It’s the first night of Olivia Dean’s biggest tour yet – and her first since being nominated for three BRIT Awards earlier this year. SWG3’s biggest indoor space is packed out with a pensive and respectful crowd, mostly young, with a fair amount of couples.
When Aby Coulibaly wanders out for her support slot, the Irish singer-rapper-songwriter seems a little detached. Maybe it’s nerves. She might be a little unsure of her surroundings or which song is coming next, but once her effortlessly cool and capable Lauryn Hill-esque vocals are weaving around the beats her collaborator Saoirse is laying down, none of that matters.
Combining a ’90s-influenced hip hop soul sound with words built so very specifically from her own lived experiences, she’s unexpected but intriguing – perhaps most so on a song called ‘Big Pharma’ where she unboxes the issue of TSW (topical steroid withdrawal).
With lights, mirrors and a ton of musicians, the stage set up for Olivia Dean is that of a pop star that’s properly gaining traction. And from the moment she skips on, in an awards-worthy red dress, beaming, it’s clear that we’re getting a polished, premium show.
She opens with album starter ‘UFO’ and is, from the first note, flawless. Her jazz-tinged heartbreak soul songs rarely creep past mid-tempo and, though new, sound like timeless classics. It’s immaculate and sophisticated songwriting, and her vocal range and control is stunning.
There are no rough edges in any part of the performance. Even her album title track ‘Messy’ is just so clean. It’s that neatness that probably makes her stand out most against her peers, creating this incredible suspense. It’s a tension. A drum roll.
Highlights include the brilliantly compelling piano number ‘Everybody’s Crazy’ and classy party vibes of ‘Ladies Room’. During the latter, we’re treated to solos from various members of the band.
An older tune, ‘Reason To Stay’ has a particularly sweet singalong towards the end of the set. Dean wraps up with the gorgeous ‘Dive’ – probably her finest song, with its mesmerising chorus and that signature cool control. The crowd spills back out on to Eastvale Place at an extremely civilised 9.45pm, giddy from a truly delightful show.