Olivia Dean’s second studio album, “The Art of Loving,” is a whimsical yet relatable exploration of the various stages and emotions within a romantic relationship. Blending elements of soul and pop, the album was released in September 2025 and has already gained over 16 million streams. Dean offers a fresh perspective on the trials and triumphs of love in such a poetic way that it distinguishes her work from more conventional love albums of this era. With a sound that evokes the charm of early 2000s romantic comedies, The Art of Loving invites listeners into Dean’s heartfelt world. Her poetic genius, vintage aesthetic and gorgeous lyrical skills have skyrocketed her to fame.
Dean’s “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” beautifully captures the effortless feeling of opening your heart and letting someone love you, a theme so overlooked yet so timeless and true. The artist uses playful, sweet imagery such as “icing on your cake” and “perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life,” to paint a picture of how being with her feels exciting and fun-loving. These lyrics create a bubbly, carefree mood that captures the giddy feeling of having a crush. At the same time, the song also touches on the vulnerability that comes with dating in today’s world. Lines like, “There’s no need to hide if you’re into me, cause I’m into you quite intimately,” encourage openness and honesty, reminding listeners that expressing real feelings can lead to something unexpectedly meaningful. In this track, the artist delivers a fun and refreshing message that sometimes it’s best to just go for it and see what happens.
Dean explores so many types of relationships in her album, yet one track explores the concept of a non-traditional, unlabeled love. Understandably, some might find this topic a bit uncomfortable, but Dean’s track “Nice To Each Other” runs with this to create a charmingly flirty anthem. Instead of shying away from the awkwardness and imperfections of dating, she leans into them with her witty lyrics and really draws the listeners a new picture of love. “I’ll probably crash your stupid car, and make your life a misery,” isn’t something you traditionally hear from a love song. Still, the artist’s self-deprecating yet humorous admissions are such simple and genius lyrics. They symbolize a fear of messing things up and the raw honesty in admitting you might be flawed, weird and imperfect.
Dean’s symbolism doesn’t stop at lyrics. In the music video for “Nice To Each Other,” her set and costuming are deliberately black and white, showing us a colorless world. She’s creating a feeling of being bored with the traditional and longing for an unconventionally unique love. Slowly, by the end, the set is a colorful array of houses and people are dancing in unison and harmony, giving us a sense that
she’s found exactly what she was searching for. The artist’s imagery creates a sense of fun and playfulness, even when singing about the nerve-wracking experience of falling in love.
Dean loves using poetic metaphors in her songwriting to really emphasize and encourage the listener to think deeper and really feel her music. The very title uses this technique in such a brilliant way that shows her poetic expertise. “The Art of Loving” on paper sounds like a quirky album name, but really, it tells you everything you need to know about the album. The phrase doesn’t literally mean painting love, but instead, it implies that love, like art, requires intention, passion and most importantly, effort.
Dean touches back on this idea in “Let Alone The One You Love,” singing the lyrics, “Any choice you had worth making, I’d push you to take it, no questions asked.” Dean shows that it simply takes time and effort to support someone you love. She pushes this idea subtly in a lot of her songs, but it really speaks and stands out here.
Dean’s metaphors don’t just apply to romantic relationships, but also to our relationship with ourselves. “Lady Lady” is the third track on her album, and this feels intentional. We as people are always more worried about how others might see us and not worried enough about how we view ourselves. Dean sings, “That Lady Lady she’s the man, I think she got a master plan,” which is a whimsical way of saying we are the boss of our own happiness. It’s so inspiring to see a love album touch on self-love so early in the album. Dean’s metaphor shows that it’s so important for those who are so wrapped up in others to take the time to love themselves before loving another.
With her soulful tone and impressive vocal range, Dean’s album is a powerful display of her musical talent, most notably in the two closing tracks, “A Couple Minutes” and “I’ve Seen It”. Unlike other songs on the album, “I’ve Seen It” is performed in a tired, calm tone that creates a sense of emotional vulnerability. As the final track, it leaves a lasting impression, almost like a poem being read aloud; it’s quiet, reflective and deeply personal. The smooth and almost conversational delivery of “I’ve Seen It,” combined with its minimal musical production, draws attention to the rawness of the lyrics. It forces the listener to really hear and take in what she’s saying without the distraction of a busy backtrack.
Dean also uses this technique in “A Couple Minutes” where she sings in an echoey, almost whispery voice, like a thought in the back of your mind. The whole song feels like a memory of an old love that you’re replaying in your head. The juxtaposition of upbeat instruments and bubbly vocals against the monotone and smooth sounds of “I’ve Seen It” and “A Couple Minutes” is such a wonderful example of Dean’s use of tone. A musician’s tone plays a crucial role in communicating the emotional core of a song, and Dean uses this skill so elegantly.
“The Art of Loving” is a carefully crafted story that paints the ebbs and flows of a relationship like a beautiful ocean of emotion. From the carefree and flirty energy of tracks like “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” and “Nice To Each Other,” to the poetic vulnerability of “I’ve Seen It”, Dean captures both the joy and the uncertainty that come with opening yourself up to love. “The Art of Loving” invites listeners to reflect on their own experiences with love and reminds us that the beauty of relationships often lies in its complexity.