Oliver Tree performs during the Exit Festival 2024 at Petrovaradin Fortress on July 11, 2024 in Novi Sad, Serbia. (Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)
Oliver Tree has died. He was 32.
Tree was among six people killed when two helicopters collided Sunday in Brazil, according to federal police of Rio de Janeiro.
Tree began his music career in 2010, and in 2018 he released his Alien Boy EP, which includes the RIAA Platinum-certified title track. His full-length debut album, Ugly Is Beautiful, dropped in 2020, and features “Alien Boy” and the single “Hurt,” which hit the top five on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.
The deluxe version of Ugly Is Beautiful spawned the single “Life Goes On,” which became Tree’s first crossover hit on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
In addition to earning fans with his blend of alternative and pop music, Tree became known for his distinctive bowl haircut and eccentric personality, which he displayed in his music videos. He would often mention quitting or retiring from music before putting out new material, and would be described in interviews as “trolling.”
Tree has released three more albums, 2022’s Cowboy Tears, 2023’s Alone in a Crowd and 2026’s Love You Madly Hate You Badly. According to a press release, Love You Madly Hate You Badly was recorded “across seven continents and 80 countries, from Africa to China to Afghanistan.”
Singer Melanie Martinez, who dated Tree, wrote in an Instagram Story, “Been an absolute wreck today.”
“Rest in peace Oliver,” Martinez wrote. “I know you’re making the angels giggle. I’ll be here wondering what stunt and creative project you’re scheming up in heaven.”
