On Friday night, rising UK soul-pop artist Olivia Dean made her Salt Lake City debut at Soundwell. Her set was equal parts elegant, powerful, and groovy as she showcased her stunning vocals, graceful dance moves, and effortless charm.
“Hello everybody! How are we doing? It’s a Friday night and we’ve come all the way from London to see you…Enjoy yourself!” Dean said cheekily.
The singer-songwriter seemed to be in her element from the moment the first note hit— dancing across the stage, picking up various instruments, sipping her drink between songs, and sharing little stories behind each track.
One of the early highlights of the night was energetic “Ok Love You Bye.” Dean twirled, stomped, and swished her dress to the beat as her hair billowed from a fan that made her look like an ethereal goddess. Her adoring fans were already matching her energy, shouting the lyrics and grooving along.
A few songs later, she performed “Lady Lady,” a track from her upcoming album The Art of Loving, to be released on September 26th.
“This song particularly is about the universe… how it’s always changing us…This song brings me a lot of peace.”
Olivia took a swig of her drink and shifted to “Messy” from her debut album. “I feel very proud of that album and all the places it’s allowed me to go…Thank you for being here.”
Dean’s captivating presence filled up the room, her shadow dancing along with her as she hit her tambourine and swayed to the rhythm.
The energy shifted as she moved into the next part of the show. “Now we’re going to strip it down a little bit and get a little intimate,” she said as she picked up an acoustic guitar, smiling softly at the crowd.
This slower, more tender stretch of songs included “UFO,” “Touching Toes,” and “Slowly,” before Dean moved over to the piano for the thoughtful, whimsy ballad “I Could Be a Florist.” These quieter tracks gave her the ability to fully show off her vocal range and emotional depth, wowing fans.
The tempo picked up again as Olivia transitioned into more rhythmic songs. Dancing around the stage and interacting with her band during a catchy intro, the crowd clapped in sync as she shouted, “Let me see those hands Salt Lake City. Let’s go! This next song is about the girls toilets.. We’re gonna move!”
This part of the show included “Ladies Room,” “Echo,”and “It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be” among others, and the unreleased track “Man I Need,” as she traded off shaking maracas, a tambourine, and her hips.
“[This is the] first song I ever put out into the world. Look how far we’ve come,” Dean said before performing “Reason To Stay.” The crowd applauded for what seemed like several minutes while Olivia stood watching in awe, before giggling, “I’m shy.”
Dean ended the night with the fan-favorite love song “Dive,” beaming as she waved to the audience.
“Thank you so much for making our first night in Salt Lake City rock… until next time!”