With The Art of Loving, Olivia Dean continues to prove why she’s one of the most exciting upcoming voices in British soul-pop. Olivia Dean has an extensive collection of albums, singles, and overall masterpieces that nod to jazz and gospel soul influences woven throughout.
The Art of Loving is the perfect album to play when cooking, cleaning, or otherwise wanting just to feel an appreciation for love. Dean doesn’t just celebrate love—she explores its nuances and complexities with heartbreak and betrayal, and that is what makes her album flawless.
My Top 3 Favorites
“Close Up”
This track carries a darker, more sinister tone than the rest of the album. There’s bitterness, disbelief, and exasperation, all tied together beautifully with the frustration of not knowing where you stand with someone you love—or if they even want to be with you at all. In the lines “how can you get close to someone you keep out of reach?” Dean voices the question I’m sure we’ve all thought at one point or another. Whether it’s regarding friends, roommates, or romantic relationships – it’s a question I know I’ve had before. “Close Up” feels cathartic, blending peaceful, soft vocals with cutting words that land exactly when she intends them to.
“Let Alone The One You Love”
This is one of my all-time favorite Olivia Dean songs (which is saying something). The heartbreak and devastation throughout are palpable. It feels like the counterpart to “Close Up,” – where “Close Up” embodies the anger and frustration of a breakup, “Let Alone The One You Love” captures the somber stage of asking, “if they loved me, why would they do that?” That’s the most heartbreaking question of all. This song stopped me in my tracks. Dean delivers some of the most honest breakup reflections I’ve ever heard. When she sings “Thought I was done feeling this feeling,” you realize the truth—heartbreak may fade, but it never fully disappears.
“A Couple Minutes”
This is truly one of my favorite songs on the Art of Loving. The orchestra playing right when the song begins instantly makes me smile. I can imagine slow dancing with someone to this “A Couple Minutes” in my kitchen late at night – just us two. The song isn’t inherently a peaceful or romantic song by any means, but what makes it so moving is the bittersweet lyric “love’s never wasted/when it’s shared.”
Love is never a waste. Even after heartbreak, the beauty of those memories lives on in us. That mix of tragedy and tenderness is what makes this song irresistible. Our capacity as people to love one another is such a unique and beautiful feeling that we are all lucky to experience and have with one another. I truly cannot describe how much I love “A Couple Minutes”.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
“Nice To Each Other”, “Man I Need, and “Lady Lady”
These singles, released ahead of The Art of Loving, built my excitement for the album. I still catch myself singing along in the car, grinning as soon as I hear the first chords. They’re fun, easy to listen to, and at the end of the day, we should all just be nice to each other.
“Something Inbetween”
Honestly, “Something Inbetween” is something I can relate to. It’s about wanting deep connection, love, affection, and intimacy, but being too scared to commit to someone. The lyric “love needs breathing” is such a gorgeous way to put it. We all want love, but we can’t rely on it for every ounce of our happiness. We also need to grow individually, and sometimes love helps us get there.
“Loud”
Following “Let Alone The One You Love” perfectly, “Loud” reflects the resignation that comes after heartbreak. Dean acknowledges what went wrong and that the love she imagined in “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” wasn’t the reality. Instead, it became toxic – she gave everything to someone who only took, even when she asked for nothing in return.
“Baby Steps”
I also love “Baby Steps,” which celebrates the freedom and difficulty of being single. It’s about learning to embrace your own company—something we all struggle with. “I’ll be my own safe hands” is one of my favorite lines in this song because, truly, at the end of the day, we have ourselves to fall back on – I think we forget that. It’s not easy, but we’re all taking baby steps.
“So Easy (To Fall In Love)” & “I’ve Seen It”
These two tracks feel straight out of a movie like La La Land, full of joy and movement. “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” is a pure feel-good song, impossible not to groove to. I’m obsessed with the line “I’m the perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life”—because isn’t that what we’re all looking for? I’m the most enamored with Dean for still writing and believing that love is still such a special part of this life. It’s damn near impossible not to be in a good mood after listening to these two tracks. And if you truly look for it, love really is all around.
Olivia Dean has never released anything I didn’t like. She’s one of my go-to artists, and I stand by that. The Art of Loving is gorgeously written, produced, and executed. It’s not just an album – it’s a celebration of love in all its joy and heartbreak. For me, it’s one of my favorite albums of all time.