"Baby Steps" is a song by English singer Olivia Dean from her second studio album, The Art of Loving (2025). It was sent to Italian radio on 31 July 2026, as the sixth single from the album.
Composition and lyrics The song was written by Dean herself, Bastian Langebæk, Max Wolfgang and produced by the latters with Zach Nahome. In an interview on The Rebecca Judd Show on Apple Music 1, Olivia Dean explained that the song draws inspiration from Marvin Gaye, and considered it a continuation of her song "Be My Own Boyfriend" form her 2021 EP Growth.
Critical reception Thomas Smith of Billboard ranked "Baby Steps" as the second best song from The Art of Loving, appreciating "the same hazy soundscape as Marvin Gaye’s "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" with "a sweet little melody, is remarkably effective". Alexis Petridis of The Guardian pointed out that the song "offers a particularly gleaming example" of Dean and her writers works on the chorus "polished until it catches the light".
Charts Chart (2025–2026) Peakposition Australia (ARIA) 29 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 75 Global 200 (Billboard) 187 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 14 Portugal (AFP) 180 San Marino Airplay (SMRTV Top 50) 21 Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) 16 US Billboard Hot 100 91
Certifications
Release history + Release dates and formats for "Baby Steps" Region Date Format Label(s) Various 26 September 2025 Capitol United Kingdom 24 April 2026 7" single Ireland Italy 31 July 2026 Contemporary hit radio United States 6 August 2026 7" single Island
References