"Loud" is one of the more energetic moments on The Art of Loving , and it serves a structural function: after some of the album's quieter and more introspective tracks, this one brings the temperature up and reminds you that Dean's voice has more dynamic range than the careful, controlled end of her catalog might suggest. She can be loud. This is her choosing to be. She grew up in Hackney, went to the Brit School, and has consistently shown the versatility that institution tends to produce: she can do intimate and she can do arena-scale pop, and she knows when each approach is called for. "Loud" is the track where the arena end of her range gets its moment on an album that otherwise operates more quietly. The UK number-one album, the Grammy win, the BRIT and Mercury recognition over multiple years: Olivia Dean's trajectory has been remarkable. "Loud" is her making sure the second album is not just critically appreciated but felt in a room. It works.
Olivia Dean