About the artist: Olivia Dean is a British singer-songwriter known for her warm, soulful sound. Olivia gained widespread attention with her 2023 debut album, Messy, and later won the 2026 Grammy for Best New Artist as her 2025 album The Art of Loving pushed her even further. Her music explores themes of self-reflection, relationships, and personal growth.
About the album: The Art of Loving is Olivia Dean’s sophomore album, released on September 26, 2025, through Capitol Records UK.
Reviews:
Album Cover: I love this cover, I think it immediately gives you a sense of the type of vibe this album will have despite being quite simple. I think Olivia looks beautiful and refreshing, and that this cover captures a piece of her personality. On top of that, this album would look great as a vinyl on display in my bedroom!
I give this cover a 9/10!
Songs:
The Art of Loving (Intro) – This song is such a cute, short, perfect way to open this album. It gives you a little taste of her sound while immediately expressing incredible lyricism. I personally wouldn’t listen to this too often, but I think it’s a great way to open this album.
I give this song a 7/10.
Nice To Each Other – I love the vibe of this song, it reminds me of a warm day with a light breeze in a way. Olivia’s voice is smooth and enjoyable, and the gentle guitar melodies blend seamlessly with her sound. This song is about vulnerability in modern love, and I love how the lyrics and sound display that.
I give this one a 9/10!
Lady Lady – This song refers to flipping the traditional gender roles of women and men, and I think it’s done so beautifully. This song sends a strong message about confidence and self-assurance, yet continues the theme of smooth vocals and a slower sound. I almost wish the vocals got a bit louder or stronger at some points, but Olivia’s voice is gorgeous.
I give “Lady Lady” an 8/10.
Close Up – Not going to lie, this song started a bit too slow for me, but as the song progressed, I fell in love with it. I love the background music for this song, I love the lyrics, and how her voice works with the instrumentals. This song is another one I’d listen to on a beautiful, warm day.
Though at first I wasn’t sure, I ended up really enjoying this song. It gets an 8/10!
So Easy (To Fall In Love) – I had heard this song everywhere before listening to this album in full, and for good reason. This song is SO catchy, and a bit more upbeat. This song, as usual, has smooth, beautiful vocals, and the lyrics are so loving and fun.
I definitely catch myself singing this one all the time. I love this song, it gets a 9/10!
Let Alone The One You Love – I immediately loved the vibe of the instrumentals for this song. On top of that, the lyrics really pull at your heartstrings, they’re intended to prompt listeners to reflect on how they treat others and their loved ones. I love how this song combines this gorgeous sound with self-reflection.
This song gets an 8.5/10!
Man I Need – This is another one I had heard previously, especially since this was her Grammy performance song, but I had never heard the whole song. I love how this song is not only catchy, but it’s a statement about self-worth and knowing that you’re deserving of love. This one is a bit more upbeat than her other songs from this album, and the vibe of this one is really enjoyable.
I give “Man I Need” an 8.5/10.
Something Inbetween – I love the lyrics from this song. This song is about finding a balance between loving relationships and personal independence, something I feel strongly about as a woman in a relationship. Not only is this song so nice, beautiful, and smooth to listen to, but I love the message being sent through this one.
I give this song a 9/10.
Loud – This song is a soft, slow vibe with an outstanding orchestral arrangement. I really enjoy the lyrics of this piece and how her voice blends with the instrumentals. I do wish this song were a little bit faster at points, but overall it was quite nice!
I give “Loud” a 7/10.
Baby Steps – This song, a piece about transitioning from heartbreak to self-discovery, is such a nice song to listen to. I love music about heartbreak that focuses on the light that comes after the healing, rather than the pure pain. I also love the areas in this song where she is singing slightly deeper, it sounds so beautiful.
This song gets an 8/10!
A Couple Minutes – I love how this song opens, it reminds me of a magical princess movie. This song seamlessly blends so many different sounds to create a peaceful yet modern vibe. This song would be perfect to listen to while sipping coffee on a sunny morning.
This song has one of my favorite vibes so far. I give it a 9/10.
I’ve Seen It – This song about love without directly naming it is such a beautiful way to close out this album. I love how the guitar sounds with her voice here, this song is so soft and sweet. The lyrics of this one make me emotional, I think because part of this song is so deeply personal.
This song is a perfect song to finish up this album. I give it a 9/10.
OVERALL RATING: 8.3/10
I really enjoyed listening to this album, I think it fit Olivia Dean’s classic vibe perfectly. I loved how smooth and soft her voice is alongside the instrumentals of this album. Personally, I tend to like music that is a bit more upbeat and loud than these songs, but despite that, I still loved how they sounded and the lyrics were perfect every time.
I can’t wait to see what Olivia Dean comes out with next. She definitely earned that Grammy!
Copyright & Fair Use Notice: Album artwork is the property of its respective copyright holder and is used here for non-commercial, educational purposes under fair use (17 U.S.C. §107). This review includes commentary and criticism of both the music and the artwork.
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