Mercury Prize 2023: Olivia Dean reveals hopes to collaborate with ‘fan’ Elton John

They say good things happen in threes and, having released her debut album Messy and received a Mercury Prize nomination weeks apart, Olivia Dean is excited to see what comes next.

“It’s too much! If anything else happens to me I’ll explode,” the 24-year-old, who is of Guyanese-Jamaican and English descent, tells press including the Standard at the launch for the annual award show’s shortlist at Marylebone’s The Langham.

While getting a dog or even a car ranks high up on her list of hopes and dreams, there’s something else she’s holding out for – a collaboration with none other than Sir Elton John.

The music icon has made no secret that he is a big fan of hers, telling Clara Amfo that not only does he have her album, he predicts that she is “going to be a big star”.

“She’s a fabulous singer, she’s beautiful, she’s got that personality that really shines through,” he enthused.

Adding: “I’m dying to meet her, I’m dying to talk to her and she is going to be a big star.”

That meeting finally happened when they both performed at Glastonbury Festival earlier this month.