Olivia Dean

Olivia Dean’s graceful voice and warm, easygoing take on soul-pop have made her an in-demand collaborator as well as a soloist who draws millions of streams on her own. Following collaborations with electronic outfit Rudimental, including a featured spot on 2018′s “Adrenaline,” her debut EP, Ok Love You Bye, appeared in 2019. The major labels came calling in time for her follow-up, 2020′s What Am I Gonna Do on Sundays?, and her genial full-length debut, 2023′s Messy.
Born in Haringey, North London and raised in Walthamstow, Olivia Lauryn Dean first came to the broader public eye at the behest of Rudimental, who invited the then-18-year-old to stand in for Emeli Sandé at a festival performance of their song “Free” in 2017. The following year, Dean became an official featured vocalist on their track “Adrenaline.” That year, she also released her own song, “Reason to Stay,” which showcased her relaxed, jazz-inflected take on adult contemporary soul.
AMF Music signed on to release her debut EP, Ok Love You Bye, in late 2019. It included singles like “Reason to Stay” and multi-million streamer “Ok Love You Bye.” EMI stepped up to co-issue her follow-up EP, What Am I Gonna Do on Sundays?, in late 2020, with the similarly successful single “The Hardest Part” on board. Issued in July 2021, her third EP, Growth (AMF/EMI), took on a slightly more sophisticated, yearning tenor, and she finished the year with an inviting orchestral cover of “The Christmas Song.”
Dean was back in a matter of months with live and acoustic tracks as well as studio singles such as the funk-injected “Danger.” The year 2023 saw Dean release the spare, vocal-effects-washed “UFO” and the effervescent soul outing “Dive.” A version of “The Hardest Part,” featuring Leon Bridges, appeared that June, just a couple weeks in advance of Dean’s full-length debut, Messy, which opened with the pairing of “UFO and “Dive.” Aqualung’s Matt Hales, Tre Jean-Marie, and prior collaborators Max Wolfgang and Bastian Langebaek were among the LP’s production team. ~ Marcy Donelson