John Lewis Christmas advert song: Who is singer Lola Young behind the new ad?

South-London singer covers the Eighties track ‘Together in Electric Dreams’

Halloween is officially over with the arrival of John Lewis’s Christmas advert ushering in the festive spirit.

The soundtrack to this year’s ad is performed by Lola Young. The singer-songwriter has covered the 1984 track “Together in Electric Dreams” by Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder.

The original song – which was recorded as part of the soundtrack for the film Electric Dreams – was a major commercial success, reaching No 3 in the UK singles charts.

According to a spokesperson for John Lewis, “Together in Electric Dreams” was chosen by the retailer “as a celestial compliment to the advert”.

While reports had tipped best-selling UK artists including Adele, Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa, the honour of soundtracking this year’s John Lewis advert has been given to Young instead.

Speaking about selecting her for the coveted position, a spokesperson said: “Lola is a brilliant up and coming British talent.”

They added that she was “chosen for her rich and unique sound, which brings to life the magic of the advert and the friendship that develops on screen”.

Young is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from South London who began writing songs aged 11.

At age 13, Young won a national open mic competition before going on to attend the esteemed Brit school, where artists including Amy Winehouse, Adele and Loyle Carner previously studied.

The singer recently performed her song “Fake” on Later… with Jools Holland (Live Tracks). In September, Young also appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Her song “Blind Love” has over 1.9 million listens  on Spotify, with her track “None For You” reaching nearly 1.8 million.

Young’s songs range from R&B to spoken word and stripped-back ballads.

Last year, Celeste – a previous recipient of the Brit Rising Star award – provided the soundtrack to the advert. The soul singer sang “A Little Love” to accompany the animated clip.

In 2019, Dan Smith of Bastille performed a cover of “Catching This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon.