Summer 2018 was a strange time in English history. A country divided by Brexit seemed to be healed, if somewhat temporarily, by the hope that its soccer team could secure the World Cup glory that has eluded it since 1966. Pints of lager were thrown, defender Harry Maguire became a cult hero, and the sense that it was coming home grew by the day.
Of course, human drama on a more personal level also played out among those heady few weeks and London-based R&B singer Olivia Dean charts her own relationship breakdown from that time in new song "Password Change." Written about an argument that took place during an England game, the video is set in a grimy east London pub. A setting filled with big screens, polyester replica shirts, and old men propping up the bar provide the setting for a bittersweet and soulful lament about a couple whose future is as destined for sadness as England's World Cup hopes.
Speaking to The FADER via email, Dean said: "I wrote 'Password Change' after my boyfriend and I clashed at a World Cup game last year after a few too many pints. It’s about misunderstanding someone you love and wishing you could know exactly what’s going on in their head. For the video I wanted to capture the atmosphere of London last summer when we thought it was definitely coming home, as well as the typical British reaction of pretending everything’s fine whilst having a low-key fight with your boyfriend. We set the video in a proper east-end pub which is where you can find me most Friday nights!"
Dean's debut EP, OK Love You Bye, will be released on November 22 via AMF Records.
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