Olivia Dean is the epitome of a warm hug infused with smudged eyeliner.
Her music feels less like catching up with a friend who swears she is ‘totally over it’ while being very obviously not ok, and more of that indescribable feeling of cathartic release when finding a catchy beat which matches in return, stunning lyrics.
Not only that, but her presence is felt before you see her on a screen: Warm, self-assured, and effortlessly chic.
There are plenty of reasons why Olivia Dean is dominating the music industry, and it isn’t just due to being absolutely entranced by her beautiful, soulful music.
Dean leans into this emotional chaos with a smile, a sigh, and a voice so velvety and lush, it would convince you to forgive your ex for their wrongdoings (even though you really shouldn’t).
What makes her album ‘The Art of Loving’ shine through and through is how effortlessly human it is. She doesn’t pretend her feelings are neatly organized; she presents them the way that they arrive, in tangles.
Her tracks drift between tenderness and tiny meltdowns, offering strong vocals, buttery soft production, and lyrics that feel like diary entries written at 2 o’clock in the morning, after drinking rosé on an empty stomach.
Recorded in the comfort of her East London home, her latest album feels like a lived-in cozy space, filled with joy, friends, family, and the sweet notes of instruments such as authentic piano.
Much of her album delves into the vital elements surrounding romantic love, including discussions comparing how we expect to be loved, even when we know it isn’t in the way we deserve. ‘Man, I Need’ is a song that shows us love in many ways, whether platonic or completely romantic. The key message is that the act of being loved requires the act of “loving yourself.”
‘Nice to Each Other’ captures her talent for turning those everyday, mundane emotions into a melodic feeling. It is sentimental and lingers in its sincerity. It takes the small, and generally overlooked moments of a relationship – the unspoken frustrations, and fragile hope, as something so tender, and beautifully reflective.
Then there is ‘So Easy (To Fall in Love), which almost feels like an ode to Meg from Hercules’ ‘I Won’t Say (I’m in Love), and not just because of the intentional brackets within the song’s title. It is a playful and romantic ode to her general style of music. The melody is so elegant, and continually alludes to particular romantic gestures as insightful declarations of love.
Dean’s work really shows an understated, glowing manner, to which we have been missing in music these last couple of years. It is about time we experience vulnerability like hers, in all of its glory. The one where you have lived a few heartbreaks, learned a few lessons, and most importantly, decided to love anyway.
She shows a style that doesn’t obtain strict boundaries. She is bursting those boundaries by being authentic whilst nostalgic, and making everyday emotions feel cinematic.
This was written by our contributing writer, Megan Evans.
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