The Art of Loving Album Review

By: Sherley Renodo

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Imagine yourself finally feeling the cold mist of rain against your skin in the middle of a long, humid day in July. You hear thunder rumbling in the distance and a cool breeze rustling the full evergreen trees. You feel the tension of the heat slowly unleash itself in the air as the rain falls, and you can finally take a good, deep breath on this hot day. This is what it feels like experiencing Olivia Dean’s second studio album, “The Art of Loving”. 

Olivia Dean, 26, is one of the several UK singer/songwriters who are currently making their mark in the U.S neo-soul music scene. This album, and Olivia as an artist herself, is a breath of fresh air, offering a sense of lighthearted, wise, and mature “joie de vivre” in this climate.

The Art of Loving is Dean’s sophomore album, which was released on September 26th, 2025 —a beautiful, wiser, and more poignant extension of her first studio album, “Messy”. Her voice is gentle but strong and centered. Dean’s vocals move like honey through clean acoustics, expressive piano, jazzy horns, and perfectly layered background vocalists that’ll make you hum along, while intersecting pop, jazz & soul seamlessly. She covers themes of heartbreak, healing, loving yourself, and taking life one step at a time. She crafted this album with warmth, vulnerability, and smooth, soulful melodies. Moreover, this album isn’t only about love in a romantic sense, but also about learning how to find pieces of love in other aspects of your life. I am going to “Dive” deep and highlight some of my favorite tracks in this album. 

1. Close Up

I really love the balance and honesty in this song. This song starts with a clear focus on her vocals, where she questions the intentions and strange feelings of distance with her partner. Her (questioning) vocals are forward, confused, and asking for clarity, along with introspective piano. The rhythm then progresses, with assuring drums and jazzy horns, where she comes to her senses about how unfairly she’s being treated in the relationship. 

“How can you get so close to someone you keep out of reach? Where does that leave me?”

Then the song peaks to a chorus of reassurance and acceptance, with a feel-good, churchy 2-step where you can’t help but clap along. The upbeat chorus, charismatic piano, cements her decision of not chasing and forcing to change something that isn’t meant to be, and that’s a solid lesson for everyone to remember. 

If you like this song, you should listen to: 

Got To Be Good – Gotts Street Park, Pip Millet

Tears Dry (Original Version) – Amy Winehouse

Best Friends, Right? – Amy Winehouse

2. So Easy (To Fall In Love)

This song encapsulates a bright, sunny day with clear blue skies in 2 minutes and 49 seconds. This is the peak of the album and an amazing energy booster. This song is happiness, hope, and enthusiasm in liquid form. Literally. It never hurts to feel like the main character in a heartfelt 2006 rom-com, and this song can easily pull you out of mundane everyday happenings. 

If you like this song, you should listen to: 

Worth It. – RAYE

Dive – Olivia Dean

3. Let Alone The One You Love

Let Alone The One You Love makes you feel the effects of heartbreak, even if you’ve never experienced such pain before. Dean expresses herself beautifully in this piece, and you’ll fully appreciate the range of her voice as she settles into lower registers in this powerful piano ballad that makes you wonder who hurt her, and if love itself, or trying to fix what’s left of it, is even worth the risk.

“And if you knew me at all, you wouldn’t try to keep me small…Who would do that to a friend, let alone the one you love?”

Personally, I adore melancholy piano ballads with raw and honest powerhouse vocals. As a massive fan of Adele’s artistry, I find this song to be very akin to Adele’s song “One And Only” in the way it’s written and executed. 

If you like this song, you should listen to: 

One And Only – Adele

I Drink Wine – Adele

Overall, I would rate this album a 9.5/10. Olivia Dean wrote a well-crafted and timeless album that stands well with music from artists like Corinne Bailey Rae, Carole King, Amy Winehouse, Cleo Sol, and Adele. This album is made complete with Olivia’s soulful and steady vocals, honest lyrics, jazz, pop, and Motown influences. If you’ve gotten this far, I’ve compiled a playlist of the songs mentioned, highlighted in this article, including a few other recommendations! 

The Art of Loving & Other Recs!