Olivia Dean solves the complications of modern-day love on ‘The Art of Loving’
The album ties in the breakout success of singles ‘Nice To Each Other’ and ‘Man I Need’.
Photo: Jack Davison
Olivia Dean’s sophomore efforts expand her reach far beyond the soulful intimacy of her 2023 debut record Messy, trading the intimate tone for a record that feels far more expansive and ambitious. Where Messy thrived more on vulnerability and confessional lyricism, The Art of Loving widens the lens, delving into the complicated realities of modern-day relationships whilst also embracing the consequential self-love and independence that comes from it.
With anticipation riding high off collaborations with the likes of Sam Fender and the breakout success of singles Man I Need and Nice To Each Other, The Art of Loving lands under an intensified spotlight, with audiences watching to see if she can transform early promise into lasting artistry. The record marks a confident step forward for an artist once modest in her approach, now ready to fully claim the attention that has followed her throughout the album’s rollout.
The record opens with the minimal title track, The Art of Loving, where delicate harp and violin create an orchestral backdrop to Dean’s isolated vocals commanding the forefront of most of the 40-second track, the perfect predecessor to breakout single Nice To Each Other.
Exploring the complexities of contemporary dating, Nice To Each Other perfectly fuses Dean’s soft, emotive vocals with the light guitar-led groove, creating a light, airy soundscape that mirrors the song’s delicate balance between desire and detachment.
Dean captures the tension of a relationship where mutual acceptance of an undefined future has become increasingly normalised between the two, with herself constantly examining the potential perspectives: “We could be nice to each other, wrong for each other, right for each other”.
In interviews, Dean describes the song as “a song about the push and pull of exploring your independence in dating,” adding that it’s “about enjoying someone in the present and allowing it to be both light and meaningful”. The lyrics and production combine to communicate a relationship lived in the moment and fully aware of its potential impermanence.
However, Dean makes it clear she doesn’t rely on these kinds of relationships to ensure true personal growth but instead shifts perspectives, essentially turning these love flings into a lesson on love to herself, embracing solidarity and self-love as its own form of validation on Lady Lady.
With lyrics like, “All the things I couldn’t live without, I don’t need ‘em now”, Dean shows that embracing your own journey allows you to become the woman you aspire to be, even if it sometimes means accepting the grace of your own solitude.
Dean further embodies the theme of self-celebration on So Easy (To Fall In Love) with the lyricism cleverly cloaking self-empowerment in disguise as a love song. On first listen, the track bounces with a retro-soul energy that feels immediately joyous, yet the song wears all the signs of a classic love track; Dean is actually singing about herself, positioning herself as the ideal person to be loved. Lines like “I’m the perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life” flirt with cheekiness but also embody a confident sense of self-knowledge; she’s not asking for love, she’s asserting that she represents it.
The Art of Loving also sees Olivia Dean draw influence from Amy Winehouse with songs like Close Up, Let Alone the One You Love, and Loud, relying on jazzy vocal inflexions and soul-steeped instrumentation that nod to the Back to Black era.
Close up sees Dean lean into a 1960s London soul-influenced track, with punchy horn details defining the chorus, whereas Loud shifts into a more playful jazz register, showcasing some of Dean’s best vocal deliveries. Even in these nods to her influences, Dean channels the spirit of Winehouse — not by copying her, but by carrying that same sense of unmistakable individuality.
The Art of Loving ultimately feels like Olivia Dean’s moment of arrival. If Messy introduced her as a promising new voice, this record expands her horizons with the confidence of an artist unafraid to grow louder and bolder in her storytelling. Dean’s individuality remains unmistakable, certifying the album with a clarity that suggests she’s no longer just an artist to watch, but one firmly carving out her place in contemporary soul-pop music. With The Art of Loving, Olivia Dean doesn’t just document love’s complications; she turns them into the foundation of a career certainly poised for longevity.
The Art of Loving is out now via Capitol Records.