Olivia Dean Turns Life Lessons into Lush Neo-Soul on The Art of Loving
At just 26, Olivia Dean is stepping into success with the release of her sophomore album, The Art of Loving.
The British neo-soul singer-songwriter leans into vulnerability, guiding listeners through a journey that balances warmth with fragility. Inspired by a Los Angeles art exhibit titled All About Love – a tribute to the Bell Hooks book of the same name – Dean unpacks love and loss across 12 tracks.
The album opens with a short and sweet introduction, The Art of Loving (Intro), offering a glimpse of the journey ahead. Dean reflects on the duality of love, recognizing that both the joy and the heartbreak are worthwhile. “It wasn’t all for nothing,” she declares, suggesting that every experience has carried its own lesson.
The album’s first full-length track, Nice To Each Other – also its debut single – is playful and upbeat, capturing the story of a relationship that has ended yet still carries a flicker of hope for reconciliation. From there, Lady Lady, the album’s second single, drifts into soulful elegance, unpacking the experience of changing yourself to fit a relationship. Lines like “All the things I couldn’t live without / I don’t need ‘em now” capture the realization of losing sight of your true self, while “I was just getting used to her” suggests Dean is shedding that version of herself to return to who she really is.
Close Up brings in smooth, melodic saxophone, evoking shades of fellow British icon Amy Winehouse. The track captures the ache of misalignment in love and the distance it creates within a relationship. “You’re treating me like one of the rest / I feel stupid for wearing that dress,” Dean sings, reflecting on choices laced with regret. So Easy (To Fall In Love) shifts the mood, offering a cocktail-lounge atmosphere with a bright trumpet and delicate piano. Layered vocals remind listeners that love can be effortless when you know your own worth. With playful lines like “I’m the perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life,” the track serves as one of the album’s anchors.
Closing out the album’s first half, Let Alone The One You Love offers a tender melody wrapped in fragility. Dean delivers emotional depth with mesmerizing, Adele-esque vocal power. Lines like “You were the warmth that I needed / Like a breeze in the evening / And then you changed” capture the jarring shift that comes with realizing someone isn’t who you believed them to be.
The album’s most recent single, Man I Need, guides listeners into its second half. Already surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify, the track leans into a sharper pop/R&B edge, opening with the repeated refrain, “Talk to me, talk to me.” Here, Dean is direct, spelling out the kind of love she wants and deserves: “I kinda like it when you call me wonderful.” Something Inbetween follows, reflecting on the uneasy middle ground of a fading relationship. “I’m too young to believe until the end, too scared to cut it short,” she admits, capturing the pain of being caught between holding on and letting go.
Next, Loud opens with serene vocals, signalling the end of Dean’s attempt to hold things together: “And everything’s unspoken now / I’m out, the silence is so loud.” Baby Steps follows as a strong contender for the album’s standout track. Its sweet melody and steady repetition mirror Dean’s gradual move toward healing. Yet traces of pain remain, captured in lines like, “Now there’s no one to text when the plane lands.”
The penultimate track, A Couple Minutes, finds Dean embracing peace in her own company as she comes to terms with a chapter’s end. With enchanting vocals, she belts, “Of course I still care / Love’s never wasted when it’s shared,” highlighting the quiet joys of moving on. Dean masterfully oscillates between moments of joy and hesitation, encapsulating the full spectrum of moving on after loss.
Closing the album, I’ve Seen It reflects on the many ways Dean has witnessed love. Lines like “I’ve seen it right after school and in the park / Sat right across me on the tube” offer a fresh perspective, reminding listeners that love is all around us. Dean captures its full spectrum, noting that it “Brings out the worst, brings out the best.”
The Art of Loving unfolds like a layered narrative, each track reading like a page of Dean’s diary. Themes and melodies linger, delivering a clear message: love is a practice that takes effort, but it’s always worth it. Dean isn’t rushing toward answers – she’s thoughtfully navigating the questions. The album flows across diverse sounds, yet the emotion in her lyrics ties it all together, supported by elegant songwriting and sweeping instrumentals.
With this release, Olivia Dean asks: can we learn to love through being alone? Demonstrating maturity both emotionally and musically, these 12 captivating tracks charm listeners with their honesty. One thing is certain – Dean won’t be alone for long. After wrapping a summer tour in North America, she’s taking only a short break before hitting the road across the UK and Europe next spring, having already sold-out London’s O2 Arena for four consecutive nights. With chart-topping success around the world, it’s clear she’s set to ride this momentum for quite some time.
