“I wasn't sure about it. And then we started playing it in rehearsals, and some of my band were like, ‘This one's good, you know’”: Olivia Dean says that her biggest hit “wasn’t supposed to be a single”, and names the Motown legend who inspires her

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Olivia Dean performs 'Man I Need' on stage during The BRIT Awards 2026 at Co-op Live on February 28, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images).

Thanks to the huge success of The Art Of Loving and its multiple hit singles – Man I Need being the biggest of them – Olivia Dean is now a bonafide global star. But as she prepares to set off on her world tour, she’s revealed that she takes inspiration from an undisputed music legend.

In an interview with Hits Radio, it was put to Dean that her relaxed yet joyful performance style has similarities to that of Diana Ross, and she was happy to accept the comparison.