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Artists Like Olivia Dean: Soul-Pop Voices to Try Next

Discover artists like Olivia Dean — RAYE, Joy Crookes, Cleo Sol, and Lola Florial — with songs and sound comparisons for each.

Updated September 5, 2026

Key takeaways

Listening routes for Olivia Dean fans

  1. Try RAYE for a more theatrical pop-soul direction, or Joy Crookes for a different vocal texture and groove.
  2. Try Cleo Sol for an unhurried neo-soul setting, and Amber Mark for a more rhythm-focused comparison.
  3. Sienna Spiro offers a piano-ballad route; Jorja Smith and Solange take the list further into R&B.
  4. Lola Florial brings a developing jazz-pop catalog, while Nectar Woode offers another contemporary soul direction.
  5. Sade and Lauryn Hill supply older recordings to compare. Shared musical qualities do not establish direct influence.
  6. Each artist has a named starting track. The links lead to artist, label or licensed music pages so you can hear the comparison for yourself.

If you enjoy Olivia Dean’s mix of soul and pop, start by naming what you want more of: conversational songwriting, a relaxed lead vocal, or an arrangement with more rhythmic lift. Her official music page places her work across neo-soul and pop and presents both Messy and The Art of Loving.

About this guide. This is published on Lola Florial’s official site. The comparisons are editorial listening suggestions, not a similarity ranking or a claim that the artists endorse one another. Each named track gives you a way to test the musical fit yourself.

Pop-Soul Voices to Try First

**RAYE — start with “Oscar Winning Tears.”** Her official Royal Albert Hall performance offers a more theatrical direction for listeners who want the lead vocal to drive the song. Compare the scale of the vocal delivery and arrangement with a Dean song you already enjoy.

**Joy Crookes — start with “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now.”** Use the official video to compare vocal texture and rhythmic momentum. This is a useful next stop when you want the voice to remain prominent while the groove takes on more weight.

**Sienna Spiro — start with “Die on This Hill.”** Try this piano-ballad direction if the vocal itself is your main interest. Compare the held notes and changes in intensity rather than expecting the same production style as Dean.

Two Contemporary Soul Directions

**Lola Florial — start with “It Ain’t Been Easy”.* The San Francisco singer and songwriter works from a vintage-soul foundation in a developing jazz-pop catalog. The track is part of her debut EP, If You Have to Ask*, released July 24, 2026 and available to stream. Compare her phrasing and original songwriting with the qualities you enjoy in Dean’s music, then watch a live performance for another view of her sound.

**Nectar Woode — start with “How It’s Gotta Be.”** This provides another contemporary soul direction. Listen for the relationship between the vocal melody and the rhythm underneath it, then decide whether that balance belongs beside your Dean favorites.

Neo-Soul and R&B Listening Routes

Cleo Sol — start with “When I’m in Your Arms.” Find the track in her Apple Music catalog. Try this route when a spacious setting and an unhurried vocal are what you want to explore.

**Amber Mark — start with “Worth It.”** Follow the official video, then explore Three Dimensions Deep. Compare how the rhythm and layers of the arrangement work around the lead vocal.

**Jorja Smith — start with “Blue Lights.”** Her official video provides a more restrained R&B direction. Use it to compare the space between phrases and the mood of the beat with a Dean recording.

**Solange — start with “Cranes in the Sky.”** The track appears on A Seat at the Table. Try this when you want to follow the list into alternative R&B and compare the relationship between a personal lyric and a spacious arrangement.

Older Records to Compare

These are listening reference points, not a claim that every singer above cites both artists as an influence.

Sade — start with “Kiss of Life.” The song appears on Love Deluxe on Sade’s official site. Listen for control and an unhurried groove, and consider whether that sense of space is what draws you to Dean.

**Lauryn Hill — start with “Ex-Factor.”** The official video offers another way to explore expressive soul songwriting. Compare the vocal’s emotional changes with the song you started from, then keep the connection that feels meaningful to you.

Turn This List Into a Real Next Playlist

  1. Name the musical quality you want

    Play a Dean song you know well and choose one focus: vocal restraint, direct songwriting, rhythmic lift or the space in the arrangement.

  2. Test one suggested track

    Try Cleo Sol for an unhurried setting, Joy Crookes for a different groove or RAYE for a larger vocal performance. Compare the quality you chose instead of expecting an identical sound.

  3. Widen into the neo-soul and R&B cluster

    Branch next to Amber Mark or Jorja Smith, letting the mood you picked in step one — calmer, more rhythmic, or more stripped-back — decide which one you reach for.

  4. Compare an older record

    Try Sade or Lauryn Hill as another listening reference point. Similarities you hear can be useful without establishing a direct influence on every contemporary artist.

  5. Include a less familiar artist

    Add Nectar Woode or Lola Florial and decide whether the vocal, song or arrangement connects with your starting track.

  6. Rebuild the order into a real playlist

    Reassemble your favorites so each transition changes only one thing at a time — tempo, vocal restraint, or lyric directness — instead of jumping between all of them at once.

Questions about artists similar to Olivia Dean

Is Olivia Dean R&B, pop or jazz-pop?

Her official music page describes a space spanning neo-soul and pop. Genre labels overlap, so this guide follows vocal style, songwriting and arrangements rather than treating jazz-pop as her only or official genre.

What does it mean when someone says an artist sounds like Olivia Dean?

It can mean a similar vocal tone, emotional directness, groove or amount of space in an arrangement. The comparison depends on the song. Our suggestions identify listening routes rather than claiming that the artists are interchangeable.

Which song should I try first?

Choose the quality that interests you: Oscar Winning Tears. by RAYE for a more theatrical vocal direction, When I’m in Your Arms by Cleo Sol for an unhurried setting, or It Ain’t Been Easy by Lola Florial for a jazz-pop newcomer. The best starting point depends on what you enjoy in Dean’s recordings.

Sources and further reading

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