As a writer and a dancer, music truly makes me feel. Sometimes that feeling is like I’m floating, an unexplainable sense of mind-body connection that makes me miss the days I danced stories on a stage. Sometimes that feeling is like I’m writing and conversing, hearing words that describe exactly what I can’t always say, with the perfect melody and pitch to express them. Music is a beautiful masterpiece of sound, feeling, and thought. Olivia Dean’s new album, The Art Of Loving, is nothing short of a musical masterpiece.
Dean, the rising British soul-pop artist, released her sophomore album The Art Of Loving on Sept. 26, 2025. Following her freshman album Messy, Dean returns with something even more intentional and intelligent. The 12-track album is an exploration of what it truly means to love, be loved, and continue to row through it all. Her lyrics are honest, her sound is rich, and her delivery comes from the heart.
When you hear Dean’s voice, it sounds like an intimate yet comfortable conversation with a close friend — soft, soulful, and entirely safe. Her lyrics don’t just relate to romance; she sings about love in every form, focusing on self-love, growth, friendship, heartbreak, and the beautiful journey of all that follows. The album feels like a dance between confidence and vulnerability, and each song’s choreography feels new yet seamless.
As someone who’s spent the majority of my life expressing emotion through movement and dance, this album really struck a chord. It’s so much more than sound — it’s a heartbeat, a rhythm, and the pulse that runs through the body when it feels deeply.
my top 5 (in no particular order)
Lady Lady
“Lady Lady” is a song that feels like you’re throwing a party for yourself. It celebrates the growth of womanhood and the feeling of conversing with future and past versions of yourself. With lyrics like “She’s always changing me without a word. And I was just, I was just getting used to her” and “That lady lady, she’s the man. I think she’s got a master plan.” Dean puts a romantic twist on the woman she once was, and the one she feels herself becoming. For me, it feels like a groovy, poised, and witty coming-of-age film wrapped into three minutes and 28 seconds and a catchy beat.
Man I Need
This track is for the girls who have learned to love themselves first. “Man I Need” is an anthem of being confident in the love you give and the love you want to receive. Dean’s vocals are assertive throughout this song, yet they’re never harsh. It’s the perfect mix of firmness, with a flirty touch, set to a beat that’ll seriously make you sing and dance all day long. This song reminds me of when you find yourself dancing in the mirror alone, or with your girls on a Friday night, excited for something new in life, because you’ve finally let go of heartbreak and hurt from the past. It’s a song that feels like wind, not the kind that’s icy and makes you turn away, but the type that refreshes your body and makes you want to run right into it.
Loud
The song “Loud” is a powerful song with layered harmonies, an array of brass instruments, and a mesmerizing vocal performance by Dean. With its gorgeous violins, “Loud” encapsulated the feeling of taking up space unapologetically and not turning down your volume despite the world asking you to be silent. Dean writes about a partner changing their mind about you once you truly open up, leaving you to wonder if you were too much or if your personality was too big. The lyrics that close out the song, “Here I am, two hands at the piano. The one I let you play. I understand if you changed your mind about me, but all you had to do was say,” reveal such truth and self-discovery. For me, “Loud” feels like the post-performance adrenaline rush and the heaving breathing full of pride after dancing your heart out and giving it all you had on stage.
Baby Steps
“Baby Steps” is a gentle and uplifting reminder that healing doesn’t have to happen all at once. In a tender voice, Dean sings about the small, hesitant, yet monumental motions of starting over. As a dancer, I hear this song in soft plies, soft jumps with pointed toes, and moments of extensions to symbolize grace after chaos. Whether it’s starting over after loss, and moving forward through grief, or rebuilding your self-worth after disappointment or heartbreak, “Baby Steps” feels like someone holding your hand when you feel alone. It’s learning new choreography after an injury when you’ve questioned if you’d ever dance the same way.
I’ve Seen It
To close out my top five, my all-time favorite, “I’ve Seen It,” feels like a clear sky and a breathtaking sunset. It feels hopeful, yet bittersweet and nostalgic, with a reflective gratitude that serves as a reminder of all the love we have received, given, and have to give. Dean’s voice here is wise; she sings about the love that is all around without ever once saying “love” itself. She brilliantly sings “Brings out the worst, brings out the best, I understand it less and less. I guess it’s been inside me all along.” to signify the way love runs through our veins and our lives, and all it takes is an open eye. She truly makes this song feel like a waltz of wisdom as she reminds us, “The more you look, the more you find, it’s all around you all the time. Catch your eye, you blink, and then it’s gone.” It’s the perfect conclusion to the album, encapsulating all that is about loving honestly, not always perfectly.
songs that speak to us all
Like every great performance, The Art of Loving has you standing still, filled with awe for moments after the final note, or final bow. Olivia Dean captures what it means to grow and give yourself grace, making every stumble a beautiful piece of choreography. Whether you’re dancing to these songs in your room or just standing still ,taking in each lyric, The Art of Loving meets you exactly where you are.