began when broaching the subject. "But what I would say is that recovery is an ongoing process. I’m not the finished article, but I’m doing a hell of a lot better." She continued, clarifying that she was referring to drug recovery, explaining that being in recovery doesn't always mean drugs, but in her case, it did.

Young has long been open about her struggles with mental health and substance abuse, revealing that she has schizoaffective disorder. In a recent Rolling Stone cover story, she explained that the condition, mixed with the stresses of fame, made it increasingly difficult to manage her cocaine dependency, leading to a "breaking point" at All Things Go. Shortly after her onstage fall, Young canceled her tour dates and announced that she would be stepping away for a while to work on herself, which involved spending time in a treatment center.

"What I can tell you is that I was being looked after," she told The Times of her time there. "As artists we are public-facing figures. We get scrutiny, we get people calling us out, we get people not liking our bloody outfits — we have to deal with all of it. And even though from the outside it may look like we are doing fine, sometimes we’re not".

The challenges Young faced last year made her win at the Grammys, where she won best pop solo performance for "Messy," all the more meaningful. "I was s--tting myself," she said of the big night. "I was in shock to be there, I was in shock to have won." Shortly after the awards, Young played her first show since taking time away, hosting a one-night-only concert at London’s Palladium.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing mental health struggles or substance dependency, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration via its website or by phone at 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential referral services and information 24/7.