Less than a year after winning a Grammy, Olivia Dean played to roughly 19,000 fans at Los Angeles's Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night, the first stop of her debut U.S. arena tour.
The jump in venue size was notable. According to a review in Variety, Dean's previous Los Angeles appearances were two shows at the Fonda Theatre, a room that holds about 1,500 people. Demand for this run was strong enough that resale tickets were starting in the $400s, with many listed in the low four figures.
Dean acknowledged the leap herself from the stage. "It's not lost on me that that's a big jump," she told the crowd.
She also noted that Crypto.com Arena carried personal significance. "The last time actually I was on this stage was at the Grammys. I don't know, I think this room has magic energy," she said. "We'll see."
Dean won the Grammy for best new artist earlier this year, the only category in which she had been nominated. She is 27 years old.
Variety described her as seeming "seasoned well beyond her 27 years" and said she appeared "as firmly in command of that stage as just about anyone who's ever played it." The review noted that her performance seemed "ingratiatingly effortless."
With her second album already behind her, Dean is expected to return to the Grammy stage. Variety noted there is an approximately 100 percent chance that her album The Art of Loving will receive an album of the year nomination, and that her song "The Man I Love" is considered a top contender for record and song of the year trophies. The next Grammy ceremony is scheduled for February 7, 2027.
