Olivia Dean Slams Ticket Resellers, Says Fans Should Not Pay Someone Else $600 for Shows

Olivia Dean is opening up about her success.

The 27-year-old “Man I Need” singer-songwriter got candid in a cover story for ELLE’s 2026 Women in Music Issue, on newsstands on April 7.

During the conversation, Olivia talked about winning her first Grammy, the success of her album The Art of Loving, the meaning of “Man I Need,” pushing back against ticket resellers, logging out of social media, and much more.

Keep reading to find out more…

On locking eyes with her idols, including Lauryn Hill, while accepting her first Grammy:

“I need to try and explain this properly, so you can truly wrap your head around it. There I am standing at the Grammys. I’m looking at Lauryn Hill, and she is doing this amazing D’Angelo tribute. She’s in my eyeline. I believe I’m in hers. I don’t think she was checking for me, but I was checking her. She won Best New Artist the year I was born, my middle name is Lauryn after her.…It was all the most serendipitous full-circle moment. I was just at home in London a couple of weeks ago on my sofa. Then suddenly I’m holding a Grammy, and Queen Latifah’s looking at me.”

On pushing back against ticket resellers and making her shows accessible:

“There is no way that I’m going to get up on that stage and sing my heart out while somebody sits at home and makes $500, $600 off of me and you. I want people to be able to afford to come to the show. I don’t think you need to be someone who’s got loads of money to enjoy your favorite album. Full stop.”

On describing her brand of feminist romance as the kind that empowers women to do what’s best for them, while lovingly encouraging men to rise to the occasion and unexpected success of her single, ‘Man I Need’:

“‘Man I Need’ is a call to action. It’s like, ‘I know you can be the man I need if you step up to the plate and be excellent for me. Let me encourage you.’” I knew that I’d made something that I was really proud of, but I also know that doesn’t necessarily translate into success. There is so much amazing music out there that doesn’t get heard in the same way, but for some reason, people said, ‘Yeah, we like you, Sis.’ And I’ve said, ‘Thank you. Me too.’”

On deleting all social media apps following her Grammy win:

“I’ve been thinking about doing it for a while. Even though the love has been overwhelming, even that is not healthy sometimes. 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.”

On tuning out of the online discourse: “

“I find a lot of internet discourse and those things so unproductive. I know who I am, and I know that I’m performing and creating from a pure place. You can’t please everybody. And I have such peace in that.”

On choosing joy and challenging expectations onstage:

“I feel like sometimes it’s my responsibility to show that we can be that. My joy is more powerful than whatever you think about me or how I should be presenting. I’ll always choose joy. I want to be happy. This job is too amazing for me not to enjoy it. That would be such a kicker if I’d worked this hard and then realized that I wasn’t enjoying it. I’ve got to have as much fun as possible.”

On the emotional perspective behind The Art of Loving:

“That’s where I’m at. I’ve been in therapy for a long time. It has allowed me to have self-awareness and understand that I really don’t have time to fester in negative emotions toward love and men. It doesn’t serve me. I can be annoyed and hurt, but I try to find perspective and compassion. Reading a lot of bell hooks has also given me that.”

On finding acceptance while attending the BRIT School:

“It allowed me to free myself from feeling embarrassed about who I was. It was so validating to be surrounded by people who thought music was cool, and wanting to shine was cool. Whereas in my previous school, people would make me feel like I was too much. And it’s like, ‘No, I’m doing too much for you. I’m actually not doing enough yet. I haven’t even gotten started.’”

On finding female friendships quite hard growing up until she met her best friends at BRIT, the closest of whom is still her roommate to this day:

“We met on the first day of BRIT, and I was like, ‘Girl, I’ve been eating my lunch in the toilet. Do you want to be friends?’”

For more from Olivia Dean, head to Elle.com.

Find out how to see Olivia Dean on tour.

She also just won big at another awards show recently.