On My Radar: Olivia Dean – “A Couple Minutes”
Every so often, a song comes along that doesn’t necessarily scream for your attention—but the more you listen, the more you realize there’s something really special there.
That’s exactly how I feel about Olivia Dean’s “A Couple Minutes.”
Olivia Dean is a British singer-songwriter whose music blends pop, soul and R&B, and she’s quickly becoming one of the more interesting voices in that space. Her second album, The Art of Loving, introduced a sound that’s warm, soulful and incredibly honest—and “A Couple Minutes” might be one of the best examples of that.
The song tells the story of unexpectedly reconnecting with someone you used to love. You only have a few minutes together, but suddenly all of that history comes rushing back. You still care about this person. You still know them better than almost anyone. But you also know the relationship is over.
And that’s what makes the song so good, it’s not really a breakup song. It’s a letting-go song.
There’s no anger. No revenge. No “I’m better without you” attitude. Instead, Olivia finds something beautiful in the idea that just because a relationship didn’t last doesn’t mean the love you shared was wasted.
Musically, “A Couple Minutes” has this gorgeous, understated soul-pop feel that gives Olivia plenty of room to let her voice carry the emotion. It’s intimate without being overly dramatic—and somehow makes a complicated feeling sound incredibly simple.
Olivia Dean is already getting plenty of attention, but I think “A Couple Minutes” deserves a little more of yours.
So give it a listen.
Olivia Dean – “A Couple Minutes.” It’s officially On My Radar.
