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It’s all in the little things, they say, and in Olivia Dean’s new single “Touching Toes,” she delivers a tender love song about just that. Toeing the line between cliché and sincere, Dean strips back her loving feelings to their simplest form. 

The first verse details the flourishing of her romantic relationship, taking listeners through each stage. “He's over more and more/Had to give him a whole drawer/To be honest kinda like seeing his trainers by the door,” Dean sings—her voice tender. As with her full discography, her voice has a jazzy, melodic tone. The fusing of her velvety voice with her handpicked, loving words blend seamlessly. 

Quiet strings introduce the track gently, akin to her description of this newfound love. “And I feel love, like the real stuff/You don't know and then you know, that's how it goes,” she sings. Dean delicately portrays her own shift in her understanding of love: “I mean, what’s three words that wе’ve all heard…I’m understanding what they’re all about.” 

There’s a softness to her voice and lyricism, but as the song goes on, a choir-like force kicks in as the lyrics and instrumentals intensify. She begins to exclaim her love. It gets louder, more unabashed. She’s found comfort and liberation by the end of the song.

In clips online, she can’t hold back her smile as she sings “Touching Toes.” Her happiness radiates through her, enough so that her smile shines even through the heaviest sections of the production. 

Dean finished out the summer leg of her tour in August and will embark on the Australia/New Zealand shows in February of next year. Only time will tell if this radiating single will make the new setlist, but one thing’s for sure: Olivia Dean isn’t afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve.