Olivia Dean is a British singer and songwriter who sings neo-soul music. She has a beautiful voice and writes songs that touch the heart. Olivia was born on March 14, 1999, in Haringey, London. Her dad is English, and her mom is Jamaican-Guyanese. She grew up in Highams Park, London.
Olivia is someone to watch. She started her music career singing in a gospel choir. Then she went to the BRIT School. At first, she focused on theatre but soon switched to songwriting. Dean began writing songs when she was 16. She taught herself to play guitar and piano. She got some early experience singing backup for the band Rudimental. She was on their song “Adrenaline” from their album Toast to Our Differences in 2019. In November 2019, Olivia released her first EP called OK Love You Bye. A year later, she dropped another one, What Am I Gonna Do On Sundays? Her cover of Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song hit number 19 on the UK singles chart in 2021. In June 2023, she launched her first full album, Messy. It got great reviews and was even nominated for the Mercury Prize.
Dean has made a name for herself in the music world. In 2021, she was picked as Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Then, in 2023, she earned the title of BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year. Her music is inspired by artists like Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Carole King, and The Supremes. On top of her music career, Dean works with Chanel as a brand ambassador. She also supports female empowerment and enjoys working with female directors on her music videos.
I first discovered her from her most popular track, “Dive”. This is the second track on her Messy album. The opening lines pull me in immediately: “It isn’t working/ I’m a tidal wave of question marks/ And you’re just surfing”. Dean makes note that she wants the opening words of her songs to be very meaningful and deep. The track is beautiful and whimsical. It makes me feel like I want to dance. It has a much deeper message discussing love and falling for someone. “Maybe it’s the fact that every time I fall, I lose it all/ But you got me from my head to my feet/ And I’m ready to dive right into you”. I love how she describes the feeling of falling in love while being scared and hesitant.
Her next best track is “Password Changes”. This song reminds me of Amy Winehouse. The similarity between the jazz soul feeling and the lyrics is impeccable. She includes piano, trumpets, saxophone, drums, and tambourine. The track signifies a one-sided relationship. Dean explains the feeling of trying to get to know someone, but they are so difficult to understand and read. My favorite line is, “I’m just trying to learn you/ ‘Cause your love don’t come/ With instructions”. I appreciate how she gives real-life examples. Dean sings, “We go out, you’re just on your phone/ We don’t have to stay so late/ If you would just communicate”. Many artists don’t discuss the frustrations of relationships because people don’t want to be reminded, but I love Olivia. It highlights the pain and turns it into uplifting music.
Overall, Olivia Dean is full of so much talent, passion, and potential. Her music lifts people, and it’s light-spirited and has an edge that not many artists have. Not only is her music amazing, but her aura and stage presence as a performer are breathtaking. She is a breath of fresh air. Her palate of fashion and dress choices, when she does live performances, are stunning. She always has a smile on her face and radiates joy. I can see her being the next big thing.
