This summer, the buzz around Olivia Dean’s name got louder and louder, as the build-up to her second album The Art Of Loving gathered pace. Ahead of its release, she announced – and sold out – four shows at The O2, and became the first British female artist to achieve three simultaneous Top 10 hits since Adele. And that’s just for starters. Here, Music Week joins the star and her team in the eye of the storm. Her longtime manager Emily Braham has seen her own career blossom in line with Dean’s, while Jo Charrington, leading the charge as president at Capitol UK alongside MD Tom Paul, believes the singer will define the future of the label. Welcome, then, to the Olivia Dean show. As she explains, “it’s kind of crazy” right now...
WORDS: Colleen Harris
PHOTOS: Gwen Trannoy
When it comes to songwriting, it isn’t just a craft for Olivia Dean – it’s a compulsion. Each track on her soon-to-be-released second album, The Art Of Loving, maps her growth, emotions and the evolution of her unmistakable voice. But even someone so devoted to her art couldn’t resist a twinge of tech curiosity.
“I’ve definitely put, ‘Write me an Olivia Dean song’ into ChatGPT, and I was like, ‘Oh God, quite interesting! I guess this is the gist of my vibe, but it’s not me,’” she affirms. “I don’t require AI to get me from A to B quicker, I like labouring over writing a song. It’s about enjoyment for me.”
Her second LP, due on September 26, proves just that, its 12 tracks best lingered over as a luxuriating whole.
The run-up to its release has seen a host of Dean tracks, both old and new, swarming the charts. While her Mercury-nominated debut album Messy (which has 83,943 sales, according to the Official Charts Company) peaked at No.4, the new campaign has yielded her first Top 10 hits in lead single Nice To Each Other and Man I Need, with Sam Fender collaboration Rein Me In also hitting No.6 in June.
In the last frame before Music Week went to press, Man I Need (71,604 sales) rose to No.2 having debuted at No.8, Nice To Each Other (248,692 sales) reached a new peak of No.7, having debuted at No.28, and Rein Me In (296,399 sales) rebounded to No.10. As such, Dean became the first UK female since Adele to land three Top 10 singles simultaneously.
The campaign has also seen The Art Of Loving’s second single, Lady Lady, hit No.38, while Messy cut Dive resurfaced to a new peak of No.31.
Dean starred on the bill at Fender’s stadium shows earlier this summer, and our interview takes place backstage at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Park, where she is due to support the Geordie chart-topper. She’s dressed in white, hair slicked back, and has a measured response to the buzz around her name.
“I mean, it’s kind of crazy; honestly, I’m not somebody who looks at the charts too much,” Dean admits. “It’s obviously amazing, but it is a bit of a dangerous game for me personally
to have that as a barometer of success. But it feels great.”
Even so, the sense of an artist on the brink of a watershed moment is unavoidable. Dean hit one million Instagram followers the week we talk and has more than 18m monthly listeners on Spotify. As Music Week went to press, Capitol UK data showed that she was averaging over 7m daily streams, as well as having eight songs in Spotify’s UK chart, two in the global chart and one in its US chart, her first in that list. The Art Of Loving was also in the Top 10 of the most pre-saved albums globally.
Dean was previously signed to EMI, before moving across to Capitol UK after Universal Music UK’s restructure last year. The newly formed Polydor Label Group – led by Ben Mortimer as president – now includes a reimagined Capitol with Jo Charrington as its president and 0207 Def Jam, led by president Alec Boateng. Capitol’s Charrington (who previously ran EMI alongside Rebecca Allen, steering the label to Music Week Awards victory in 2023 and 2024) and MD Tom Paul, are elated.
“The best thing about [the restructure] for us was it enabled us to get closer to the artist,” says Charrington, whose enthusiasm mirrors how “proud” she is to be bringing a “world-class artist” through, alongside her “world-class manager” Emily Braham, of Yo&Co Management, who was shortlisted at the Music Week Awards in 2024.
“I believe that the team Olivia has across Capitol, the Polydor Label Group and Universal, are one of the best teams in the world that any artist has,” states Charrington. “I stand by that.”
From the beginning, Braham has been a central pillar in Dean’s story. She saw the potential in a 17-year-old Dean on stage when she was a student at the BRIT School and never wavered, convinced even then that she had found a star. Her take on the new label set-up echoes Charrington’s sentiment.
“The main benefit is we gained Jo and Tom’s focus, and team members like Jamie Ahye [head of marketing (pop), Polydor Label Group] and Willem Ward [A&R],” says Braham. “We trust each other, communicate constantly and make each other laugh. For me, small teams are key.”
The appointment of Ward, previously of Black Butter, reflects a new A&R direction for The Art Of Loving.
Dean’s delicate voice glides across 12 tracks of genre-blurring pop, rich with warmth and layered harmonies. When asked how she has grown since her last album, she smiles.
“Gosh, in so many ways,” she says. “I feel like a completely different person. I know myself more, I’m more confident in my writing and what I have to say. So hopefully the music sounds more assured and intentional.”
On songs such as Man I Need, Lady Lady, So Easy (To Fall In Love) and Baby Steps, Dean is showing her playful, fun side.
“I actually think that can be scarier to do, than more sad and melancholic music,” she reasons. “I think I’ve actually felt more comfortable in that space than making uptempo music.”
Manager Braham says that, more than anything, she’s excited for the world to hear this side of Dean.
“It takes a lot of courage to be so vulnerable, to stay true to yourself and to do it all with a smile, so I hope people feel that in the record,” she says. “I hope it travels and continues to let Olivia build her live business on a global scale.”
Dean says she’s always thinking about the live show when she writes, shaping songs that will land with impact once the lights go up. That means that picking a favourite on the new LP is tricky.
“Oh, it changes all the time,” she says, without missing a beat. “I’ve really lived with the music now and I really like Man I Need, maybe that’s because it just came out, and it feels exciting to me now. But I think it was a song that I wasn’t sure about at first. It felt different, you know, uptempo and sexy, but I love it. I love that song, I love the way it makes me feel.”
For Olivia Dean, storytelling is everything. She peppers our conversation with talk of emotions and describes herself as someone with “big feelings” that she’s been able to process through the making of this album.
To bring her ideas to life, Dean brought back songwriter/ producer Matt Hales and co-writers Max Wolfgang and Bastian Langebæk, with Amy Allen, Tobias Jesso Jr and others also contributing. Bakar and PinkPantheress collaborator Zach Nahome (who worked with Dean on 2024 singles Time and Touching Toes) came on board as executive producer.
“I really trusted his ear and taste, and I learned a lot about my process,” says Dean. “He really pushed me in a lot of ways.”
Charrington admits there were moments she wasn’t sure they would pull it off in time, but Dean thrives under pressure, something the president is hugely impressed by.
“What’s so incredible about her is, every time she goes into the studio, she comes out with a great song,” says Charrington. “I’m not even joking. Some artists [will] write 100 songs for 10 good ones. She is so intentional about how she writes. It was a lot more strategic, because we know how incredible she is, and she deserves that kind of strategy.”
Creating a space to fully immerse themselves in the process, they rented a house for eight weeks in Hackney, East London. Sunlight poured through floor-to-ceiling windows, falling across the guitars neatly lined in a row, all set against a backdrop of a lush green garden. Vintage lamps added warmth, while personal touches from Dean’s home – photos on the piano, books she loves, even familiar crockery – made the place feel lived-in.
“There’s a degree of comfort when you’re making a cup of tea in your own mug,” grins Dean. “I wanted it to feel like a second home. Music had never been made there before. I was really interested in that, you know, my own space that didn’t have anyone else’s impression on it.”
At times, work and play blended seamlessly, with Dean and the team shaping songs and ideas late into the night.
“There were definitely nights,” says Dean. “I did a week writing with Max and Bastian and we stayed up and we drank red wine, and we just really got into it. It was my favourite time I’ve ever had making music, for sure.”
That sense of immersion extends into the visuals, from Dean’s music videos to her album artwork. Both of her album covers use blurred images of her profile, with exhibitions (Life Between Islands at the Tate for Messy, and All About Love in LA in homage to Bell Hooks’ book of the same name for The Art Of Loving) providing the inspiration for her own ideas.
“I always enjoy creating a world, responding to an exhibition through music and lyrics and then building visuals on top, it’s such a fun process,” says Dean. “The blur is a metaphorical tool for me, in the sense that I really want people to see themselves in the music. It’s just representative of the fact it’s me there and it’s me singing, but perhaps you see yourself in it, too.”
Live shows have long been a pillar for Dean and touring is central to the new campaign, with a 2026 UK arena run including four nights at The O2 in London, which sold out in one day.
“No one sells Olivia’s music better than her playing live,” says Tom Paul, who became a “superfan” after watching her on Glastonbury’s Lonely Hearts Club stage two years ago.
The numbers tell the story. A post-Covid live show at the Jazz Café in London for around 100 socially distanced fans has racked up in excess of seven million views on YouTube, marking what Dean calls the wow moment of her journey so far.
“That was the first time that we could afford to have a horn section on the show, and that was a big dream of mine,” says the singer. “It was so special because it was just out of Covid, so I was really hungry to play, and people were hungry to see live music. To see how that show travelled on YouTube, and how people still continue to say that they go back and watch it is, I think, a testament to the work that we put into it.”
The performance offered an early glimpse of Dean in her element, instinctively connecting with the crowd – a skill she has carried effortlessly onto bigger stages.
Playing Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage last year (wearing a T-shirt with a heart-framed image of her grandmother) marked another milestone, bringing Dean closer to her North Star.
“I mean, I’d love to headline Glastonbury one day,” she offers, with a mix of awe and possibility. “I’d really love to play some shows in Brazil, that would be really great. I’d love to go back to Japan and play some shows and just get out there, touring is so amazing.”
With each show, Dean’s reach is expanding quickly. Earlier this year she completed an Australia/New Zealand tour followed by a summer run of dates in North America.
“Olivia’s consistent excellence on stage and commitment to touring has meant she’s able to fill those rooms,” says Braham. “I also believe the work she has put into her craft, but also herself, means she is mentally and physically prepared to embark on such an ambitious tour and campaign.”
Looking ahead, Dean will take that energy to her UK arena dates next year. But first comes a US arena tour with Sabrina Carpenter, including five shows at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“I’m yet to meet her, but I’ve heard she’s lovely,” says Dean. “I’m definitely in awe of her work ethic, so I’m excited to learn and see that kind of show in action.”
As befits her rising profile, Dean has a growing army of fans, who somewhere along the line have been playfully dubbed ‘Deanos’.
“Everyone I’ve met who is a fan seems like good people,” she smiles. “You’ll always be surprised where you bump into people that are fond of your music…”
She launches into a story of one such encounter.
“I was at the carnival in Trinidad, in a tiny beach bar having dinner and someone came up to me and said, ‘Do you remember me?’” she recalls. “And I said, ‘Oh my God, did we meet at a gig in Glasgow?!’ They said, ‘Yes, I gave you a Trinidadian dollar and said you should come to Trinidad one day.’ [You] said, ‘Yes, please!’ And then here we are, all these years later, and I can’t believe you came!’”
Dean is genuinely touched by the recollection.
“I get to meet people from all over the world, people get engaged at shows and have the song as first dances [at weddings], or coming down the aisle,” she muses. “Music is powerful like that, the way it connects people.”
While touring and performing bring incredible highs, Dean remains grounded about the pressures of the industry and puts her mental health first.
“I definitely feel like I’ve done a lot of work on myself, especially in the past four years, and I’ve done a lot of therapy and understand myself so much more and how to deal with my emotions and the industry,” she explains. “I can see a lot of ways how this industry can really affect someone’s mental health, but it’s my top priority that I always feel that my mind is a good place to be. I’m really happy right now, and I’m very present and grateful, and I feel like I’m inside my dream, you know, so I’m trying to just enjoy it.”
Dean’s team is acutely aware of this. Jo Charrington often circles back to Dean’s wellbeing during our conversation. It’s clear they’re mindful not to push too hard, conscious that this stage of her career might easily tip into burnout.
With Dean at the centre, the team operates as a happy ship. Charrington and Paul talk enthusiastically about Dean’s potential to become a cornerstone artist for the label, alongside Sam Smith.
“We’re really, really proud of this album, and to have Olivia sign to us, it’s just everything,” enthuses Charrington. “To have a global mega star like Sam, and then having an artist like Olivia, who’s developing and breaking globally, she will become the spine of the label. There are already new acts that we talk to that cite Olivia as one of their favourite artists.”
Just as crucial to Dean’s success on home shores is the team managing things overseas. Tom Paul credits Nickie Owen (president international marketing, Universal Music UK) and Holly Shaw (senior campaign manager, international) for keeping the momentum strong.
“When she’s in the US or Australia, we know that she’s in safe hands with a world-class team,” he says. “When we’re asleep, someone else is thinking of Olivia Dean, when she’s in a different country, someone else is driving it all forward.”
For her part, Dean is buzzing to be working with Capitol.
“I think this is like the happiest I’ve been in the label space for a while,” she beams. “I feel supported and it’s amazing to have Jo at the helm, another boss woman who is completely in charge and just amazing at what she does, and Tom’s also excellent in his job,” notes Dean, fully aware she’s found something special. “I feel like for some artists, it’s very ‘us versus them’ with the label. But I don’t find that to be the case.”
While Dean has her sights set on Glastonbury, Charrington is eyeing the Grammys.
“One of the things that we all share between Tom, myself, Emily and Olivia, is we’re all really ambitious – we’re not scared of talking about that and challenging the status quo,” she says.
The last time Dean spoke to Music Week, in 2023, she said she’d decided to build her own “club”, referencing the traditional ‘boys’ club’ in the industry. Today, most of Dean’s team are women and she says she feels equally supported and understood by the men on her team.
“I just think life’s too short to work with people that you feel don’t respect you or respect your vision of what you’re trying to do,” declares Dean today. “I don’t believe in it.”
Charrington says the combination of herself, Braham and Dean is a powerful image for the business to see.
“I’m the only [frontline] female president at Universal, and I’m really proud to be helping bring Olivia through,” she says. “And Emily is one of the best managers we’ve ever worked with.”
Braham picks up the thread on representation.
“It is important for the world to see women like Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Doechii and Sabrina Carpenter dominating charts and festival stages,” she says. “As far as representation and equality within the industry is concerned, there is still a lot of work to do. We need to see more women, especially women of colour, populating the industry and leadership roles.”
She adds that playing a part in bringing about such change is “the ultimate dream”.
Scroll through the many photos of herself and Dean on Braham’s Instagram and you might think it was just two best mates living their best life, candid shots of “2 messy humans” at festivals and on nights out. But beneath the fun, their friendship rests on what Dean calls an “instant connection”. The trust, she adds, is something they’ve worked on over the years.
“I don’t know if I could do it without Emily,” she praises. “I really believe in the team that we’ve created and just as much as I’m in the front doing things, she’s behind the scenes making it happen. I’m very lucky, she’s my best friend.”
Braham feels exactly the same.
“More than anything, I am proud of mine and Olivia’s relationship,” she says. “I have found a true creative and business partner, but also a friend. Our ultimate goal is to have fun with what we do, and we achieve that mostly every day!”
It underscores a reality that every artist learns sooner or later: the right manager can make all the difference. Dean knows it, and she doesn’t take that for granted.
“I hear about people changing managers all the time, and I think it can be quite difficult to find that connection ,” she says. “We just committed to each other quite early on. I’m a very loyal person.”
For Braham, watching Dean’s rise from that early performance at the BRIT School feels fitting.
“It isn’t surreal because this was our plan,” she reasons. “When I saw Olivia [there], I knew at that moment she would play The O2 and I am proud of myself for realising that vision.”
Dean’s journey has been a reminder that patience pays off. Nurturing her talent over time has brought big rewards for the singer and her team, showing that letting talent develop naturally can lead to lasting success.
“We have to give young artists time and space to develop as humans as well,” says Braham. “In no other industry do we expect success so quickly, it’s unnatural.”
Braham feels the same about the nurturing of young managers.
“It was really important to take the time to develop my own skills and knowledge,” she notes. “Experience is everything and I was lucky to find mentors like Roger Ames and Chris Gentry who helped me learn my way. We must invest in artists, but also teams.”
In this climate, artists are expected to be part musician, part content creator, with plenty of industry focus on TikTok numbers, something that wasn’t a factor when Dean was starting out.
“I find that quite depressing,” the singer says. “There are a lot of really talented people that are perhaps overlooked. It’s almost like you’re expected to be a great marketing strategist as well as a singer, writer or musician, and they occupy different parts of the brain.”
Instead of selfies or talking-to-camera videos, Dean’s feed is a carefully curated mix of high-end editorial shoots, BTS stills and music video highlights. This approach lets Dean stay immersed in creating music, limiting distractions, all while keeping her TikTok numbers through the roof (she has 10 million likes).
“I try not to give it too much of my time and energy,” she explains. “I’ve always held fast in what I know I’m good at, and that is expressing true, raw emotion and storytelling.”
Before we leave her to deliver yet another live show that will no doubt form new bonds with first timers and cement existing ones, Dean says that The Art Of Loving, indeed her whole career, revolves around one thing.
“Music never dies,” she finishes. “People like to sing along to a good song that makes them feel something, and that’s what I am striving to do.”
And, in the end, that’s what matters most to Olivia Dean: music as a means of connection. Now, she’s coming for the masses...
