It’s the art of loving something so simple yet so beautiful. Something that can bring a whole generation of 20-something girls together and say, “this is what life is about.”
Ms. Olivia Dean is a 25-year-old British singer-songwriter who is quietly but confidently becoming the representative for 20-something girls everywhere.
She’s reinventing what it means to be self-assured, soft and grounded in a time where everyone’s still trying to find where they belong.
She captures what it feels like to be both sure and unsure of yourself at the same time, and maybe that’s exactly why she resonates so deeply with 20-something-year-old women.
Now, Dean isn’t your typical pop star. There’s no hardcore choreography or flashy statement outfits. She shows up on stage with her curly hair, a smile and an energy that reassures you and says, “Hey, I’ve been there too.”
She embodies relatability. She’s the kind of girl who reminds you it’s okay to cry over someone who wasn’t right for you, but it’s also okay to dance about it after.
Her lyrics are poetic but simple. Listening to her feels like ranting with your best friend on a dorm bed at 2 a.m., half-laughing, half-crying about a situationship.
She’s just another woman navigating love, loneliness and growth, with a voice that tells hundreds of women’s stories.
Dean doesn’t glamorize sadness; she normalizes it. And that’s what makes her music so magical.
She’s the grown-up version of your teenage comfort artist, here to guide you through the next stage of growing pains.
Her newest album, “The Art of Loving,” is what really got me hooked.
What’s so great about it is that it leans more into a subtle vintage pop form of music.
Dean has said she wanted this album to explore all forms of love, not just romantic. She wanted this album to portray self-love, friendships and all of the messiness in between.
Her femininity is so effortless that you can’t help but think of her as this generation’s voice of love. Her confidence is quiet but undeniable. She makes being “soft” feel like strength again. Her music encourages vulnerability.
As Dean continues to rise, her message becomes clearer: being emotional does not make you weak; in fact, it makes you more human.
She’s proving that softness and success can actually coexist and that you can be both ambitious and gentle, confident and uncertain, all at the same time.
Her music doesn’t scream for attention; it invites you in. And in a generation where everything feels so loud, her calm, soulful energy feels all the more rare.
For the 20-something-year-old girl trying to hold it all together, Dean isn’t just a playlist addition. She’s a reminder that you’re allowed to feel, to fall apart and to rebuild all in a beautiful way.
So next time you’re walking across campus, coffee in hand and heart a little heavy, let Dean’s voice remind you that being “a work in progress” is the most beautiful thing you can be.