The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean is a beautiful expression of the different ways we, as human beings, show and experience love. Throughout the album, Dean does an excellent job of not only encompassing the positives of love, but also the embarrassing and oftentimes heartbreaking parts. She does this by including songs like “let alone the one you love.” This song specifically talks about holding on to a person who intentionally tries to hurt you and make you feel small in the name of love. A recurring lyric throughout the song “who would do that to a friend, let alone the one you love” drives home the point to listeners that when someone truly loves you, they wouldn’t intentionally do things that hurt you.

Another example of this is the song “A Couple Minutes.” The song opens with mesmerizing instrumentation, drawing listeners in instantly. She goes on to talk about loving and reminiscing about all the beautiful things about a person she no longer has in her life. There’s a quiet understanding that though I care about them, they can’t be in my life. “It’s alright, think I’m fine with the silence, there’s some good in goodbyes,” she states plainly in the song, along with a line recurring in the chorus, “love’s never wasted when it’s shared.”

My favorite song on the album is “Loud.” Dean’s use of chord structure and instrumentation creates a seductive yet tense feeling for the listener. She expresses the whirlwind of a deceiving romance, disguised as passion and flirtation. Through metaphors, she paints a vivid picture of how tantalizing the high was and how devastatingly quiet the low was. The whole song, like the entirety of the album, is a testament to Olivia Dean’s artistry and musicality. Her use of lyricism and live instrumentation creates the most beautiful expression of love and of art known today. May her career blossom, like that of the songs in her album.