The Joy of Olivia Dean

It is early May, and Olivia Dean is holding a three-night residency in West London’s Eventim Apollo. The room is bathed in golden light as a bass line vibrates through the stirring crowd. Dean’s ethereal vocals shine through a silhouetted backdrop as she sings the first notes of UFO, the first track of her debut album Messy. This is the beginning of her new album- Live at the Eventim Apollo.

Olivia Dean is wrapping up a career-defining 2024.

Album Art for "Live at the Eventim Apollo"

In just a year, the 25-year-old Mercury Prize-nominated neo-soul singer garnered serious accolades. Dean was featured on the cover of Vogue Singapore, nominated for three Brit Awards (including British Artist of the Year), and performed across the world for the Messy tour.

Part of Dean’s allure is her devotion to honoring her roots. The daughter of an English father and a Jamaican-Guyanese mother, Dean brings elements of her multi-cultural background into her music. She honors her heritage throughout key milestones in her career.

In 2024, Olivia Dean performed on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury, wearing a custom Chopova Lowena tank featuring a picture of her grandmother surrounded by a crystal heart on her chest. The story of whom is memorialized in her song Carmen.

The emotion behind the track transcends the lyrics. The song begins with her grandmother’s voice, and what ensues is a celebration of her life and a promise to remember.

“Carmen” is a love letter to my granny and an ode to the Windrush generation,” said Dean. “I wanted to write a song of celebration that encapsulated the beautiful cross-culture that was created by the Caribbean community in the UK.”

Olivia Dean performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.

Her stardom doesn’t eclipse her advocacy. Dean’s affinity for activism may run in the family. Her mother, Christine Dean, was appointed the first Black deputy leader of the Women’s Equality Party in 2020.

‘It’s as though sometimes I have this little feminist… inside my heart, and she just doesn’t allow me to do anything that doesn’t align with those values,” Dean tells The Standard.

This sentiment is prevalent throughout her music catalogue. Tracks like “Be My Own Boyfriend” and “Ladies Room” are beacons of women's empowerment and stepping into your own power.

“Women are amazing and we don’t get enough credit,” Dean tells Vogue Singapore. “The main motivation behind my music is to lift women up.”

Witnessing an artist as powerful and enchanting as Dean is so early in their career is rare. Her vocal prowess is exhilarating, and it shines through in the live album.

You are transported to Hammersmith, buzzing with the adrenaline of the crowd as Dean’s joy radiates through each track. You almost have to hold your breath as Dean sings “Everybody’s Crazy”. As the crowd begins to harmonize with her (a phenomenon that occurs throughout the night), the effect is overwhelming.

The only thing better than this album would’ve been to witness it firsthand.

Listen to "Live at the Eventim Apollo"