Lourdes “Lola” Leon is opening up about heartbreak, healing, and the role her closest relationships have played in her life and music. In a recent interview, the musician and model said community has been essential to her survival and emotional recovery, adding that friends and family helped her through some of her lowest moments. That sentiment is at the center of her new single, “T Shirt,” released on May 27 with a stripped-down and personal music video directed by cinematographer Eric Yue.
Leon described the song as a direct reflection of being caught in an unhealthy relationship and the way young people sometimes try to explain away damaging behavior. Rather than lean into symbolism, she said she wanted the project to feel honest and grounded in real life. The video features appearances from people close to her, including longtime producer Sammy, who worked on the track with Sega Bodega, as well as members of her family, including her paternal grandmother. Leon said the goal was to show the core of who she is without artifice.
The new release marks a more vulnerable turn for Leon, who issued her debut EP, Go, in 2022 under the name Lolahol. She said that period was one of transition, during which she struggled to define her visual identity and did not feel rooted in anything. At the same time, she was dealing with a relationship she now describes as deeply wrong for her, and she admits she coped in unhealthy ways, including drinking heavily. She recalled relying on friends and repeatedly calling her grandmother for support.
Leon said she always believed healing would come, even if it felt distant at the time. She pointed to a line in the song — “My heart will know, my head will follow” — as a personal mantra she used to keep herself from spiraling. That sense of resilience shapes both the single and the video, which she described as more intimate than anything she has released before.
The artist also reflected on how her approach to music has changed. When she first began putting out songs, she said she was terrified and felt the need to protect herself emotionally. Now, she says she feels more comfortable revealing a fuller, more sincere version of herself.
Leon, who turns 30 in the fall, said more music is on the way later this year under her own name, Lola Leon. She described the upcoming material as introspective and in the same emotional lane as “T Shirt.” While fans may see the shift as the start of a new era, Leon said it is really about reconnecting with her roots and the people who have known her for years. She emphasized that she is still the same artist, just dropping the “hol” from her earlier stage name.
