Messy is the debut studio album by English singer Olivia Dean. The album was released on 30 June 2023 through EMI. It peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart, and is certified gold by the BPI. In 2023, it was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.
After the publication of four EP<nowiki/>s through EMI Records, Dean started working on her first full-length studio album with several producers and songwriters, including Matt Helders, Tre Jean-Marie, Bastian Langebæk, Max Wolfgang, Matt Colton and Italian musician Davide Rossi. The singer told that she was inspired by neo soul, contemporary R&B and Motown music. In a interview with Dork, Dean explained that the record project was dedicated to her grandmother and the Windrush generation:<blockquote>"I knew quite early on that I wanted the whole album to be dedicated to her. I was thinking about the reason IâÂÂm able to be where I am and signed to a label and living in London and making an album like this is that when my granny was 18, four years younger than I am now, she just changed her whole life. [...] I always wanted it to be an album in the sense that it was two halves. I wanted it to feel varied. I wanted it to be fun. I wanted there to be songs that would be fun to do live and that people could dance to, but also, when youâÂÂre living in your bed on your pillow crying, IâÂÂm there. There are no rules. You could just play around with stuff. In the second half, I really allowed myself to go there."</blockquote>
In a interview with Forbes, Dean also revealed that the album was initially going to be called Between Islands, referring to an exhibition at the Tate in London about the wind turbine generator. In an interview with Dork, the singer explained that she chose the word Messy as the title in connection with the one chosen for her previous EP, Growth, stating:<blockquote>"My last project was called Growth, so people are going to want to know what IâÂÂve grown into. [...] Then suddenly I was like: I donâÂÂt know. I think [the word] messy is a fab title because, if people listen to it and say it doesnâÂÂt sound cohesive, well, duh? Because itâÂÂs not. Well, it is, and it isnâÂÂt, but life is just messy, and people are messy, and thatâÂÂs great. ThatâÂÂs what makes things cool!"</blockquote>
Upon release, Messy received positive reviews from music critics. The album holds a score of 77 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on seven critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.
Sophie Williams of NME rated the album 4 out of 5 stars, complementing Dean's "confidence to occasionally dissect subjects that others swerve" while keeping a "mainstream" appeal. Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Izzy Sigston deemed the singer as "the master of versatility", and commended the wide range of the album. Alim Kheraj of The Guardian was a little critical of the album, hoping that "Dean will relinquish the tired neo-soul fodder to pursue the experimentation sheâÂÂs clearly capable of". However, Robin Murray of Clash called the album "a bold, impressive debut offering" while commending the album's "broad range" and "precise execution".
In the United Kingdom Messy debuted at number four on the Official Albums Chart, becoming Dean's first record to chart.
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