Messy (album)

Messy is the debut studio album by English singer Olivia Dean. The album was released on 30 June 2023 through EMI.[3][4] The album was shortlisted for the 2023 Mercury Prize.[5]

Messy
Studio album by
Olivia Dean
Released30 June 2023 (2023-06-30)
Genre
Length35:28
LabelEMI
Producer
Singles from Messy
  1. "Danger"
    Released: 18 October 2022
  2. "UFO"
    Released: 31 January 2023
  3. "Dive"
    Released: 28 March 2023
  4. "Carmen"
    Released: 26 May 2023
  5. "The Hardest Part"
    Released: 16 June 2023

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
NME[7]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[8]
The Guardian[9]
Clash8/10[10]

Messy received a score of 77 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on seven critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[6] Sophie Williams of NME rated the album 4 out of 5 stars complementing Dean's "confidence to occasionally dissect subjects that others swerve" while keeping a "mainstream" appeal.[11] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Izzy Sigston deemed the singer as "the master of versatility",[12] and commended the wide range of the album.

Alim Kheraj of The Guardian was a little critical of the album hoping "Dean will relinquish the tired neo-soul fodder to pursue the experimentation she’s clearly capable of".[9]However, Robin Murray of Clash called the album "a bold, impressive debut offering" while commending the album's "broad range" and "precise execution".[10]

Track listing
Messy track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."UFO"
Hales2:34
2."Dive"
  • Dean
  • Bastian Langebæk
  • Max Wolfgang
3:20
3."Ladies Room"
  • Dean
  • Britten Newbill
  • Aston Rudi
  • Hales
  • Rudi
3:40
4."No Man"
  • Dean
  • DetoNate
  • Hales
  • Tekiva Ledwidge
  • Andrew Sarlo
  • Sinai Tedros
Hales2:59
5."Dangerously Easy"
  • Dean
  • Hales
Hales2:43
6."Getting There (Interlude)"
  • Dean
  • Deschanel Gordon
  • Hales
  • Taran Martino
  • Joel Waters
  • Finn Zeferino-Birchall
Hales1:46
7."Danger"
  • Dean
  • Ledwidge
  • Jean-Marie
  • Ilsey Juber
  • DetoNate
  • Jean-Marie
2:55
8."The Hardest Part"
  • Dean
  • Langebæk
  • Wolfgang
  • Langebæk
  • Felix Joseph[a]
  • Cameron Gower Poole[v]
2:56
9."I Could Be a Florist"
  • Dean
  • Langebæk
  • Newbill
  • Wolfgang
Wolfgang1:21
10."Messy"
  • Dean
  • Hales
  • Sarlo
Hales3:43
11."Everybody's Crazy"
  • Dean
  • Joseph
Joseph2:43
12."Carmen"
  • Dean
  • Hales
Hales4:48
Total length:35:28

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer.
  • ^[v] signifies a vocal producer.

Personnel

Musicians

  • Olivia Dean – vocals (all tracks), percussion (tracks 2–6, 10, 12), piano (9)
  • Matt Hales – programming (1, 3–6, 10, 12), piano (1, 4–6, 10, 12), keyboards (1, 4–6, 12), guitar (1), vocal programming (3); Moog bass, synthesizer (10)
  • Taran Stormes Martino – acoustic guitar (1), guitar (2–6, 10, 12)
  • Finn Zeferino-Birchall – bass guitar (1–6, 10, 12)
  • Kaidi Akinnibi – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone (2, 3, 12)
  • Max Wolfgang – bass guitar (2, 8); piano, percussion (2, 9); guitar, keyboards, synthesizer (9)
  • Dan See – drums (2, 4, 8, 10, 12), percussion (2, 3, 10, 12), timpani (4)
  • Tre Jean-Marie – keyboards, programming (2, 7); bass guitar, drums, horns, keyboards, synthesizer (7)
  • Joel Waters – percussion (2), drums (3, 5, 6)
  • Deschanel Gordon – Rhodes (2), keyboards (3), organ (4–6, 12)
  • Elias Jordan Atkinson – trumpet (2, 3, 12), flugelhorn (10)
  • James Wade-Sired – trombone (2, 3, 12)
  • Davide Rossi – strings, string arrangement (4)
  • DetoNate – bass guitar, drums, horns, keyboards, programming, synthesizer (7)
  • Bastian Langebæk – keyboards (8)
  • Felix Joseph – programming (8)
  • Huw Foster – bass guitar (11)
  • Russell Ramesh Roberts – percussion (12)

Technical

  • Matt Colton – mastering
  • Nathan Boddy – mixing (1, 4–12)
  • Manon Grandjean – mixing (2, 3)
  • Daniel Moyler – engineering (1–6, 10, 12)
  • Matt Hales – engineering (2–6, 10, 12
  • Bastian Langebæk – engineering (2, 8)
  • Tre Jean-Marie – engineering (2, 7)
  • Felix Joseph – engineering (8, 11)
  • Max Wolfgang – engineering (9)
  • James Pinfield-Wells – engineering assistance (1–6, 10, 12)
  • Andrew Sarlo – additional engineering (10)

Visuals

  • Olivia Dean – creative direction, photography, design
  • Emily Braham – creative direction, design
  • Rory Dewar – design
  • Felix Joseph – photography
  • Danl KM – photography
  • Petros Studio – photography
  • Emily Anderson – illustration

Charts
Chart performance for Messy
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[13] 107
French Albums (SNEP)[14] 191
Scottish Albums (OCC)[15] 10
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] 32
UK Albums (OCC)[17] 4

Release history
Release dates and formats for Messy
Region Date Format(s) Edition Label Ref.
Various 30 June 2023
Standard
[18][19][20]

References
  1. Pareles, Jon (29 June 2023). "On Her Debut Album, Olivia Dean Is Already Pushing Ahead". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  2. Kheraj, Alim (30 June 2023). "Olivia Dean: Messy review – hackneyed British soul tropes do singer a disservice". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  3. "Olivia Dean Announces Debut Album Messy". Clunk Magazine. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  4. Murray, Robin (29 March 2023). "Olivia Dean Details Debut Album Messy". Clash. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  5. Snapes, Laura (27 July 2023). "Mercury Prize 2023: Arctic Monkeys tie Radiohead's record for most nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  6. "Messy by Olivia Dean Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  7. "Olivia Dean – 'Messy' review: vibrant, consistent and brimming with life". NME. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  8. "Olivia Dean's Messy is anything but chaotic". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  9. Kheraj, Alim (30 June 2023). "Olivia Dean: Messy review – hackneyed British soul tropes do singer a disservice". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  10. "Olivia Dean – Messy". Clash. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  11. "Olivia Dean – 'Messy' review: vibrant, consistent and brimming with life". NME. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  12. "Olivia Dean's Messy is anything but chaotic". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  13. "Ultratop.be – Olivia Dean – Messy" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  14. "Top Albums (Week 27, 2023)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  15. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  16. "Swisscharts.com – Olivia Dean – Messy". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  17. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  18. "Messy by Olivia Dean". Amazon Music. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  19. "Messy [VINYL]:Amazon.co.uk: CDs & Vinyl". Amazon Music. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  20. "Messy by Olivia Dean on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
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