Olivia Dean — What Am I Gonna Do On Sundays. An exclusive live performance for Vevo DSCVR ARTISTS TO WATCH 2021, an annual series highlighting those that are shaping the future of music.

When Olivia Dean sings a phrase to describe a frustration or regret, you register it quick. There’s no “figuring out” going on with the East London singer; her songwriting and performance skills unite to easily slip her emotions into a listener’s head. Check the opening of “Crosswords,” or the scene-setting that introduces the romantic irritation in “Password Change.” In just a second or two, she’s got you standing in her emotional landscape. The 21-year-old trusts the power of common lingo and simple sincerity, and she strives to have it guide her work. Although she’s wanted to be a singer since the age of eight, it hasn’t taken too long for Dean to make a dent. She’s been buzzed about since she brought “The Hardest Part” to Spotify and SoundCloud two years ago. That soul-leaning debut boasted enough magic to turn lots of heads, and bam… this fan of Motown, Jeff Buckley, Talking Heads and Paul Simon was on her way. Naturally, the career arc began much earlier. There were childhood singing competitions; her dad enjoys a clip of her chirping “Where Is Love” from the musical ‘Oliver’ when she was 11 or so. A couple of teen years were spent in London’s esteemed BRIT school, where her songwriting was honed and the rigors of musical theatre were revealed. At her final performance, a smitten audience member volunteered to be her manager. Quickly, everything got real. Dean’s ‘Ok Love You Bye’ cemented her strengths. Her calm approach helps her music work its spell; she likes to have incense and tea in hand when creating. Though she’s spent some time watching beauty vloggers to keep calm, her pandemic months have been fruitful. In late summer she took a truck around the country offering open-air, socially-distanced performances: busking on wheels. The new “What Am Gonna Do on Sundays?’ EP is gorgeous, and an album is on her mind as well. She’s told interviewers she’d love to someday stroll the Glastonbury stage, too, of course. Our Artist To Watch performances illustrate that kind of ambition. Olivia sounds strong on “The Hardest Part” and “What Am I Gonna Do On Sundays?” Bet she does ’em at Glastonbury in a couple years time.

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Director: Tash Tung
Senior Producer: Nick Calafato
Producer: Jim Wilmot
Production Coordinator: Bex Donnelly
Runner: Deshawn Hillman
Talent Relations: Carl Young
Vevo Design: Charlee Twigg/Bee Clark
Edit/Grade: Helen Duque
DP: Ben Coughlan
Steadicam: Jake Whitehouse
1st AC: Ali Baines
2nd AC: Austin Philips
Gaffer: Dave Nye
Light Op: Louise Lesley
Sound Engineer: Alex Archer
Sound Assistant: Jules Gulon
Photographer: Ryan Saradjola

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