25 Songs Like Olivia Dean for Your Next Soul-Pop Obsession
Olivia Dean has become one of Britain’s most distinctive contemporary voices by combining classic soul warmth with modern pop songwriting.
If “Rein Me In” has introduced you to Dean, there’s a much bigger musical world waiting behind it.
Her sound sits somewhere between soul, jazz, pop and singer-songwriter music, which makes finding exact comparisons difficult — but also makes the search much more interesting.
Here are 25 places to go next.
1. Corinne Bailey Rae – Put Your Records On
Probably the most obvious starting point.
Warm vocals, effortless melodies and soul music presented without feeling remotely old-fashioned.
2. Cleo Sol – When I’m in Your Arms
Cleo Sol strips soul music down to something intimate and incredibly human.
If Dean’s softer performances appeal to you, start here.
3. Amy Winehouse – Tears Dry on Their Own
Winehouse combined vintage soul influences with unmistakably contemporary British personality.
The songwriting remains phenomenal.
4. Lianne La Havas – Green & Gold
La Havas brings jazz, folk and soul together with extraordinary guitar playing and one of Britain’s most expressive voices.
5. Jorja Smith – Blue Lights
A darker route from Dean into modern British R&B.
Smith’s restrained delivery makes everything feel more intimate.
6. RAYE – Worth It.
RAYE can make huge pop records, but her jazzier material demonstrates just how broad her musical vocabulary is.
7. Joy Crookes – Feet Don’t Fail Me Now
Crookes shares Dean’s ability to make classic influences feel distinctly British and contemporary.
8. Celeste – Strange
Slow, dramatic and beautifully sung.
A good choice if the emotional side of Dean’s music is what grabs you.
9. Pip Millett – Make Me Cry
Gentle neo-soul with understated production and a voice that feels extremely close to the listener.
10. Arlo Parks – Eugene
More indie than soul, but Parks shares Dean’s conversational approach to emotional songwriting.
11. Mahalia – I Wish I Missed My Ex
Modern British R&B with considerably more bite.
An excellent breakup song.
12. Yazmin Lacey – Pieces
Laid-back jazz-soul that rewards headphone listening.
13. Jordan Rakei – Sorceress
Soul, jazz and electronic production collide beautifully.
14. Tom Misch – Movie
Misch’s guitar-heavy soul-pop occupies a similar relaxed listening space.
15. Yebba – Distance
If vocals are your priority, Yebba is essential.
Her control and emotional range are extraordinary.
16. Snoh Aalegra – I Want You Around
Smooth modern soul with immaculate production.
17. Laufey – From the Start
Laufey leans further into jazz and bossa nova but appeals to many of the same listeners looking for elegant songwriting and warm arrangements.
18. Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano
Sparse, emotional and beautifully written.
19. Leon Bridges – Beyond
Bridges began closer to classic soul revivalism but has increasingly incorporated contemporary production.
20. Michael Kiwanuka – Cold Little Heart
Much bigger and more cinematic, but another brilliant example of British artists reinventing classic soul.
21. Alice Phoebe Lou – Open My Door
Soft, intimate songwriting with jazz and indie influences.
22. Bruno Major – Easily
Minimal production lets the melody and songwriting do the work.
23. Hope Tala – Lovestained
Bossa nova, R&B and pop meet in a particularly easy-going combination.
24. Eloise – Drunk on a Flight
Excellent modern jazz-pop with clever relationship writing.
25. Olivia Dean – The Hardest Part
If you arrived through “Rein Me In”, don’t forget to explore Dean herself.
Sometimes the best recommendation for somebody who likes one song by an artist is simply another great song by that artist.
What genre is Olivia Dean?
Dean is usually placed somewhere around soul-pop, neo-soul and R&B, with jazz and classic singer-songwriter influences.
But genre labels only take you so far.
The common thread across the artists above isn’t that they sound identical.
It’s warmth.
Songs built around actual performances.
Vocals that sound human rather than surgically perfect.
Arrangements with space.
And songwriting that can carry a track without relying on production tricks.
If that’s what brought you to Olivia Dean, you’ve got a lot more music to discover.