Love has always been the ultimate muse for Olivia Dean. A “classic Olivia Dean song”, as the Londoner told Apple Music in 2023, is about how “I will fall in love with you, but not quite.” That sentiment propelled early-career songs such as Messy track “Danger” or 2021’s sublime “Slowly”, a heart-stopping exploration of just wanting to take it slow. Still, Dean also can’t resist going all in (“Dive”) or calling it off altogether; see “Be My Own Boyfriend”, which features her reliably sharp, conversational lyricism, or “Baby Steps” from 2025 album The Art of Loving. The singer-songwriter has always traded in warm, timeless soul- and jazz-inflected pop with lyrics that feel a bit like a conversation with old friend. And by 2025, everyone wanted in. “Come be the man I need,” Dean demanded on her endlessly replayable global smash “Man I Need”, with which she dominated much of 2025 and 2026 alongside “Nice to Each Other” and “Rein Me In” with Sam Fender. And as she moved from breakout name to pop superstar, Dean made it look exactly as her music has always sounded: effortless and full of love for what she does. Explore more sounds from a special, singular talent here.