The 26-year-old British neo-soul singer-songwriter Olivia Dean is experiencing a breakthrough of epic proportions. Her newfound mainstream success coincides with the release of her sophomore album, The Art of Loving, on September 26, 2025. An album that’s been certified platinum in the UK and has currently spent four weeks at the number one spot on the UK Albums Chart. With her soulful vocals and jazz influences, Dean’s songs are the epitome of easy listening.
The sonic landscape she has constructed can be best described as a modernized Motown. Dean’s cited The Supremes as a major influence, and you can hear it on her records. Rest assured there are no cheap gimmicks or pale imitations involved but rather an authentic admiration that serves as the foundation of her music. Those influences have molded her, but she isn’t bound by them. When it comes to production, Dean isn’t afraid to branch out a bit. Going as far as to incorporate the steelpan and experiment with synthesized vocals.
‘ Man I Need‘, the third single off her second album, launched the London-based singer into stardom. The upbeat pop-soul track racked up over 400 million streams on Spotify and went platinum in the US. Dean has become a TikTok darling. Her music is the soundtrack to everything from get-ready-with-me videos to weddings. She’s not only won over the hearts of the public but also awards bodies. Dean is now a first-time Grammy nominee, after having nabbed a spot in the Best New Artist category at the 68th annual Grammy Awards. A category in which she appears to be a frontrunner. With four EPs, two studio albums, and two live albums under her belt, Dean is no stranger to the music scene. If you’re not sure where to start or you’re looking to dive (pun intended) deeper into her discography, here are the 10 best Olivia Dean songs, ranked.
10. Password Change
Released in 2018, ‘ Password Change’ marked Dean’s debut as a bona fide artist. On the song she croons about the liminal space that exists between her and an unknowable lover. It’s tumultuous terrain, but Dean tackles it with ease. A quintessential offering filled with Dean-isms (melodic humming and cozy harmonies), ‘Password Change‘ worked as a fantastic introduction then, and it still does now.
9. Messy
Simply put, the title track of Dean’s debut album (an album that got her shortlisted for a Mercury Prize and earned her three Brit Award nominations) is about embracing your flaws. However, in true Olivia Dean fashion, she rejects the empty platitudes and instead opts to enact it as a mode of being. It’s a huge undertaking, but it’s one that ought to be welcomed with open arms. ‘Messy’ is a meaningful meditation that still manages to be a bit cheeky.
8. What Am I Gonna Do on Sundays?
The title track of her second EP perfectly encapsulates the longing that comes with leaving a relationship. Unconcerned with grand gestures, Dean tends to direct her focus on the mundanity of romance. For her the disruption in her routine is as agonizing as the dissolution of the relationship. One that she realizes she’s been viewing through rose-colored glasses.
7. No Man
‘ No Man‘ is the fourth track on Messy. Dean’s disappointment in an unreliable partner results in a departure from her usual upbeat records. ‘ No Man‘ is atmospheric and possesses an undeniable Bond-esque quality thanks to the prominent strings.
6. Ladies Room
Inspiration can strike anywhere, and I do mean anywhere. The basis of ‘Ladies Room’ comes from, you guessed it, the women’s bathroom. An elusive haven that exists outside of space and time. One in which drunken compliments are currency. Usually deemed as a reprieve from the party for Dean, this is the party.
5. Cross My Mind
The third track off of her 2021 EP Slowly ‘ Cross My Mind’ revolves around a simple concept: thinking of someone. At least it starts off that way; the song snowballs into an introspective record in which Dean acknowledges her faults and mulls over her struggle with self-doubt. Gentle keys, snazzy horns, smooth vocals, and a peppering of soft harmonies. If velvet was a song, this would be it.
4. The Hardest Part
As you delve deeper into Dean’s discography, the thread that binds her artistry begins to reveal itself: change. To live is to constantly evolve. To say that Dean knows this is an understatement. At this point she’s practically penned a manifesto on metamorphosis. Steadfast in her resolve, She oozes an infectious confidence on ‘ The Hardest Part,’ one that outweighs any potential heartbreak. The success of the single spawned a duet with fellow neo-soul singer-songwriter Leon Bridges.
3. Dive
‘ Before Man I Need,’ there was ‘ Dive.’ If this isn’t feel-good music, I don’t know what is. This is a song that begs to be sung at the top of your lungs. Surrendering to love is a radical act. One that seems frightening but is oh so freeing. Dean invites you to allow that feeling to wash over you. Once you do, every ounce of fear is quelled as you lean into love. ‘Dive’ peaked at #17 on the UK Singles Chart two years after its release in 2023.
2. A Couple Minutes
Sitting pretty at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100, ‘ A Couple Minutes’ is the coziest track in Dean’s discography. However, the source of that warmth isn’t from the roaring fires of love but rather the embers of a relationship that has run its course. There’s a unique texture to Dean’s vocals here that isn’t found anywhere else. Something I suspect has to do with the sample of ‘ We Had True Love’ by Hot Chocolate. There’s safety in familiarity, so who wouldn’t want a minute (or two) in a realm of sanctuary? All that being said, you should probably leave this one off your wedding playlists.
1. Carmen
‘ Carmen’ chronicles Dean’s grandmother’s, a member of the Windrush generation, emigration to England. It opens with a snippet of Carmen herself describing flying on a plane for the first time. Unsure of what lies ahead but holding onto the prospect of a new beginning in a foreign land. It’s a sentiment that rings true for most immigrants. It’s also a choice Dean isn’t sure she could’ve made, but it’s the reason why she’s here today. To those brave enough to make that choice, this jubilee is for them. The sweet sounds of steelpan give the song a celebratory feel and act as a means of paying homage to Dean’s Guyanese heritage and broader Caribbean identity. The song ends as it began, with Carmen telling her story.
As good as these studio versions are, nothing beats hearing them live. If you didn’t get an opportunity to see her when she was the opening act of Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet tour, don’t fret. Olivia Dean’s first-ever arena tour, The Art of Loving Tour, kicks off July 10. Hopefully you will be able to sing along when she plays a few deep cuts.