“Great Art Will Always Find A Way”: How Dean Lewis’ ‘The Hardest Love’ Is Connecting With Listeners On A Vulnerable Level
Samantha Colleran, March 2023
Dean Lewis is an Australian singer songwriter who released his album The Hardest Love back in November 2022 and is hitting the road this year. The album centers around love in all forms; romantic love, familial love, love lost. Through this album, Dean has connected with thousands of people and given them a safe space to feel their emotions. He sat with º1824 for a press conference on Valentine’s Day to talk about the album and was beyond honest in his responses to participant questions.
Dean first knew he wanted to get into music after watching bands like The Kooks and Oasis. He would study videos of their stage presence and was drawn to their songwriting styles. Oasis plays a major role in his desire to write songs, and he wrote his first song after listening to the band and their music, which he describes as a ‘decent’ first song. He felt a musical spark and knew this was what he wanted to do with his life. Eminem is also mentioned as inspiration; Dean and his brother would listen to Eminem as kids and his raps inspired Dean to really focus on his lyrical flow.
Writing songs for himself is something that allows Dean’s music to connect deeply with audiences. Oftentimes artists will say that they do things for other people, but for Dean it starts with writing about topics that are important to him; it’s here where he can tap into that genuine songwriting side of himself that allows him to be so vulnerable, which is what ultimately allows his music to land with audiences around the world.
The Hardest Love was written during the pandemic and highlights a few important things that were going on with Dean during this time. His father got very sick and had a 25% chance to live (he received treatment and is doing better thankfully) which inspired ‘How Do I Say Goodbye’ (this is a standout on the album and will punch you right in the gut- “So how do I say goodbye/ To someone who’s been with me for my whole damn life?/ You gave me my name and the color of my eyes/ I see your face when you look at mine”), he suffered the loss of a family friend, and he was working his way toward entering a relationship with a girl that ended up not working out. We truly come to understand how Dean coped with all of this during such a tough time for the world, and the end result is an authentic musical work that feels genuine and human. Storytelling plays a massive role in this ability to come off so vulnerable. Trying to shape your own musical style in an oversaturated market is tough when it feels as if everyone has already done everything, but Dean’s ability to truly draw listeners into the music with vivid dialogue and imagery has allowed his music to shine through and connect with listeners across the globe.
As an artist in 2023, it’s hard to avoid the TikTok conversation. TikTok is here to stay, at least for the time being, and as an artist it’s something you have to learn to navigate. Dean acknowledges the impact it’s had on boosting certain songs in his discography, but emphasizes the fact he doesn’t write songs for TikTok like some artists do today. Dean’s approach is to instead write songs for his own purpose, and then find a way for people to relate to the lyrics and potentially work them into trends to allow his music to grow in an organic way.
A piece of advice that Dean shared with conference participants is something he heard from a friend that stuck with him, and will certainly stick with countless others; “Great art will always find a way”. If you’re relentless about your own success and take it into our own hands when it seems as if things aren’t going your way, your creative endeavors will be noticed and appreciated by the right people.
If you enjoyed what you read about Dean, you can listen to The Hardest Love on Spotify, Apple Music, or any other streaming service you may use! Keep up with Dean on all of his socials (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter) to stay up to date on future releases, and see if he’s coming to a city near you on his tour this year!