Olivia Deen took over the Crypto.com Arena for the first of two sold-out nights at the iconic Los Angeles venue of her Art of Loving Tour on Tuesday night, a moment that underscored how quickly the British singer has gone from promising up-and-coming act to bona fide star.
“It’s mental to be here after playing Fonda last time; it’s not lost on me that this is a big jump,” Dean told the crowd after performing the first two songs of her set, and also thanked fans for their support following her standout album. The art of loving “You changed my life.”
Just under a year ago, Deen said, she was performing her most recent show in Los Angeles at Hollywood’s Fonda Theater — a much smaller room that seats 1,200 people than the nearly 20,000-seat arena where the courthouse is now held. And it was only six months ago that she was on that stage during the Grammy Awards, where she gave a tearful speech after winning Best New Artist.
Dean, 27, brings an old-school artist flair to her arena, with disco balls, a jazzy horn section, and a backing band all outfitted in matching black suits and dresses. Her fans met the moment as well, wearing dresses, long skirts and other more formal attire than one might expect at a typical Los Angeles concert.
Deen matched the classic lounge singer vibe with relaxed earnestness, as she often addressed the audience advocating more togetherness, communication, self-love and being in the moment. Her show seemed particularly intimate in concert. While she spent a lot of money on the larger main stage, she also made her way to a smaller, star-shaped stage toward the middle of the venue for a few songs, getting just a few feet closer to the audience.
Dean currently has the two longest-running songs on the Hot 100, with “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” at 41 weeks on the chart and at No. 9 this week, while “Man I Need” has clocked 46 weeks and is just one spot below. However, fan response was evident to performances on her lesser-known albums such as “Something Inbetween” and “A Couple Minutes.”
She took a few seconds to enjoy the cheers after “Something Inbetween,” smiling and throwing her arms up and down as if to let the moment sink in a little longer.
Perhaps the most emotional part was before “Carmen,” the song she dedicated to her grandmother, which closed her 2023 debut album. messy. Before the song begins, she returns to the Grammy-night speech she gave in this very arena six months ago, where she told the world that she’s “here as an immigrant granddaughter.”
“She was probably the most important person in my life and made me the person I am today,” Dean said. “She came to the UK when she was 18. She had never been on a plane before, and she came from the Caribbean to London. When she was my age, she had four children. My mother was one of them, and then my mother had me, and now I can do that with my life. And as I said the last time I was on this stage, I think people like that deserve to be celebrated.”
Dean closed the hour and 45-minute set with “Man I Need,” her biggest hit, as confetti exploded into the audience during the final verse.
She’s got another show at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night, and after that, she’ll continue the sold-out tour at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
