Olivia Dean found massive success with her hit song "Man I Need," but it nearly wasn't released as a single.

During a recent radio interview, Dean explained that, while she "really liked" the track, she wasn't sure if it was the best song choice to represent her 2025 album The Art of Loving, per Billboard. It wasn't until she got feedback from her band that she realized the song could be a standout single.

"I wasn't sure about it," she said. "I thought it was a little bit different, then we started playing it in rehearsals and some of my band were like, 'This one's good, you know.' I was like, 'You know what, yeah!'

Dean added, "I knew I really liked it, but I didn't know if it was representative of the whole album and the story. But I'm glad I followed through with that one."

Releasing "Man I Need" as single proved to be a good move as it has continued to remain near the top of the charts. Dean was even named Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards in February, nominated against KATSEYE, The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and Lola Young.

Speaking to Elle in a recent interview, Dean revealed that she deleted social media after her win to avoid "internet discourse" even with the love and support sent her way.

"Even though the love has been overwhelming, even that is not healthy sometimes," she said. "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."

Rob Powers