Record of the Week: Olivia Dean’s ‘The Art of Loving’ (2025)

Pop music is not necessarily in a great place. TikTok and streaming have incentivized short, gimmicky songs with few interesting instrumental elements and a low ceiling for vocal talent.It’s with this in mind that Olivia Dean’s second album, “The Art of Loving,” is such a delight. Ms. Dean, a London-based pop singer, is a traditionalist. Her songs have intros and bridges. They tell stories, and they have key changes, and her voice is soulful and elegant.It’s unsurprising when one listens to her record that she finds Amy Winehouse and Carole King such an inspiration. Though her 2023 debut, “Messy,” showed potential, she lives up to it on her second record, and I’m glad to have it in my vinyl collection.“Nice to You,” the lead single, is a light Fleetwood Mac-inspired track about the uncommitted early stage of a possible relationship. “Man I Need” is one of the best pop songs of the year — a groovy, danceable, anthemic, 1980s gospel pop-inspired banger that deserves to be on a rom-com soundtrack.What’s so impressive about the album is not that it’s well written and well performed, but that it’s such a relaxing, easy listen. It’s not clawing for attention. It’s not a display of vocal tricks. It’s well-done music in a beautiful package.The record I purchased was the Amazon exclusive pink vinyl, which comes with a well-pressed light pink vinyl in a well-printed sleeve and includes a central booklet of lyrics and photographs from her studio sessions. It’s the best pop album of the year and deserves to be in one’s vinyl collection.

Record of the Week: Olivia Dean’s ‘The Art of Loving’ (2025)

Record of the Week: Olivia Dean’s ‘The Art of Loving’ (2025)

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