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Olivia Dean: The best new pop / R&B
OLIVIA DEAN: THE BEST NEW POP/ R&B ARTIST OF THE DECADE?
Written by Izzy Sanders
How good really is this album?
The album opens with the lead track "The Art Of Loving (Intro); the title track is a short prelude introducing the themes mentioned throughout. Dean does this effectively with a 41 second track, that has a soothing rhythm and minimal lyrics. She promotes living an authentic life as yourself, regardless of how or who you love.
The first single for the album "Nice To Each Other' explores themes of self-love and independency whilst also craving love from another. The lyric "I don't want a boyfriend" encapsulates the feeling of freedom of single life but always falling back on old ways with "Or we could be nice to each other". The way she belts this has made listeners on social media platforms relate to Miss Dean and have chosen to interpret this in different ways. She portrays herself as a hopeless romantic, who just wants to enjoy someone's company and attention while it lasts. 'So Easy (To Fall In Love)' is a beautiful track explaining the wonders of falling in love and how easy it is to love her. I love the lyrics "I'm the perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life" and "It's so easy to fall in love with me". This really does make her fans fall in love with her and her mesmerising voice. The upbeat, light-hearted rhythm expresses the feeling of having a crush nd getting butterflies from even just hearing their name. One of her slower, more melancholy songs on the album is 'Loud'. I really love the parallel Dean uses in the lyrics showing the deteriorating relationship she was in: "At my house four hands on the piano" "Here I am two hands on the piano, the one I let you play". This song is about waking up one day and realising the person you loved was only ever with you for the way you treated them, not for being you. She touches on what it's like to start a relationship without being friends first and how it becomes difficult to move on, especially when they wanted you first. The chorus of this song is so powerful; the volume is increased, and it shows her natural emotions. It really shows how raw and human she is, just like everyone else, despite being a new star.