Olivia Dean

With her latest record, music's new big sister is bending the rules of genre with confidence, joy and a deep love for unabashed womanhood.

- CHANDREYEE RAY

Olivia Dean is not afraid to disappear. "Did you ever see I May Destroy You? When Michaela Coel said that she had needed to disappear in order to make the show, that really stuck with me. Because-thank god she did." Dean says.

The singer is speaking to me from her apartment in London on a Monday morning. Dressed simply, she is a vision of curls cascading down her shoulders, smooth skin, deep brown almond eyes and a blinding smile. She speaks with natural rhythm, nearly hypnotic with her beautiful deep voice. And yet, despite the superstar qualities bursting out of her, she feels like a friend.

"What she said made me feel okay with not constantly being in people's faces. At the start of my career, I used to worry about whether I was posting enough on social media. But now, I like the idea of stepping back and doing your own thing for a little while, especially while you create the next thing for your audience to enjoy." Dean's wisdom shows in her discography. It is her ability.

to retreat and self-excavate that allows her to create music that penetrates the heart so fully, even at 25 years old. Tender lyrics that read like poetry capture emotions buried deep; pop-soul melodies infuse beloved retro genres with a glossy, contemporary sound.

Dean's creamy, jazz-tinged voice is the delicious cherry on top.

Our conversation has taken this turn because we are discussing 'Time', Dean's latest record and her first time releasing music in a year. Upon first listen, the track hits like a surprise.

Dean agrees happily with that diagnosis. "I'm not interested in staying in the box of what I've already done. When I first wrote 'Time', I was quite scared of it. But I knew that fear meant I had to follow it because it reflected an emotion I hadn't explored before.

It's a very angry song, I think," she says thoughtfully.