It’s Olivia Dean’s world, and we are all just living in it
Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving Tour is taking over the UK before moving elsewhere across Europe
Olivia Dean landed in Manchester for night two of her biggest headline tour yet, ready to remind the thousands in attendance why she sits at the top of modern pop (and the charts).
Armed with style, star power, charisma and undeniable talent to spare, the 27-year-old phenomenon arrived at the sold-out Co-op Live arena with the confidence of an artist who knows exactly where she stands: firmly in her moment. Right now, it really feels like it’s Olivia’s world and we’re all just living in it, or, if the crowd on Sunday, April 26, was anything to go by, grooving through it.
From the moment she stepped on stage, Olivia – complete with an effortlessly cool aura and bouncy curls that would have you convinced she was a Scouser in another life – had the audience in the palm of her hand.
There was no sign of fatigue from the previous night or any of the other shows this week. This performance certainly wasn’t a rerun either, with Olivia making it feel freshly lived-in with every new interaction with the crowd.
Olivia Dean took to the B-stage to perform Loud, A Couple Minutes and The Hardest Part(Image: Lola Mansell)
Kicking things off with The Art of Living intro, the sea of polka-dot-clad fans was quickly thrown in at the deep end as the opening beats of Nice to Each Other took over the arena.
Before the chorus of the first song had even landed, the bar was set high – so high it almost made you doubt she could keep the momentum going. Of course, she did, and you’d be foolish to think otherwise.
The performer ran through a plethora of hits that highlighted the trials and tribulations of loving and allowing yourself to be loved. Split between neo-soul pop tunes and the feel-good bangers that have dominated the radio for the best part of the last few years, the 23-strong setlist allowed Olivia to shine.
The singer-songwriter’s vocals are undeniable. Accompanied by a seven-piece band and two backing singers on a 60s music show set, Olivia knew how to captivate the audience. Her main house rule was to be present and “enjoy yourself”, and it is fair to say that rule was followed.
Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving Tour ended with pink confetti during Man I Need(Image: Lola Mansell / @lolamansell )
The Sunday crowd was made up of people from all walks of life, but one thing united us – none were casual listeners. It was clear many had been following her for years (like the fan at the front holding a 2019 sign and the other poster declaring ‘we f****** love you Olivia’), while those who had discovered her more recently had taken the time to familiarise themselves with her earlier work.
So when the likes of Messy, Dive, Ok Love You Bye, landed, they were welcomed with a thunderous applause and rightfully so. Delivering hit after hit, each song was greeted with a louder roar of cheering than the one before.
With only two albums under her belt, albeit both now hugely successful, you might think Olivia would’ve struggled for song choices, but that wasn’t the case. Her spellbinding performance could easily have been mistaken for a greatest hits tour.
My personal favourite was The Hardest Part, but watching the crowd of girlfriends scream “Cause I don’t want a boyfriend” at, yes, you guessed it, their boyfriends, will be hard to top.
Olivia Dean had three outfit changes throughout the night(Image: Lola Mansell)
If you weren’t belting out the chorus of Baby Steps at full volume, you were soaking up the atmosphere as It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be built towards its bridge.
I could go on and on about the powerhouse that is Olivia Dean and her Manchester show, but it would be unfair not to mention two things.The first is the absence of Rein Me In from the setlist.
This was known before she ever stepped out on stage on the other side of the M62, but that didn’t make it any less disappointing when it wasn’t added as a surprise. This was my second time seeing Olivia live, so, hopefully third time is the charm to hear her song with Sam Fender in person.
The other point is that Olivia is no stranger to Manchester, the city has certainly given her her flowers. She picked up a combined seven accolades when Manchester hosted the BRITs and the MOBO Awards earlier this year, and performed at both.
You can probably guess where this is going, but Olivia, it is time for a Liverpool headline show. It is overdue in fact. Although that said, it doesn’t make the trip to Manchester this past weekend any less worthwhile.