Rising London pop-R&B artist Olivia Dean has shared her first new music of 2021, “Be My Own Boyfriend”, which follows up last year’s What Am I Gonna Do On Sundays? EP. She says:
“My last EP was very much a breakup EP, I was processing and feeling the feelings and then lockdown happened and I had to spend a lot of time by myself and look within, as we all did I feel, and I realised that I’m actually my own boyfriend. I don’t need someone else to complete me, I don’t need an other half, I’m whole, so I really wanted to write a song capturing that essence.
“It’s a very societal thing that you’re always looking for your Prince Charming or that when you meet this person that you’ll be ‘whole’ or ‘successful’, like that’s the end goal. But I think the end goal is being happy by yourself, and if you do meet someone then it’s a really cute accessory – a cute addition to my life, but it’s not completing my life. It’s not the whole look, he’s just the bag!”
“Be My Own Boyfriend” is beyond a self-empowerment anthem; Olivia Dean oozes complete comfort and confidence, already well past the need for a boost or a pep talk. “I don’t wanna get involved with all these men I’m so much better than,” she declares with barely a blink in the tripping verse. As she slides into the smooth-as-silk chorus, singing “lately I’ve been just what I need / baby I’m gonna be my own boyfriend” she has all the magnetism and charm of Anderson .Paak at his coolest. That “Be My Own Boyfriend” builds from this place of suaveness into a grandiose choral and horn-imbued finale is only right; Olivia Dean is celebrating herself, and pulling out all the stops to show just how powerful and valuable she is.
Find “Be My Own Boyfriend” on streaming platforms or watch the video below.
“Be My Own Boyfriend” is the first taste of a new EP planned for this year. For now, follow Olivia Dean on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
