Olivia Dean – Growth EP (10", Pink Marble Vinyl, 5th Anniversary Edition)

Olivia Dean's Growth captures an early turning point for the London singer-songwriter: originally released in 2021, the EP helped define the warm neo-soul and pop sound that would carry her to a wider audience. Across five songs, Dean writes about self-love, independence and learning how to trust, giving the record a clear emotional focus rather than the feel of a stopgap release.

That sense of growing into yourself is what makes Growth so appealing. Songs like "Be My Own Boyfriend" and "Cross My Mind" balance intimacy with easy melodic confidence, while "Slowly" shows how much feeling Dean can bring to a small, carefully shaped arrangement. AllMusic notes that the EP took on a more sophisticated, yearning tone, and that description fits: these songs are direct and approachable, but already show Dean sharpening her songwriting voice.

This 5th anniversary edition also matters because it marks the first time Growth has been available on vinyl. For a release that sits so neatly in Dean's early catalogue, that makes this 10-inch pressing more than a souvenir: it's a welcome physical debut for an EP that helped sketch out the emotional honesty and understated style listeners now associate with her.

Features

• 10-inch, Pink Marble Vinyl, Limited 5th Anniversary Edition
• First time on vinyl