“I wrote this song as a lullaby for myself, but it’s for you too,” a radiant Olivia Dean tells The O2 as she breaks into pared-back and tender Messy. This is typical of her – generous and soulful, all while oozing a confident ease as she shimmies across the stage top-to-toe in sparkles.
The first we see of her ahead of her six-night reign at the arena is a swaying silhouette, before the curtains pull back to reveal Dean and her band already in full swing. The soul pop star is immediately warm as she smiles through the easy-breezy Nice to Each Other. The whole set is reticent of old Hollywood glam from the suited brass trio to Dean’s retro blow out, but the messaging is timeless. You can feel the audience resonate with her honesty about love and loss, presented with an indefatigable optimism.
.jpg?w=600)
