White curtains, a light oak wooden floor and an organically shaped stage. A beautifully clean decor sets the mood for The Art of Loving Live tour stop at Uber Arena. The crowd awaits a spectacular performance from one of the most loved singers of the moment. She has been dominating the global charts with singles from her latest album The Art of Loving and her collaboration with Sam Fender, ‘Rein Me In’. She’s the kind of singer that reaches every generation. Children, teenagers, parents and even grandparents all seem to adore her music. A true generational artist. Welcome to the stage… Olivia Dean!
Backed by two beautifully talented backing singers and a big band, Olivia gracefully serenades the stage with the first three successful singles from her sophomore album. In quick tempo she makes sure the crowd is fully tuned in and reminds us we are here to have a great night and simply enjoy ourselves, just like she clearly enjoys singing these songs for us. It’s a beautiful feeling looking around and seeing every member of the crowd singing and dancing along to ‘Nice To Each Other’, ‘Lady Lady’ and ‘So Easy (To Fall In Love)’. Olivia has that rare kind of likeability that reaches everyone. Usually the partner who got dragged along to a concert sits still waiting for the night to end, but tonight even they are enjoying themselves to the fullest.
Olivia Dean is a true charmer. She knows exactly how to mesmerise a crowd. No endless chit chat, no forced speeches, just honest words from the heart when needed. She introduces ‘Let Alone The One You Love’ by explaining what loving someone truly means to her. According to Olivia, love is a word we throw around too easily without really thinking about what it means. She realised that, to her, love means wanting to see the person you care about win and become the best version of themselves. That feeling led her to write the beautiful song. We were already in love with the track, but hearing her sing it live with these powerful vocals nearly brings tears to our eyes. What a moment.
It’s time to strip things back for the next section of the night. The big band leaves the stage, leaving Olivia, her guitar and two guitarists to deliver some beautiful acoustic songs. Three songs from different stages of her career are brought to life in this intimate setting. We get ‘UFO’ from her debut album Messy, ‘Touching Toes’ from her EP With Love and ‘I’ve Seen It’ from her latest album. It’s a beautiful reminder that she is anything but an overnight success. Olivia has been making songs for years that all perfectly live together in the same musical world.
We love that Olivia Dean grabs every opportunity she can to remind us of her powerful grandma. We saw her do it while accepting her Grammy win last year and couldn’t be happier seeing her do it again tonight. She wrote the song ‘Carmen’ for her grandma, telling her life story and thanking her for being so strong at the age of eighteen, making sure Olivia gets to live the dream she is living today. The room falls completely silent as we all take in the heartwarming moment.
Hearing all these beautiful songs delivered with such elegance almost makes you wonder why rockstar Sam Fender invited her onto ‘Rein Me In’. Not for long though. Olivia quickly reminds us just how powerful her voice truly is with ‘Time’. The chorus of the non-album single nearly blows the roof off the arena. The big band gets to shine at its very best while Olivia sings louder and stronger than ever. We keep the energy powerful in a more emotional setting when ‘Hardest Part’ follows. It’s songs like this from her debut album that make you wonder why the world is only fully waking up to her talent now. What was everyone waiting for?
Grab your dancing shoes and let the disco ball enter the arena, because it’s time for a huge disco moment. What better way to introduce the next section of the night than with ‘Baby Steps’? The funky, soulful tune has the entire crowd on their feet, swinging their hips from left to right. For a moment it feels like we’ve stepped into an old episode of Soul Train. Especially when a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Move On Up’ follows next. Dressed in a sparkling disco gown, Olivia and the band bring nothing but good vibes to the Uber Arena, making sure there’s a smile on every face in the room.
The night is coming to an end, but not before Olivia serenades us with two of her most loved songs. Messy’s biggest moment was of course ‘Dive’. The huge song sounds better than ever inside the massive arena. We are mesmerised by every single move she makes. Olivia Dean is everything you’d want to be: classy, elegant and effortlessly cool. No bullshit, just someone here to deliver great music while genuinely enjoying herself. She’s like a magician performing without props, because the real trick is simply her insane talent. We end the night on a high with ‘Man I Need’. Olivia leaves no doubt as to why this song will still be loved a hundred years from now. It’s simply timeless. No wonder it completely explodes in a live setting. What a night!