Music director behind Lola Young's Messy surprised by success

Sarah Dattani Tucker is a talented music video director who has recently gained attention for her work on Lola Young's hit song 'Messy. ' This song has made waves in the music industry, marking Lola's first number one hit in the UK. Although many may not recognize Sarah's name, her creative vision has reached over 40 million viewers. The music video for 'Messy' features Lola performing in a stark, empty room with a giant cake that ultimately gets destroyed. Sarah explains that the empty space symbolizes a person's mind, representing the intrusive thoughts we all experience. This video is just one of seven that Sarah directed for Lola's second album, 'This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway. ' Sarah has also collaborated with other artists, such as Arlo Parks, and she admits that she never imagined she would achieve this level of success. She attributes part of her journey to her Gujarati heritage, stating that as a South Asian woman in the music industry, she often feels misunderstood. Sarah was born and raised near Manchester to a British father and a Gujarati mother who was born in Uganda. While she loved art in school, she was never shown how to turn that passion into a career. She comes from a family of professionals, with most of her relatives working as accountants or pharmacists. Although her family supported her passion, they did not fully grasp what her job entailed. Sarah often had to remind them that being a music video director is a legitimate career. Even now, she sometimes feels out of place in the music industry, which is heavily based on genre. She has faced challenges and struggles, feeling that people often underestimate her abilities because of her background. According to a survey conducted in 2024, only 7. 6% of individuals working in the music industry identified as Asian. However, there has been positive progress, with people from minority backgrounds now making up over 25% of the workforce, an increase from 15. 6% in 2016. Despite this progress, Sarah believes that barriers still exist, and she is determined to advocate for change. She wants to raise awareness not only for British Asians but also for all the talented individuals working behind the scenes in the music industry. Lola Young is nominated for best pop act at the upcoming Brit Awards, and Sarah hopes that music videos will receive more recognition in the future. She believes that it would be wonderful to have awards for the creative minds behind music videos, similar to the Grammys, which celebrate artistic contributions in the industry. Sarah feels that music videos play a significant role in the music landscape and deserve to be acknowledged for their creativity and impact.