The Art of Loving: All things love, from the honeymoon to the heartbreak
By Allyson Atendido, November 21 2025—
Love is an experience so unique, yet so universal. To love a person, whether that be another individual or even yourself, is so profound and complicated. In this 12-track record featuring breakout hits like “Man I Need” and “Nice To Each Other,” Olivia Dean was able to encapsulate that very experience.
In a world where it seems everything about love has been said and done, Dean manages to set herself apart. Her thoughtful lyricism which many women and young adults find familiarity in. Her mixing of jazz, pop, and soul are influenced by artists like Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill, and Dean’s album has perfectly curated a sound so distinctive.
As soon as you press play, you are being introduced to the message of this record through the words, “It wasn’t all for nothing / Yeah / You taught me something / […] Something lost and something gained / In the art of loving.” Throughout our lives, we meet so many people and go through so many experiences. No matter what you may be experiencing in your love life — the butterflies of a new interest, the unpredictability of an entanglement, or the grief of a separation — listeners will find resonance in this album.
Throughout the heavier tracks like “Close Up”, “Let Alone the One You Love,” “Loud,” and “Something Inbetween,” Dean captures the triumphs of partnership. She discusses topics like not being able to understand a person or their actions, not knowing why the amount of effort you give to someone isn’t returned, or not knowing where you and your partner stand and if there is even a future with that person.
Heartache is inevitable when it comes to love and “Nice To Each Other” was the first released single from this album and arguably the most popular. Dean talks about wanting to be with someone but without any pressures. I find this track refreshing in a society that looks down on things like situationships or being ‘casual’. Sometimes just to be with someone – label or not – can be so fulfilling and enjoyable. It’s the act of simply being ‘nice to each other’.
“A Couple Minutes” is a soul-filled ballad reminiscing on a past love. Not through the lens of anger or regret, but instead with fondness, expressing the nostalgia of reconnecting with someone you were once so close to. Someone who knew you inside and out. A lyric that stood out to me was, “love’s never wasted when it’s shared.” To me it symbolizes how even though a relationship may be over, that does not mean that the connection that was built is erased. Dean’s powerful vocals combined with the heartfelt lyrics this song is easily a personal favourite.
I discovered Olivia Dean through songs like “Dive” and “The Hardest Part” and ever since I have been a devoted listener and fan of her music. Following the release of singles like, “It Isn’t Perfect, but it Might Be” and “Nice To Each Other,” there was a lot of anticipation for this new record and I for one can say it did not disappoint.
Overall, The Art of Loving emphasizes the beauty of intimacy. It expresses how profound love can be both positively and negatively. Love is one of the most complex as well as the greatest emotion we as humans can experience.