“I don’t want to be stuck in one specific sound,” says singer-songwriter Olivia Dean. It’s why, for “Crosswords”, the Londoner has peeled away the busier jazz melodies of her debut EP Ok Love You Bye to reveal a sparser, more pared-back pop sound. And yet, despite the slight gear shift, Dean’s personal lyrics remain just as poignant, here describing the feeling, as she tells Apple Music, of falling for “someone you think is a bit cleverer than you, who’d be good at a crossword. It’s about being so infatuated that you can’t see how bad the relationship is.” Based on a past romance that started two years ago, the song builds gradually, layering harmonies and a restrained bassline next to Dean’s gentle vocals. “I’m really proud of the song, as it chronicles a time in my life,” adds Dean. “It’s a bit strange that the song is coming out now, because we’re not together anymore. But I find songs have a funny way of coming full circle. It’s still a special song to me, and I hope people can relate to it.”