The Hardest Part (Olivia Dean song)

"The Hardest Part" is a song by English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean, released in August 2020 as the lead single from her second extended play, What Am I Gonna Do on Sundays? and later added onto her debut album Messy.^[1] As of June 2023, it had been streamed over 117 million times.^[2]

Released7 August 2020 (2020-08-07)

Length2:56

LabelCapitol

Songwriters

• Olivia Dean
• Bastian Langebæk
• Max Wolfgang

Quick facts Single by Olivia Dean, from the EP What Am I Gonna Do On Sundays? ...

"The Hardest Part"
Single by Olivia Dean
from the EP What Am I Gonna Do On Sundays?
Released	7 August 2020 (2020-08-07)
Length	2:56
Label	Capitol
Songwriters	Olivia Dean Bastian Langebæk Max Wolfgang
Producers	Felix Joseph Bastian Langebaek
Olivia Dean singles chronology
"Baby Come Home" (2020) "The Hardest Part" (2020) "Echo" (2020)
Olivia Dean singles chronology
"Carmen" (2023) "The Hardest Part" (duet version) (2023) "Ladies Room" (2023)
Leon Bridges singles chronology
"If You Were Mine" (2023) "The Hardest Part" (duet version) (2023) "It Was Always You (Siempre fuiste tú)" (2024)

Close

Upon release, Dean told Haste Magazine: "I had literally just come out of a really serious relationship that I was in for two years. And it really felt like the closing chapter, you know when you're closing a chapter and starting a new one. And I just didn't want to be really sad. So I just wanted to write a song that was like a positive outlook on moving on from someone and growing up, and accepting that we're different people now. And it's sad but unfortunately we can't really go back so we need to go forward. So 'The Hardest Part' was really a song that I needed to write for myself to just remind me 'You're moving on babe and you're doing OK'."^[1]

In June 2023, Dean released a re-recorded version the song with Leon Bridges, with Bridges saying: "The first time I heard 'The Hardest Part', it hit me as a 'one-listen' record. Just has that instant classic feel. Olivia paints such a beautiful world with the song and I'm honoured she asked me to join it."^[2][3]