Olivia Dean Reveals ‘Man I Need’ Was Almost Not a Single Even Though She ‘Really Liked It’
The singer shared it was rehearsing with her band that helped her change her mind.
While waiting for the man she needs, Olivia Dean gave the world a song we need.
In a Tuesday (April 13) interview with Hits Radio, Dean spoke about what it’s like to be living her dreams, meeting some of her music icons and her upcoming tour. In the conversation with host Marvin Humes, the 2026 Grammys’ Best New Artist also shared that her Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 hit “Man I Need,” off her album The Art of Loving, was not supposed to be released as a single.
“I wasn’t sure about it,” Dean shared about the track’s potential as a single. “I thought it was a little bit different.”
Dean then said it wasn’t until she and her band began playing “Man I Need” together during rehearsals that she started to feel differently toward the song.
“I knew I really liked it. But I didn’t know if it was representative of the whole album and the story,” Dean replied when Humes asks if she thought the song would be a hit upon leaving the studio. “But I’m glad I followed through with that one.”
The singer shared that though “Man I Need” did end up making the cut as a single, there were “loads” of other songs that did not make their way onto The Art of Loving. Fans hoping to hear some of the tracks still in her vault might get to do so one day. “I might still do something with them,” Dean teased.
Her plan to release “Man I Need” as a single obviously worked out in the British singer’s favor. With a peak at No. 2 so far, the song has spent 20 weeks and counting in the Hot 100’s top 10. The track is also making history. “Man I Need” topped Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay, Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay charts, making Dean the first woman to top these three lists since Adele did the same with “Hello” in 2015-16.
Watch Dean’s full Hits Radio interview below.
