{"id":133,"date":"2023-12-08T15:01:28","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T15:01:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/?p=133"},"modified":"2023-12-15T13:20:38","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T13:20:38","slug":"introducing-l-devine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/2023\/12\/08\/introducing-l-devine\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing: L Devine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Image credit: Jack Alexander for Notion<\/summary>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\">Daniel Finch<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Whitley Bay&#8217;s Olivia Devine is the next queer artist to be added to your playlist. You just don&#8217;t know it yet.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She has four EPs under her belt and has toured with Years and Years. And yet, I feel strongly that not enough people know her name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Olivia Devine was born and raised in Monkseaton, a stone&#8217;s throw from Whitley Bay. That&#8217;s right, she&#8217;s local. She&#8217;s queer. I hope I now have your full attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I remember first stumbling across the rising artist via a YouTube ad. It was a Vevo DSCVR performance of summery and provocative anthem, <em>Naked Alone<\/em>. Hooked by the melodic, late-80s strains of its chorus, I was sent down a rabbit hole of equally captivating gay pop tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In refashioning pop customs, Devine\u2019s discography thrives on the mixing and matching of genres. Even in the earliest singles, the songwriter&#8217;s innate ability to craft unique melodies that not only deliver sonically but contain the most relatable lyrics is clear. It is no surprise that she has received praise by fellow Brit popstars, Charli XCX and Dua Lipa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"L Devine - Naked Alone (Live) - Vevo DSCVR\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DotXesRfTOs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">L Devine &#8211; Naked Alone (Live) &#8211; Vevo DSCVR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Having recently left both the record label and management that she debuted with in 2017, the storytelling is only getting more authentic. Glimpses of upcoming February 2024 release <em>Digital Heartifacts<\/em>, Devine&#8217;s debut full-length album, already signify an ever-growing vulnerability. Take <em>Miscommunikaty<\/em> as a prime example: &#8220;Since 2008 I&#8217;ve felt wrong and I still feel out of place&#8221;, she confesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even more refreshing is the singer&#8217;s unashamed gayness. <em>Like You Like That<\/em>, taken from the first EP, <em>Growing Pains<\/em>, is essentially 3 minutes and 22 seconds of the universal queer experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reflective of her celebrated representation, she received the GAY TIMES Honour for Elevate award for Emerging Star in Music. The singer is also no stranger to a Pride festival appearance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23010\/2023\/12\/l-devine-weee-683x1024.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23010\/2023\/12\/l-devine-weee-683x1024.webp 683w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23010\/2023\/12\/l-devine-weee-200x300.webp 200w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23010\/2023\/12\/l-devine-weee-768x1152.webp 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23010\/2023\/12\/l-devine-weee-1024x1536.webp 1024w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23010\/2023\/12\/l-devine-weee-1170x1755.webp 1170w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23010\/2023\/12\/l-devine-weee.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">L Devine performing at WE Day in 2020. Image credit: Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The early pigeon-holing as a queer artist had its downsides for the singer, however, who found herself hailed during Pride month and otherwise on hold. Speaking to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelineofbestfit.com\/features\/interviews\/l-devine-digital-love\">The Line of Best Fit<\/a><\/em>, Devine opened up about this less favourable aspect of the lesbian identity alongside a musical career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She said: \u201cI think identity is a real struggle for queer people anyway.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI go through an identity crisis every day, especially when I look back on stages of my career and even things that I was wearing and the way I presented. It\u2019s always this discomfort and I feel like I\u2019m a new person everyday, so I think being put in a box, sometimes that\u2019s difficult.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>Empowerment remains a key aspect of Devine&#8217;s discography<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Nonetheless, regardless of sexuality, empowerment remains a key aspect of Devine&#8217;s discography. 2021 single, <em>Girls Like Sex<\/em>, is the catchiest of anthems which is explains &#8211; well &#8211; exactly that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The songwriter has admitted herself that the diverse sonics across her discography may seem eclectic, suggesting that confusion from labels and multiple voices are to blame. However, I would say the versatility is nothing short of impressive. There is certainly a song for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, given the recent leap to becoming an independent artist, things are only looking up for L Devine. In other words, now is your time. Follow, buy and stream people! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Do it for the gays.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Olivia is next set to play Newcastle on 17 April 2024 at Wylam Brewery. You can get tickets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.livenation.co.uk\/show\/1445763\/l-devine\/newcastle\/2024-04-17\/en\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: This Is L Devine\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/playlist\/37i9dQZF1DZ06evO342Lmy?si=9d2b7a3c64d14576&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whitley Bay&#8217;s Olivia Devine is the next queer artist to be added to your playlist. You just don&#8217;t know it yet. She has four EPs under her belt and has toured with Years and Years. And yet, I feel strongly that not enough people know her name. Olivia Devine was born and raised in Monkseaton, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":145,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":15,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[16,8,18,5,19],"class_list":["post-133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-l-devine","tag-lgbtq","tag-music","tag-newcastle","tag-pop-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/daniel-finch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}