Dean Lewis

There’s something about Dean Lewis that feels absolutely unguarded. That’s due in equal part to his confessional yet oh-so-relatable lyrics and to the palpable quiver in his singing when his songs hit an emotional climax, as introduced on his breakout 2016 debut single, “Waves.” Born Dean Lewis Grant Loaney in Sydney in 1987, Lewis wasted no time making sure that sudden success was no fluke. After the humble tune went multiplatinum in Australia and landed key placement on some high-profile American TV shows, he topped it with 2018’s “Be Alright.” The lead single from his debut album, A Place We Knew, it sits at more of a simmer by comparison but still slides right under the skin, earning him a slot as an Apple Music Up Next honoree. His heartsick second album, 2022’s The Hardest Love, felt even more personal still, dwelling on unresolved romantic feelings. By contrast, 2024’s aptly titled The Epilogue saw him cutting loose certain relationships alongside his own long-standing fixation on success. “I attached my self-worth to the numbers,” he told Apple Music. “So, this album is me saying goodbye to that whole period of my life.”