Olivia Dean Reflects on Her Shock Grammy Best New Artist Win: ‘I Did Not Think That Was Going to Happen’

British songbird Olivia Dean has had a wild year. Between her best new artist Grammy win in February to her successful pushback on Ticketmaster to cap resale prices for her upcoming debut North American arena tour, the London-bred singer has a lot to reflect on.

That’s exactly what she did in a cover story for ELLE magazine’s Women in Music issue, where the “Nice to Each Other” star mused on her big Grammy night and riding high on charts around the world thanks to her breakthrough hit, the Billboard Pop Airplay No. 1 smash “Man I Need.”

Less than a week after taking home the coveted prize she told the magazine that she couldn’t believe this is her life. “My heart is extremely full in a way that is kind of hard to even describe. I did not think that was going to happen. I can’t lie to you. I’ve never won an award for music before,” she said of the highest accolade she’s received so far for her acclaimed sophomore full-length album, The Art of Loving.

She said the win over a ridiculously stacked roster of nominees including Addison Rae, Alex Warren, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, sombr and The Marías was all the more surreal because of her vantage point at the show. Watching Lauryn Hill participate in the all-star tribute to D’Angelo — Hill won best new artist the year Dean was born, 1999, and the singer’s middle name is Lauryn in tribute to the Fugees legend — all she could think was that it was “all the most serendipitous full-circle moment. I was just at home in London a couple of weeks ago on my sofa. Then suddenly I’m holding a Grammy, and Queen Latifah’s looking at me.”

And though she has a great crew of friends and family that keep her grounded, Dean revealed that she’s also learned the value of not letting the outside world shape how she feels about herself. So, after the Grammys win she deleted all her social media apps.

“I’ve been thinking about doing it for a while,” she said. “Even though the love has been overwhelming, even that is not healthy sometimes. I don’t think you’re supposed to know everyone’s opinion about you. And I’ve decided I want to live in sweet ignorance.”

After achieving the hard-won crossover in the U.S. that so many British artists dream of, Dean is also conscious of making sure her fans are able to come along for the ride. When the tickets to her first North American arena tour sold out so fast many of her day one fans couldn’t beat the bots to get seats, she demanded that Ticketmaster refund fans who were overcharged by resellers and cap prices going forward.

“There is no way that I’m going to get up on that stage and sing my heart out while somebody sits at home and makes $500 or $600 off of me and you,” she told the magazine. “I want people to be able to afford to come to the show. I don’t think you need to be someone who’s got loads of money to enjoy your favorite album. Full stop.”

The singer also sat down for one of ELLE’s AMA lightning rounds, saying “Nice To Each Other” best represents her as an artist because is paints her as “fun, flirty and cheeky,” with an overall message of joy and positivity. Her earliest music memory was the animated 1995 Disney film Pocahontas, specifically the ballad “Colors of the Wind,” with Dean recalling how she would sit in front of the TV and watch it over and over until her mum and granny got sick of it.

Describing the moment “Man I Need” hit the top of the Pop Airplay chart in the U.S., Dean said she was at the airport about to hit the road in the U.S. on Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet Tour having a pint and did a little cheers to celebrate her milestone. And, like a lot of fellow music nerds, she said her dream collaborator is Stevie Wonder.

Dean’s The Art of Loving North American tour will kick off on July 10 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

Watch Dean’s ELLE AMA below.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.