Lyla at 20: 10 facts about the Oasis single

16 May 2025, 20:00 | Updated: 16 May 2025, 21:28

Oasis - Lyla

As the Oasis single celebrates its 20th anniversary, we look back at some trivia behind the noughties-era tune.

Oasis single Lyla turns 20 this week.

The single was released on 16th May 2005, the first single to be taken from the band's sixth album Don't Believe The Truth.

It might seem like a pretty simple and unassuming noughties-era track from the Britpop band, but Lyla has plenty of history to it.

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Lyla with these facts about the release, from what it's about to what it was almost going to be called...

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Find out more about Lyla by Oasis below:

1. Lyla was the band's first single after the departure of Alan White

   The song, which was the first released off their sixth studio album, Don't Believe the Truth, saw the departure of their long-time drummer Alan White and Ringo Starr's son and The Who drummer Zak Starkey enlisted as an additional drummer.

2. Lyla was released in Japan first

   Oasis - like many others bands - were 'big in Japan' and it looks like the country was given first dibs when it came to the band's Lyla single, which dropped on 11th May 2006 - five days before it came to the UK and Australia.

3. Lyla should have been called Smiler

   According to Noel Gallagher, the title Smiler was originally meant for the song, but it was changed because guitarist Gem Archer's previous band Heavy Stereo had a song with the same title.

   

   Smiler

4. Lyla wasn't written for Don't Believe the Truth

   Although it was the first single released from the band's sixth studio album, Lyla's history actually starts much earlier. Apparently the song existed in its early form as a song called Sing, which dated from band's Heathen Chemistry album era.

5. Lyla gave the band their seventh UK number one

   The song reached the top spot of the UK singles chart within its first week of its release, following previous Oasis chart-toppers Some Might Say, Don't Look Back In Anger, D'you Know What I Mean?. All Around The World, Go Let It Out and The Hindu Times.

   The Importance Of Being Idle saw the band score their eighth number one shortly after.

6. Lyla marked Liam Gallagher's last performance on Top of The Pops

   

   OASIS - Lyla (Top of the pops 2005)

   Liam was forced to mime on the popular BBC music chart show and the frontman made it clear he wasn't singing by walking away from the mic towards the end of the performance

   It would be the last time he would appear on the show before it was axed in its original format in 2006. However, Noel appeared on TOTPs with the band after in order to perform The Importance of Being Idle and the band's final single Falling Down in 2009.

7. Noel wasn't a big fan of Lyla... or was he?

   Noel has been quoted as saying that Lyla isn't even the "fifth best song" on the album. However, he has also complimented the track.

8. The music video for Lyla was shot at the Round Chapel in Hackney

   The Lyla video, which sees the heroine find herself in the crowd during a performance by the band, was shot at the iconic Hackney venue and Grade II listed chapel. Ironically, it would be here that Liam Gallagher would perform the single for the first time as a solo artist in 2019.

9. Lyla nearly never made the album at all

   Despite it apparently existing as a demo for the early recording sessions for the album, it was almost forgotten until the last minute.

10. The Lyla video stars the actress Katrine De Candole

    

    Katrine De Candole plays the striking titular character in the band's music video, but you may have seen her before. She's also known for her roles in: X-Men: First Class (2011), Love's Kitchen (2011), The Cosmonaut (2013) and Dominion (2014).

Radio X Oasis is available now, across the UK on DAB digital radio, Global Player, the official Radio X app, your smart speaker (“play Radio X Oasis”), and on iOS or Android.

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