Dean Lewis

There’s something about Dean Lewis that feels absolutely unguarded. That’s due in equal part to his confessional yet oh-so-relatable lyrics and to the palpable quiver in his singing when his songs hit an emotional climax, as introduced on his breakout 2016 debut single “Waves”. Born Dean Lewis Grant Loaney in Sydney in 1987, Lewis wasted no time making sure that sudden success was no fluke. After the humble tune went multi-platinum in Australia and landed key placement on some high-profile American TV shows, Lewis topped it with 2018’s “Be Alright”. The lead single from his debut album, A Place We Knew, it sits at more of a simmer by comparison but still slides right under the skin, earning high spots on charts around the world. He also became an Apple Music Up Next honoree in 2019. Despite citing the influence of Oasis and Bruce Springsteen alike, Lewis often keeps his songs at a confiding quietness rather than at an anthemic roar. True to form, his heartsick second album, 2022’s The Hardest Love, feels even more personal still: see “How Do I Say Goodbye”, an autobiographical ballad about his father’s cancer diagnosis. And on 2023’s “In a Perfect World”, he duets with in-demand US songwriter Julia Michaels to wring even more emotion from the barest of elements. “It comes out so different and unique,” Lewis told Apple Music about collaborating with Michaels. “The lyrics say exactly what you want to say.”