Oliver Tree, the musician and comedian behind viral pop hits like “Miss You” and “Life Goes On,” has died, reports the Associated Press. Tree was reportedly on board one of two helicopters that collided mid-air this morning in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One of the helicopters crashed into several electronic vehicles in a car dealership’s parking lot, igniting a fire that was later extinguished, according to local police and fire departments. All six people aboard were killed, including DJ and producer Lucas Brito Chaves, the YouTuber known as Gaspi, and independent director and screenwriter Lucas Vignale. Tree was 32.
A mainstay on the internet, Tree was impossible to miss, thanks in large part to his infamous bowl cut and go-to outfit: a gaudy sweatsuit straight out of an ’80s workout video and a pair of bold, red sunglasses. Although he had been making music for over 15 years, he didn’t find crossover success until the late 2010s with singles like “Hurt,” “Cash Machine,” and “Let Me Down” leapfrogging each other in popularity. Once Tree dropped “Life Goes On,” he never looked back, with the track becoming platinum in under two years, only to be surpassed by “Miss You” going 2x platinum in five countries shortly afterwards.
Born Oliver Tree Nickell on June 29, 1993, in Santa Cruz, California, he started releasing music under the name Tree in 2010. Three years after putting out his first-ever EP, Demons, he went viral with the single “When I’m Down” — earning him a record deal with Atlantic. His official debut as Oliver Tree arrived in 2017 with “Welcome to LA” alongside his soon-to-be signature look. As he rolled out his major label debuts, the 2018 EP Alien Boy and the 2020 album Ugly Is Beautiful, Tree embraced increasingly gaudy visuals that courted memes, often at his own expense.
Tree went on to release three other studio albums: 2022’s Cowboy Tears, 2023’s Alone in a Crowd, and Love You Madly Hate You Badly from this past April. With each release, he found success on the Billboard charts and social media platforms, be it through collaborations with Diplo and David Guetta, or his own singles like “Cowboys Don’t Cry” and “Superhero.” Even outside of his music career, Tree remained an ambitious and creative individual, from bathing in a tub full of hot Cheetos for a laugh or setting the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest kick scooter in 2020 for real.
The rapid ascent to fame startled Tree at first, but after he settled into its unique rhythms, he found himself both lonely and inspired by the crowds before him. “My goal is to just show people how to be themselves, how to embrace their imperfections and lean into it and be the best version of ourselves,” he told NPR. “It’s been three years of being sober and learning how to love yourself. You know, that’s the thing: we have so much anger in this world, and a lot of times people are just very unhappy with themselves, and then they take that out on others. So, so much of my goal is to be able to learn how to love myself and try to show people how to love themselves.”
As the news of his tragic death spread, a wide array of fellow musicians took to social media to pay tribute to the late artist, including Diplo, Flying Lotus, Kid Cudi, Bebe Rexha, Lil Yachty, and Andy Milonakis, among others. “It’s really hard to understand how someone who you once shared such a specific and formative time of your life with can all of a sudden be gone,” wrote Melanie Martinez, who previously dated Tree. “He was so dedicated to his art which I admired and respected so deeply. I think everyone who knew him will look back at those moments of laughter and joy he so easily sparked. His laugh was so contagious and warm. His ability to lead creatively and take action while also maintaining a sense of childlike wonder and awe was so inspiring. He had such a soft heart and was a true artist in every way. Rest in peace, Oliver. I know you’re making the angels giggle. I’ll be here wondering what stunt and creative project you’re scheming up in heaven.”