Olivia Dean has opened up about the unexpectedly intense reaction to her viral lyric “I don’t want a boyfriend”, featured in her 2025 single Nice to Each Other.
The British singer, known for her emotionally candid songwriting, told ELLE she was surprised by how quickly the line took off on social media.
“It’s crazy. I wasn’t trying to egg that on. I guess it’s a refreshing thing to say out loud,” she said.
The track, which blends soul, pop and introspective lyricism, struck a chord with fans for its frank approach to modern relationships. For Dean, that message came from a place of hard-won self-assurance.
“I’m very comfortable by myself and don’t feel like I need to be in a relationship to survive,” she said. “It should be additional, as opposed to filling an absence.”
The Dive singer went on to explain how her perspective on love and self-worth has evolved over time.
“It’s a really beautiful skill to love openly and easily, but sometimes it can get you into trouble,” she said. “I don’t take any shit from people. Definitely not as much as I would have done when I was younger.”
Dean’s confidence, she admits, hasn’t always come naturally. In the same interview, she revealed that performing took time to master, despite now being one of the UK’s most admired live vocalists. Studying at the BRIT School, where she met her future bandmates, helped her find her feet on stage.
“Performing didn’t come easily,” she admitted. “It took a lot of practice. I had to learn to reframe nerves as excitement.”
Olivia Dean’s message resonates because it isn’t manufactured, it’s built on honesty, boundaries, and the kind of hard self-reflection that doesn’t always make it into chart pop. And judging by the response to Nice to Each Other, she’s clearly struck a nerve.
