The Art of Loving (album)

After the release of her debut album Messy (2023), Dean started working on her next studio album project.^[2] In an interview with Paper, Dean shared that she had been "working really hard" on the album, expressing a desire to "sing for everybody" and be welcomed with "open arms" and "love", a gesture she described as a "vulnerable" act.^[3] The album was written and recorded in a grand house in East London transformed into a live-work studio for eight weeks between March and April 2025.^[4][5]

I love [bell hooks's] book so much. It was one of those books that you wish everybody in your life could read. I thought that I would like to write an album reflecting on my understanding of love, the last two years of my life, and everything that’s happened. It’s obviously a topic that a lot of people have written songs about, I’m very aware, but I don’t think that takes away from the importance of it. I just think it was very healing for me to make. [...] I went to the studio later that day [in London]. The seed for that title, The Art of Loving, was planted, and I had some songs that I knew I wanted to use, but the majority of the album really wasn’t written until the end of March and April this year. So it’s quite recent material. I dedicated eight weeks to writing the rest of it and finishing it.

The Art of Loving consists of twelve tracks, written by Dean herself in collaboration with songwriters and producers, including Julian Bunetta, Matt Hales, Leon Michels, John Ryan, Amy Allen and Sir Nolan.^[6][7] The album is a pop and R&B record,^[8] that incorporates elements of pop and neo-soul, bossa nova, jazz pop and Motown sound.^[9][10][11]

Dean explained that the album title was inspired by American painter Mickalene Thomas' art exhibition All About Love at The Broad in Los Angeles, California, which was in response to bell hooks' books.^[4]

The album's release was preceded by several live performances, including joint appearances with Sabrina Carpenter and Sam Fender, as well as her own headlining North American tour.^[12] Dean announced The Art of Loving on 2 June 2025.^[13] The album was released on 26 September 2025 via Capitol Records and Polydor Records, issued through CD, vinyl LP, cassette, and digital formats.^[14]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.0/10[20]
Metacritic	84/100[21]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[22]
Clash	8/10[23]
DIY	[24]
The Guardian	[9]
The Independent	[25]
The Line of Best Fit	8/10[26]
NME	[10]
Pitchfork	6.9/10[8]
Rolling Stone	[27]
The Skinny	[28]

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The Art of Loving received widespread critical acclaim upon release. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Art of Loving received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from 10 critic scores.^[21] The review aggregator AnyDecentMusic? assigned the album a weighted average score of 8.0 out of 10 from 13 critic scores.^[20]

Writing for Rolling Stone, Larisha Paul praised the record as a significant artistic step forward, highlighting "Man I Need" and "Let Alone the One You Love" as career-defining moments and comparing Dean's balladry to Amy Winehouse, Adele, and early Beyoncé.^[27] Helen Brown of The Independent called it both "deep and breezy" and commended Dean's ability to "de-complicate and de-escalate romance with playful generosity."^[25] Similarly positive, Rhea Hagiwara of The Skinny saw it as "a continuation and a step forward" from her debut Messy, with a new level of "maturity and authenticity".^[28]

In The Guardian, Alexis Petridis credited Dean for shedding the "neo-soul clichés" of her debut in favour of 1970s Los Angeles-inspired pop and soft rock, while praising her understated vocals and diaristic lyrics.^[9] Clash described it as "a quiet, meditative exploration of love," while noting occasional repetitiveness in its pacing. The review nonetheless praised Dean's voice as the centrepiece of the record and "crystalline, versatile and laced with warmth".^[23] Andy Kellman of AllMusic called the album "a couple cuts above her promising debut."^[22] Emma Way of DIY said the album "is all of these lessons; from the need for independence ('Man I Need') to the art of letting go ('Let Alone the One You Love'), Olivia manages to convey all wisely, without becoming preachy."^[24] Adele Julia of The Line of Best Fit described Dean's performance as her "most compelling yet".^[26] Hannah Mylrea of NME said the album "marks the next chapter in Dean's career, one as a popstar risen."^[10]

Some criticism was more reserved. Pitchfork's Walden Green characterised Dean's voice as warm and engaging but suggested that parts of the record leaned too heavily on retro pastiche, particularly on "Close Up" and "Baby Steps".^[8]

In the United Kingdom, The Art of Loving debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with 52,366 album-equivalent units, marking Dean's first number-one album and the highest debut for a British female artist on the albums chart since Adele's 30 (2021).^[40][41] "Man I Need", the album's third single, also reached number one on the UK Singles Chart the same week as The Art of Loving's debut, making Dean the first British solo female artist to top the albums and singles charts simultaneously since Adele in 2021 with 30 and "Easy on Me".^[41] On 9 January 2026, The Art of Loving was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of 300,000 album-equivalent units.^[42]

In the United States, The Art of Loving debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart with 43,000 album-equivalent units, of which 11,000 were pure album sales.^[43] In its second week, the album rose to number seven, moving 35,000 units.^[44] On the chart dated 17 January 2026, the album rose again to a new peak position of number three.^[45] The Art of Loving was only the third album of 2025 to debut in the top ten of the Billboard 200 and reach a new peak in a subsequent week, following Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos and the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack.^[46] On 4 February 2026, The Art of Loving was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of 500,000 album-equivalent units.^[47]

In Australia, The Art of Loving debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart, the first by the artist to achieve this result, simultaneously occupying the top position in the singles chart with "Man I Need".^[48] As of April 24, 2026, the album has spent thirteen non-consecutive weeks at number one on the chart.^[49] The Art of Loving also debuted at number one on New Zealand's Official Aotearoa Music Charts, spending twenty-three non-consecutive weeks at number one.^[50] With the simultaneously number one charting of the single "Man I Need" for twenty-two weeks, Dean now holds the record for the most weeks at one for an album and a related single, surpassing ABBA's 50-year-old record with The Best of ABBA and the song "Fernando".^[51]

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[52]