{
  "id": 3583143,
  "title": "Olivia Dean Says She Used to Think Making Pop Music Was ‘Lame’ Until ‘Man I Need’ Turned Her ‘Shame’ Into Gold",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/olivia-dean-says-she-used-to-think-making-pop-music-was-lame-until",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-26T19:38:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/olivia-dean-pop-shame-man-i-need-1236325159/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Olivia Dean, a Grammy-winning singer, has opened up about her past reluctance to embrace pop music, describing it as \"lame\" in a recent interview. The cover of The Wall Street Journal, where she graced the cover, reveals her journey from this pop music aversion to crafting chart-topping hits.\n\nDean's debut single \"Man I Need,\" released in August 2025, marked a significant turning point. Initially, she harbored a disdain for the genre, thinking \"maybe this is a bit too far, babe?\" However, she pushed through this self-imposed limitation and allowed the song to come to fruition. \"Just let go,\" was her mantra, which ultimately propelled \"Man I Need\" to achieve remarkable success.\n\nDespite initially being held back by Ella Langley's \"Choosin’ Texas\" in its pursuit of the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, \"Man I Need\" still managed to rank as the 63rd greatest No. 2 hit of all time. Dean's second album, \"The Art of Loving,\" released a month later, secured the No. 3 position on the Billboard 200 chart and produced another top five hit with \"So Easy (To Fall in Love),\" reaching No. 5 on the Hot 100.\n\nDean's collaboration with Sam Fender, \"Rein Me In,\" also made waves, climbing to No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This track continues to hold the title of the longest-running No. 1 in the U.K., with a 22-week reign at the top. Currently, Dean is on her headlining North American arena tour, \"The Art of Loving Live,\" which will conclude with shows in Austin on August 28-29.",
  "summary": "\"Man I Need\" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}