Over the past few years, she has gradually become a dominant force in the UK charts; gone viral on TikTok; performed a set on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury all whilst becoming the voice of the latest Bridget Jones movie and supporting Sam Fender on his UK Tour. It’s not over yet either, as she is set to embark on her own headline tour which kicks off next April.
Now, she’s stuck two fingers up to the second album curse and absolutely smashed it with new release, ‘The Art of Loving’.
The North-East Londoner’s 2023 debut album, ‘Messy’, was about her first foray into love, heartbreak and a celebration of messy romances. However, ‘The Art of Loving’, is all about the foundations of love whilst de-mystifying heartache and the complications of contemporary romance, thus showcasing Dean’s newfound maturity from beginning to end.
This maturity allows Dean to successfully create a more refined, sweetly curated vocal which manifests into the album’s opening tracks ‘Nice To Each Other’ and ‘Lady Lady’. The former had been a strong contender for this year’s song of the summer and arguably led to Dean’s new found musical supremacy.
Both tracks use a mix of groovy beats and relaxing synthetics to exceptionally convey lyrics such as: “Here we are, back again / Fighting what’s in front of me” and “Cause you know, I’ve done all the classic stuff / And it never works, you know it”.
This skilful execution of lyrics dovetailed with Dean’s dreamy vocals continues in the third track, ‘Close Up’. This has a slightly slower tempo to the first two and allows Dean to showcase her soulful contralto voice — mirroring Amy Winehouse’s deeply expressive vocals on her 2003 debut album, ‘Frank’.
‘So Easy (To Fall In Love)’ and ‘Let Alone The One You Love’ both open into a state of melancholia: they are reflective, refined but lyrically similar, allowing for some smoothly polished transitions which add to the overall chilled, soulful vibe of the album — without making you think too hard.
Then, comes the song that likely contributed to this album becoming one of the most anticipated of the year, ‘Man I Need’. It’s the perfect blend of gospel-pop, R&B and 1970’s pop with a splash of jazz. Lyrics such as, “Bossa nova on all night / It's like a type of alchemy” and “Already gave you the time and the place / So don’t be shy”, prove this song can only be described as old-school-cool and reasserts that Dean is a real class act. Again, she echoes Winehouse on the chorus but throughout the rest of the track you also hear traces of Billie Holiday, Carole King and even the early work of Alison Moyet.
‘Something Inbetween’ keeps the momentum of the album going. It’s a catchy, fluid, solid pop record. As is tenth track, ‘Baby Steps’, where lyrics like, “I’ll be my own pair of safe hands / It’s not the end, it’s the making of” make this one of the more thought-provoking listens on the album, whilst still remaining free-flowing and effortlessly rhythmic.
‘The Art of Loving’ ends as it begins, full of sweetly curated lyrical and vocal prowess. The final track, ‘I’ve Seen It’ is the most understated. It’s completely moving yet mystical. The sympathetic beat, touching lyrics and vocals make this song feel like a parting kiss between lovers.
The scintillating beats, the smart, sassy lyrics and soft, dreamy vocals make this album so special, proving that Olivia Dean is officially the new poster girl for British pop.