Olivia Dean is one of the most engaging artists in the UK right now. She has returned to the airwaves with her second studio album, The Art of Loving. An album that is emotional, multifaceted, and one of the best this year.
The UK is experiencing a golden age of high-quality women-led music. Charli xcx, Jade and Raye are all representing British music on a global stage, they stand in company with Olivia Dean. Dean, a rising star in London’s neo soul space, has made a huge impression on the charts and with listeners with her new release, The Art of Loving. Olivia first caught attention with her critically acclaimed debut, 2023’s Messy. The project asserted Dean as a respected and accomplished songwriter. This was further buoyed by her inclusion on the Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy Soundtrack with her song It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be. The gradual build toward her sophomore record has been impressive. On this album, Dean portrays love from a myriad of angles.
Earlier this year I was lucky enough to see Olivia’s set at Forwards Festival in Bristol. During her performance she had the confidence and chill of a seasoned pro on the stage, something that no doubt comes from the fact that Dean is a phenomenal vocalist. She has, in a relatively short span of time, condensed her artistic signature, crafting a decisive approach to how she makes and performs music. The Art of Loving encapsulates the hallmarks of Olivia’s methodology, astute lyricism, crystaline vocals, and a minimalistic production that allows the emotional arc of the music shine. It couldn’t come at a better time for Olivia Dean as she has made her first inroads to the United States, The Art of Loving is her first entry on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart, where it entered at #8.
Love from all angles
I have to confess, I find albums solely dedicated to love songs to be a little lacking. Luckily, despite having the perfect sound for such an album, Dean has shirked the ease this would allow her and instead has decided to create a body of work that analyses love in all forms. While there are delightfully romantic songs like So Easy (To Fall In Love) she doesn’t rest on these alone to prop up the thematic arc of the project. Her approach feels both classic and fresh. Dean has a gentle humour and tenderness to how she writes and sings. This juxtaposed with the rawness and depth she expresses on songs like Let Alone The One You Love and Loud shows an artist who can tap into an expansive emotional spectrum, presenting a multifaceted experience of love, trust, and self-discovery. Olivia explores failed relationships and discontent with a resonance that is expressed effortlessly. Even at her most low, she never lacks a sense of control and self resolve, it is refreshing. She has achieved an approach to songwriting that feels considered and concise without feeling reductive or overwrought.
Perhaps most significant is Olivia’s underpinning theme of self-love that emanates across The Art of Loving. While it is not always the most apparent, each song positions Dean not as a victim of love but as a student. Even on the aforementioned tracks that deal with bad relationships Dean exudes a quiet confidence that, paired with the vulnerability of the record, shows a musician who is comfortable in her words. I feel this self-love is most evident in the song Lady Lady. In Olivia’s own words, this is her song to address the changeability of life, directly talking to the universe. Lady Lady‘s message has the ability to resonate with so many people in this day and age. An absence of certainty in these times is something that we can all relate to. Many of us have to throw up our hands and tell the universe that we trust her. It shows a sense of greater trust in the process that actually uplifts the romantic themes of the album – the universe has a plan for all in all areas of life. Love is coming to you in the right direction if you trust the process.
The central thesis of the album is surmised with its closing track, I’ve Seen It. Through the song Dean recounts how she has witnessed love in a plethora of places, times, and forms. Set to a very paired back production and instrumentation, the song feels like one of Olivia’s very best. I anticipate that this will live on as a cult favourite of Dean’s growing discography, a song that fans will hold dearly only more strongly as time goes on. Interestingly, she never actually names love as the object of the song, trusting us to understand that nothing but love could inspire these lyrics. I’ve Seen It leaves the listener with a sense that Olivia is not just a musician who writes about love, but is a dedicated fan of it.
The art of songwriting
Dean’s lyricism on The Art of Loving is emotionally cognisant and mature. She demonstrates an ability to write in a sometimes minimalistic way while still communicating the dynamic balance of feelings she seeks to capture. Despite love being the most written about topic in music, she can make love songs that feel fresh. Her lyrical approach shows an artist who is more concerned with capturing the heart of the matter than one who seeks to over-extend the topic with a heavy hand. She instead wrote The Art of Loving with an understanding that when you have a voice like Olivia’s, sometimes simplicity is key.
Olivia extends this approach to her production choices. The album feels like it was made intentionally with a soothing neo soul base. There isn’t a huge sonic shift from Messy, but I don’t particularly feel like one was needed. Unlike in the pop space where reinvention is essential for survival, Dean has sought an avenue that allows her to grow steadily and organically instead of forcing artistic overhauls to retain relevancy. Her steady growth does not mean that there isn’t apparent progression from her earlier work, however. Olivia shakes off some of the neo-soul trappings to explore a more pop-forward sound, with even a sprinkling of 70s soft rock. It shows an artist who sees genre more as a foundation than the whole house, an ever more standard approach to music in the 2020s. Throughout The Art of Loving, production choices are made with the central focus to highlight the depth and clarity of Olivia’s voice.
Exceptional vocals
If there is one thing that this album proves, it is that Olivia Dean is a vocalist through and through. While she has always had a commendable voice, this album feels like the apex of her abilities as a vocalist. She sounds silky, smooth, and most importantly, she feels comfortable. Dean’s gift is that she can deliver flawless vocals without ever feeling like she overexerts or is forcing herself. Olivia instead sings with the clarity of only the greatest vocal talents. There are moments on this album, such as in Loud, Nice To Each Other, and Man I Need, that make one consider Olivia in the company of legends like Sade, Aretha Franklin and Amy Winehouse. In an era when there are many excellent musicians who are not classically skilled vocalists, Dean feels like a rarity.
No truer is this than when we consider that her sonic direction and lyrical approach are all uplifted by her vocals. That is where this album truly excels. It feels authentic and is interested in highlighting Olivia Dean at her very best. Instead of being bogged down with maximalist trappings, The Art of Loving allows Dean’s voice to shine unencumbered. Crisp, clear, and beautiful, Olivia cements herself as one of the very best vocalists of our generation.
Baby steps to greatness
The Art of Loving sees Olivia Dean at the most herself. Across the album she takes us through the different faces of love, supported by considered production and solid vocals. What is most refreshing about her work is that it feels authentic and emotionally mature. While it is safe to say there is better work to come from her in the future, this album has the potential to exist as a modern classic. In the coming years, I would not be surprised if this record becomes one that other artists cite as inspiration. It feels like a body of work that was specific and intentional in what it wanted to say, ultimately making an album that feels like it is concise and complete. The Art of Loving shows Dean as a philosopher of love, and as someone still figuring out exactly what it means to her. With emotionally mature writing and a sleek delivery, Olivia has created an album that is a totem to love in all of its numerous forms.
