The Art of Loving is the sound of Olivia Dean stepping fully into her glow. Warm, elegant and emotionally open without ever feeling overworked, the London songwriter’s latest record leans into soul, jazz-pop and soft-focus R&B with the kind of confidence that makes everything feel effortless.
Where many modern pop records chase moments, The Art of Loving settles into moods instead. Olivia Dean writes about relationships, vulnerability, desire and self-worth with remarkable ease, letting small emotional details do the heavy lifting. There’s intimacy in these songs without oversharing, heartbreak without melodrama, and enough groove threaded through the whole thing to keep it floating beautifully from start to finish.
Vocally, Dean remains magnetic. Her voice moves through these arrangements like silk in low light: rich, conversational and quietly devastating when it needs to be. The production follows suit too, blending classic soul textures with contemporary polish in a way that feels timeless rather than retro. Fans of Sade, Corinne Bailey Rae and Amy Winehouse will find plenty to love here.
And yes, it features ‘Man I Need’, voted triple j’s #1 song of 2025, a stunning centrepiece that captures everything people have fallen for in Olivia Dean’s music: honesty, restraint and emotional clarity wrapped in an impossibly smooth groove.
A modern soul record with old-school staying power. The kind of album that feels equally at home soundtracking sunrise coffee, late-night longing or a slow dance in the kitchen.
TRACKS:
- The Art of Loving
- Nice To Each Other
- Lady Lady
- Close Up
- So Easy (To Fall In Love)
- Let Alone The One You Love
- Man I Need
- Something Inbetween
- Loud
- Baby Steps
- A Couple Minutes
- I've Seen It
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