A week ago, the name Olivia Dean might not have rang a bell, but the English singer has quickly risen to the top of the charts with her latest album, “The Art of Loving.” Dean’s sophomore album was released on Sept. 26, following multiple hit singles along with growing anticipation from the announcements of a tour and music videos.
Dean took inspiration from an art exhibit she attended in Los Angeles, titled “All About Love.” The exhibit was a tribute to bell hooks’ book, “All About Love,” which Dean calls her “Bible.” At the core of the album is the idea that love is a practiced art that takes time to perfect, and Dean spends the album reminding people that love is something we do, not just something we experience or suffer through, with her melancholic jazz sound that blends seamlessly into her discography.
The first track, “The Art of Loving (Intro),” is a 40-second introduction and summary with the lyrics, “It wasn’t all for nothing, yeah, you taught me something.” This song represents the entire album’s message: regardless of how or who you love, there are no regrets when you’re living your authentic self. The instrumental features piano and delicate strings, which bring out the fairytale-like, lovestruck feeling of the record.
Following the short introduction, the album gets straight to business with the second track and hit single, “Nice To Each Other.” The song sticks to Dean’s typical sound: a breezy and flirty pop style with underlying jazz and R&B textures. “Nice To Each Other” depicts a hopeless romantic trying to enjoy someone’s company while they still can. By the next track, Dean starts to focus on her own identity instead of changing herself for her partner in “Lady Lady,” which uses the familiar jazz-influenced pop tone to say you need to get comfortable with the uncomfortable instead of holding on to someone who’s already emotionally absent.
A gentle piano melody slowly leads into “Close Up,” which uses the metaphor of “Alice in Wonderland” in the phrase, “chasing rabbits” to signify pursuing a love interest who is consistently evasive and out of reach. After the relationship ends, “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” picks up the pieces as a bossa nova track about self worth, saying that no one should need to change themselves to fit into a partner’s life, they should love them as they are. As it comes to a close, the music is taken over by a dramatic ballad: “Let Alone The One You Love.” The lyrics express a sense of loss, disappointment, struggle and frustration of being held back by a relationship: “If you knew me at all, you wouldn’t try to keep me small.” Dean’s passionate vocals help display the true range of emotions that come from someone not letting you grow — inevitably forcing you to move on.
“Man I Need” marks the middle of the album, but also a turning point in Dean’s perspective on love. The jazzy and upbeat track is danceable as Dean’s confident vocals express her desire for a lover that meets her standards, telling them exactly what she wants. The album suddenly shifts to a deeply personal and honest tone as the next track, “Something Inbetween,” uses fast-paced drums and bass-like beats beneath Dean’s somber vocals that capture her seeking a balance between love and selfhood. “Loud” turns the listening experience into a cinematic and romantic atmosphere, capturing the vulnerability of acknowledging the emotional pain that comes from a breakup. The repeated lyric “the silence is so loud” reflects the core message that the absence of a person can feel consuming.
The lyrics “I won’t fall back if I fall forward” encapsulate Dean’s message in “Baby Steps,” where she leans into her soulful musicality as she recounts how far she’s come since “Nice To Each Other.” She’s learned how to trust again and move forward; even if she isn’t 100 percent healed or perfect, she is still deserving of love. Next, a string quartet, a sampled guitar riff from Hot Chocolate’s 1971 track “We Had True Love” and Dean’s smooth vocals lead the song “A Couple Minutes” as it explores reconnecting with a partner and finding bittersweet closure. It acknowledges that love is never wasted, even if it ends. Finally, the 12-track record concludes with the final title “I’ve Seen It,” which draws a mature, big-picture conclusion on love and how different forms and experiences shape people. The song ends the album with a humble and accepting view of love as an ever-present, messy and uncontrollable force that’s worth seeking even if it is challenging.
Through jazz, soul and immersive vocals, Dean’s “The Art of Loving” is a time-capsule worthy record that explores love in all forms, allowing listeners to learn and grow with Dean as she navigates her life and what love means to her.
Rating: 4.5/5
