I’m guilty of listening to the same artists, songs, and albums over and over again and hardly ever get tired of them. However, recently I’ve had an itch for discovering new music, and I have found that a lot of newly released songs sound very similar to one another. That was until someone close to me told me to listen to Olivia Dean’s new album, “The Art of Loving.” I quickly fell in love with this album and began listening to more of Dean’s work. After listening closely to the lyrics she writes and understanding what she’s trying to convey, I think her music is something that everyone needs to hear.
“Love’s never wasted when it’s shared.”
“A Couple Minutes” Olivia Dean, 2025
I think social media has heavily influenced the idea that everyone should be independent. I’m one of those people who live by this idea and enjoy my alone time and having my own personal successes. However, I think some people have started to take this concept and interpret it in one way; that love “isn’t real” or it’s “overrated.” In my opinion, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. A lot of people oversimplify the idea of “love” and just think of it in a romantic sense, but the truth is that there are different variations of love all around you. The lyric “love’s never wasted when it’s shared” is important to consider because it broadens the idea of what love is. Love can be donating to charities, listening to your friend speak after they’ve had a hard day, or smiling at the people who walk past you on a daily basis. Though all forms of love are capable of ending in heartbreak, sharing that isn’t wasted as long as you’ve tried to make a positive influence.
“It makes me cry to think that I am able to give it back the way it gives to me.”
“I’ve Seen It” Olivia Dean, 2025
Throughout my life, I’ve been blessed with the best of friends and family who have shown me what unconditional love is. I’m very grateful for all those who have expressed their love for me in more ways than one. My loved ones have left a great impact on me, and I hope I have done and continue to do the same for them. I really like this lyric because the way people have given me love has genuinely gotten me through the hardest of days and without them, I don’t know where I would be. To think that I can make that same impact on others around me is something truly special and admirable.
“They say the grass is greener where you water it, but I don’t know if I can grow here.”
“Something Inbetween” Olivia Dean, 2025
This lyric has a lot of meanings within it. The overall meaning that I initially grasped is that sometimes you need to move to a new place in order to grow and find your true self. Though I first thought of this as literally packing up your belongings and moving to a new city, I think this can also be true in relationships/friendships that may be outdated. Sometimes we feel obligated to stay connected with people because they were there for us during a pivotal part of our life. However, I think it’s important to realize that it’s okay to break off friendships when you feel like you’re no longer growing as a person when you’re around them. I’ve found this to be true during my transition from high school to college. I still talk to several people I went to high school with, but there are some people who I don’t talk to anymore because it makes me feel stuck in a period of time that ended almost three years ago. The grass may be “greener” if you stick with talking with old friends and keep things fresh, but you have to allow yourself room to grow as well.
These are just few snippets of some of Olivia Dean’s songs that I find really meaningful. It’s been a while since I’ve found music that’s truly authentic and relatable, and I think everyone can find some purpose by listening to her music. With all of the craziness going on in the world, Olivia Dean has been able to provide an outlet for me where things don’t feel as heavy.