The festive season has officially started now that John Lewis has released its iconic Christmas advert. This year, Lola Young voiced the soundtrack for it.
The release of the John Lewis Christmas advert has become an event in its own right, as other brands try to compete for consumers' attention and business. Over the years, the ad has become more than a marketing ploy, with a carefully thought-out narrative which usually raises awareness of an important issue or current event around Christmas time.
This year, the ad is titled 'Unexpected Guest' and tells the story of an alien which crashes its ship on Earth at Christmas time. A young boy, Nathan, discovers Skye (the alien) hiding in the woodland near his house and teaches her about the magic of Christmas while her ship is being fixed. If you haven't seen this year's ad yet, take a look in the video player below.
Who is Lola Young?
Lola Young is a 20-year-old British singer-songwriter from South London. She started writing songs at the age of 11 and is described by the retailer as "a brilliant up and coming British talent."
Advert
She sings a cover of the eighties track 'Together in Electric Dreams' by Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder, which the retailer said is a "celestial compliment to the advert".
"I feel super honoured to be a part of this, growing up I always watched the John Lewis Christmas adverts," said Young. "They're iconic and so it kinda feels surreal getting asked to be in one. It also means a lot as an up and coming artist to be a part of something this special."
Despite big stars like Ed Sheeran, Adele and Dua Lipa tipped for voicing the soundtrack for this year's ad, Young was selected by the retailer as an up and coming artist for "her rich and unique sound, which brings to life the magic of the advert and the friendship that develops on screen."
Has she got any other songs out?
Lola's earliest album on Spotify is from 2019 and it's called Intro. She released several songs and EPs in 2021.
Advert
In August 2021, Young released her EP 'After Midnight.' She said of the track that this was her at her "rawest."
"I have always loved the piano. It was the first instrument I learnt [to play]," she said. "I wrote each song at very different points in my life about very different things yet they managed to fit together perfectly.. After Midnight. The truest form of me," she added.
In September 2021, Young's original track 'Fake' was played on BBC Radio 1. She also performed the track live on James Cordon's The Late Late Show.
On 8th November 2021, she heads on her first ever tour around the UK and Europe, stopping in most major cities including London, Dublin, Manchester and Birmingham. She's also playing in Amsterdam.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@lolayounggg/John LewisTopics: Christmas, no article matching, Music