Why Oliver Tree's New Album Was Almost Scrapped 2 Months Before His Death
Just two months before his death, Oliver Tree was fighting for his music.
In early April, the singer-songwriter shocked fans when he announced that his latest album, Love You Madly, Hate You Badly, had been shelved amid what he described as ongoing issues with his longtime label, Atlantic Records.
"I just got word that my album is no longer coming out," Tree said in an Instagram video posted April 1. "Love You Madly, Hate You Badly is officially canceled, and I'm parting ways with Atlantic Records."
The 32-year-old didn't hold back when describing the experience. "Behind the scenes has been nothing short of a nightmare," he said. "I have no marketing budgets for music videos, no digital ad spend. Nobody really cares in the building, it seems like."
READ MORE: Oliver Tree Dead at 32
Tree went on to claim that songs had failed to be released due to internal errors, adding, "I've made them tens of millions of dollars, but they don't remember that."
Some fans hope that it was a cruel April Fools' joke. But less than two weeks later, Tree returned with a dramatically different video update: "After making tens of millions of dollars over 8 years for Atlantic Records, they no longer want to support my art because I'm not making songs for TikTok. I never got into this to make TikTok songs."
Tree revealed that he had spent more than two years working on the album, sharing that he had "traveled 82 countries and recorded this album on all 7 continents." Thanks in part to fans rallying behind him online, negotiations with the label ultimately led to a resolution. "My team has got the label to agree to release Love You Madly, Hate You Badly on my personal imprint, Alien Boy Records." The album was eventually released on April 24.
Sadly, less than two weeks later and while on tour to promote that album, Tree passed away after a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The singer-songwriter was among six people killed after two helicopters collided mid-air over the city's western zone on Sunday morning. According to reports, Tree had been in Brazil after performing in São Paulo as part of his ongoing world tour. Brazilian aviation authorities have since launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
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This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 1:50 PM.