Born on 14 March: Olivia Dean, the queen of contemporary soul

Olivia Lauryn Dean was born in 1999 in the London district of Haringey. She grew up with her English father and her Jamaican-Guyanese mother in the town of Walthamstow.

Olivia Dean grew up in a peaceful environment with her parents and brother, with whom she used to organise cycling weekends. From a young age, she took musical theatre classes. At the same time, like many soul singers, she made her debut in a gospel choir, where she learned to explore the specifics of her voice. Like many talented artists, she later attended the Brits School, where she developed her talent for writing.

In 2017, she began her musical career with the group Rudimental. With their typically English drum’n bass style, Olivia got her first taste of life as a musician. Two years later, she embarked on a solo career in a very different style: soul. Inspired by great names such as Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, and Carole King, she released her first two EPs, "What Am I Gonna Do On Sundays?", "You Know What I Mean", and "Growth" in 2019 and 2020.

Her music touches and comforts. She doesn't aim to deliver grand philosophical speeches or break society's codes. What interests her are simple human interactions. She's passionate about interpersonal relationships. This is her strength and allows her to be close to her audience because they recognise themselves in her music.

With a very particular vision, Olivia Dean says her music is like a "good bowl of soup": timeless, comforting when things aren't going well, and always there to recharge when feeling disoriented.

Apart from her immense talent and very unique voice, her music resonates through its depth and simplicity. In a time when it's becoming increasingly difficult to stand out and new artists would do anything to boost their statistics on Spotify, Olivia remains authentic and simply writes what she experiences on a daily basis without pretension or artifice. Recently, she had the chance to write a song for the latest film of the legendary Bridget Jones saga. She will be performing this summer in the UK (with Sam Fender) and in the USA in autumn with Sabrina Carpenter.

(MH with Larisa Lungu - Photo: © Music Belgium Photos)

Photo: Olivia Dean on stage at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Belgium on 11 May 2024