Olivia Dean on Perfectionism and Pop Stardom

Olivia Dean graces the cover of WSJ. Magazine's Women's Fall issue, sitting down with Elias Leight for a conversation about her early career struggles, overcoming self-doubt, and conquering her perfectionism to embrace global pop stardom.

The British singer said she blacked out when she won Best New Artist at the Grammys earlier this year—a moment that capped a remarkable rise for the London-born artist. Dean scored her first music industry job in 2017, working as a backing vocalist for Rudimental. "I was terrible," she says, "but I think I brought a good vibe."

The feature also finds Dean discussing her album The Art of Loving, her relationship with breakout single "Man I Need", and meeting Stevie Wonder. It's a portrait of an artist learning to trade control for momentum—and finding grace in the process.

The issue is available now.