Ella Henderson has shared her love of Lola Young, and revealed that some of her most “unapologetic” music is coming “very, very soon”. Read the interview below, or watch it in full via the video above.
The singer-songwriter opened up about her fondness for the former NME Cover star during a new interview at the BRITs 2025. Talking to NME on the red carpet – following her nomination for Song Of The Year for ‘Alibi’ – Henderson explained that she is proud to see so many female nominees for this year, and a particular fan of the London singer.
“To be a part of a category filled with so many incredible artists from different backgrounds, different cultures, different ages, men and women, I think it’s really exciting,” she began. “I think it’s important for the UK artists to come together [and] I feel like a lot of women are going to be picking up those awards and speaking their minds. I love to see that.”
She added: “I’m really excited for Lola Young, I feel like this is the beginning of a really exciting part of her career. I know she has been going for a very long time and working her little arse off, but right now this feels like a very special moment for her. I just want her to enjoy it and I’m excited to see her perform ‘Messy’ too.”
Young was nominated in the Best Pop Act category, alongside Charli XCX, Dua Lipa and Myles Smith, although the award ultimately went to JADE, and marked her first BRIT as a solo artist.
As well as explaining how she hopes to see more female talent speak their minds at the ceremony, Henderson also told NME about what she has planned for the remainder of 2025. This, she said, involves some new music coming “very, very soon” and will see her take a more “unapologetic” approach to her songwriting style.
“I want to be releasing more music, keep doing what I’m doing and stay true to who I am. I feel like I’ve always done that in my music – no matter what genre I dip into or what I put my foot into – I always give everything 110 per cent,” she explained. “Going forward, as long as I can do more of that, that will make me very happy.”
“[It’s arriving] in time for the end of this month,” she told NME when asked when fans can expect new material. “I can’t wait, I think it’s been a long time coming.”
“I’ve done a lot of dance records and, going into this new era, I think [the single] ‘Filthy Rich’ has set a tone for everybody for where I’m headed. It’s about stripping things back a little bit and letting people hear about my lyrics,” she added. “There is going to be a lot of word vomit, but that’s who I am and I’m unapologetic about that. You can either like it or lump it, that’s who I am. I have a good feeling about it.”
The multi-platinum-selling singer burst onto the scene a decade ago with her hit debut single ‘Ghost’. Since then she has achieved five UK Top 10 tracks, including ‘Let’s Go Home Together’ which she shared with Tom Grennan, and dropped her latest album ‘Everything I Didn’t Say’. Last summer, she supported Kylie Minogue as part of the latter’s huge slot at BST Hyde Park.
At the BRITs ceremony at The O2 this past weekend, Henderson was nominated for Song Of The Year with her collaboration with Rudimental, ‘Alibi’. The award would go to Charli XCX and Billie Eilish for their collaborative track ‘Guess’. Find a list of all the winners on the night here.
As for Lola Young, the singer performed her viral hit ‘Messy’ at the ceremony, and also spoke to NME about why she thinks the song resonates with so many listeners.
“I think it’s the idea that you don’t have to be this thing that stereotypers want women to be,” she told us on the red carpet. “It’s not even just that though, because everyone can feel like they’re not enough for somebody.” Find the full interview with her here.
The post Ella Henderson on love of Lola Young and “unapologetic” new music: “This is who I am” appeared first on NME.