Posted 28 minutes agoThese 5 Olivia Dean Songs Could Fix Your Relationship With Self-LoveHere are her best self-care songs!by Grace WagnerCommunity ContributorApproved and edited by BuzzFeed Community TeamFacebookPinterestLink Olivia's songs will have you feeling like this! Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Via NBC Olivia Dean's rise to fame has been remarkable, transforming her from a respected UK neo soul singer into a global pop sensation. Her second album, The Art of Loving, produced multiple charting singles, including "Man I Need," "So Easy to Fall in Love," and "Nice to Each Other." Dean topped the UK charts and broke into the US Billboard Hot 100, earning her wide international recognition. Her Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and high-profile performances on shows like Saturday Night Live reflect not just stardom but influence, as she brings heartfelt songwriting and soulful pop into the mainstream. Let's dive in to her best songs to help you through! These five tracks could be the soundtrack to your healing journey. 1. "Baby Steps" View this video on YouTube Via Capitol Records "Now there's no one to text when the plane landsOr to call when it's taking offRight, left, baby stepsI'll be my own pair of safe handsIt's not the end, it's the making ofRight, left, for nowI'm taking ba ba ba baby steps." These lyrics capture the quiet ache of adjusting to life after a breakup, when small, everyday moments like texting someone after a flight suddenly feel empty. The repetition of "right, left, baby steps" acts as a mantra for moving forward slowly and gently, while rebuilding a sense of safety and self-reliance. Instead of framing the end of a relationship as a collapse, the song reframes it as a beginning, reminding the listener that "it's not the end, it's the making of." The stuttered "ba ba ba baby steps" in the chorus reflects both vulnerability and determination, showing how healing often happens in hesitant, incremental moves. 2. "The Hardest Part" View this video on YouTube Via Capitol Records "So even if I could, I wouldn't go back to where we started.I know you're still waiting, wondering where my heart is.
Praying that things won't change, but the hardest part isyou're realizing maybe I, maybe I ain't the same.
And what you're waiting for ain't there no more anyway."These lines capture the painful honesty of realizing a relationship has passed its point of no return. Olivia admits that even if she had the chance to rewind, she would not choose to go back. Something fundamental within her has shifted. The other person is still holding on, hoping for the familiar version of her, but the hardest truth is that this version no longer exists. The lyric balances empathy and inevitability. It is not about blame, but about acknowledging that change has quietly created a distance that love alone cannot bridge. She has become a completely new person. 3. "Lady Lady" View this video on YouTube @OliviaDean on YouTube "She's always changing me without a word And I was just I was just getting used to her Keep's rearranging me a little but And I was just I was just getting used to it That lady lady, she's the man I think she's got a master plan."These lyrics capture the bittersweet moment of letting go of a dream that once felt secure, making room for something new to grow. Dean describes a relationship, or possibly a former version of herself, that continues to reshape her quietly and without explanation. There is a sense of tenderness and calm resignation here. Just as she begins adjusting to who she is becoming, everything shifts once again. The repetition highlights both the instability and the unexpected comfort of that transformation, reflecting the tension between craving familiarity and accepting that change is unavoidable. 4. "The Art of Loving (Intro)" View this video on YouTube @OliviaDean on YouTube "It's the art of loving, it's the art of lovingIt wasn't all for nothing, yeah, you taught me something"Gotta throw some paint"That's what bell would saySomething lost and something gainedIn the art of loving".
These lyrics frame love as a creative practice that is messy, expressive, and full of lessons. By referencing "the art of loving" and what is gained and lost along the way, the song treats relationships not as successes or failures, but as experiences that shape who we become. The nod to "throw some paint," which echoes bell hooks' ideas about love as active and intentional work, suggests that love requires boldness, experimentation, and vulnerability. Even if things did not last, it was not all for nothing. She carries forward the wisdom and growth that came from the process itself. 5. "Man I Need" View this video on YouTube @OliviaDean on YouTube "Just come be the man I needTell me you got something to give, I want itI kinda like it when you call me "Wonderful"Whatever the type of talk it is, come on thenI gotta know you're meant to be the man I needTalk to me, talk to me".
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