…And the Grammy for Best New Artist goes to Olivia Dean! A much-deserved win, but as always, the award never comes without controversy. Many critiques of Dean’s music and of Dean herself have surfaced since her win on February 1st. Olivia Dean’s music is mostly upbeat and falls into the genres of R&B, jazz, and modern pop. The backlash for her win has come from people believing that her music is “too safe” or “boring”, that she herself is “too classy,” and lastly some have even said that the way she dresses and the content of her music promotes a “trad-wife” aesthetic.
Olivia Dean is beyond talented, and her artistry reflects that in a cathartic way. Her newest album, The Art of Loving which was inspired by bell hooks’s All About Love and named after Erich Fromm’s The Art of Loving has gained significant popularity along with many of her other songs. The books she took insight from are heavily implemented into her album with her lyrics exploring love as a conscious choice, skill, and action, rather than just a feeling. Dean also takes hooks’ principle that love is a house or somewhere safe to return to and uses that throughout her album. Prime examples of this are the lyrics “God I’m gonna miss this house, but I guess I’m moving out” from her song “Lady Lady” and “Back on your sofa, of course I still care” from her song “A Couple Minutes”. Her getting insight from these books and her own lived experiences made for a body of work that truly told a story which I believe is often missing from much of today’s mainstream music. I feel that her music is not for everyone but to describe it as “too safe” or “boring” completely disregards the strategy and intellect that Olivia Dean has when it comes to creating her music.
Furthermore, I think that her style and her music go hand in hand. When Dean takes the stage, we see her in effortlessly feminine and romantic silhouettes. Her style as of late predominantly consists of skirts, dresses, and trousers on occasion. She is usually styled in luxury brands such as Burberry, Miu Miu, and Chanel. She also loves to support up-and-coming British designers like 16Arlignton, Conner Ives, and Chopova Lowena. These designers we see her in are thanks to her stylist Simone Beyene.
Simone Beyene is all about putting together looks that feel empowering and provoke show-stopping reactions. Beyene styled Dean in a stunning custom black and white Chanel gown created by Matthieu Blazy for the Grammys that was perfect for the red carpet and her acceptance speech. Olivia Dean’s style has the same feel-good vibe that much of her music has but unfortunately even her choice of garments has not gone without judgement.
Her feminine style and clean vocals have had people describe her as “too classy.” The word “too” takes precedence here because classy is not usually seen in a negative light, yet Olivia Dean is being accused of being too much of it. Olivia Dean is a woman of color that is of Jamaican-Guyanese and British descent and the comment itself is a microaggression, considering the way that Black and Brown women’s femininity has been policed in the past.
Not only have people been commenting on her classiness, but they have also accused Dean of promoting trad-wife values through the way she dresses and her consistently writing songs about love. Her songs like “No Man”, “Be My Own Boyfriend”, and “Nice to Each Other” completely debunk this allegation as they explore themes of non-traditional relationships.
I believe that Olivia Dean’s femininity is not rooted in the patriarchal femininity that many so heavily associate it with. Some equate femininity with weakness or submissiveness, which reveals more about the critics than it does about her. I feel that Olivia Dean’s femininity is self-defined, aligning more with intelligence and vulnerability, which are strengths rather than weaknesses. Her values are misaligned with the trad-wife sentiments as she is a woman of agency and free thinking which we see reflected in her interviews and lyrics.
All in all, Olivia Dean has shown much gratitude for winning Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards. The scrutiny and critiques come with the territory of great success, and her success is expected to continue and remain. The way that she presents herself and writes her music has gotten her to where she is now, and none of these judgments will change that. Dean is approaching the 2026 Brit Awards with 5 nominations, and I hope she shows up as her authentic self with complete talent, poise, and femininity.