Lola Young has been complaining that breathing feels like “a chore”, something she blames solely on her continued penchant for vaping.
In a TikTok video, the Grammy winner, who – lest us forget – did warn us on her breakthrough hit that she was Messy, has said: “Somebody once said to me, ‘Lola, there will be a day when you wake up, you’ll be 25 or 26, from a deep sleep, and you’ll start to feel the effects of vaping’.”
“You know what I said? I said ‘nah’ and rolled my eyes. But let me tell you something, the day has come.”
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She continued: “My lungs feel like they’re battery-powered, like they’re just one big battery. Breathing feels like a chore; it feels like hard work, it feels like I should be paid for breathing. It feels like there will be no tomorrow.”
Oh dear.
The effects of tobacco on the human voice have been known for years. The wiser vocalists give up early. Others simply have to accept a gradually huskier, raspier voice as the price they paid for their addiction.
Vaping, though, involves ingesting a whole load of chemicals, in addition to some tobacco. Speaking to the BBC about the effect on singers like Young vocal coach Lizzii Hills advised artists against trying it: “Vaping may not affect the voice box just itself, it affects the lungs, the airways, the throat – it’s all respiratory, it’s all connected. So doing that can affect your vocal technique,” she says.
“Breathing is really important. Singing requires controlled inhalation and sustained, efficient exhalation. You end up trying harder, putting in more effort for the same results you were getting beforehand.”
Young though doesn’t seem that concerned about the health issues, nor the effects on her voice. She says she’s not giving up just yet. “Let me tell you something, I’ll quit when I’m 35,” she said, defiantly.
