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Musician Oliver Tree stopped by Billboard News and discussed accidentally creating his persona, how he finds inspiration for his music videos, why Alone In The Crowd could be his last record and more!

Rania Aniftos:
Maybe we should just end the interview now.

Oliver Tree:
Want to wrap it?

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah. Thank you everybody for watching!

Oliver Tree:
Thank you!

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah, it was so nice or…

Oliver Tree:
What’s going on? It’s your boy Oliver Tree and you’re watching Billboard News.

Rania Aniftos:
Hey, everybody. I’m Rania Aniftos with Billboard News and I am so excited. We’re here with the one and only Oliver Tree. Hello!

Creating this Oliver Tree persona was kind of almost an accident, right? Because I think I heard you say you were putting out music and nobody was really listening. And then you kind of grabbed a ski jacket from your mom and the sunglasses and you kind of turned it into comedy and suddenly people started caring about your music.

Oliver Tree:
I’d already spent the bulk of my existence on earth making music and no one was listening to it. No one cared and I was like, “Wow, this actually worked.” This is bigger than my music and all I did was just show up looking stupid. And I think it’s a mirror that I was setting up of society, like how dumb things have gotten in a lot of ways. But also experimentation is kind of the birth of invention and trying to make something that hasn’t been done a million times.

Oliver Tree is my birth name, both my parents were trapeze artists.

Rania Aniftos:
This album that you’ve just released, it’s a little more open, like a little more vulnerable, I think looking into who you are and your interests. Were you concerned about taking that extra step in your artistry and your lyricism and you’re playing around with different genres?

Oliver Tree:
The first album I made was really a lot like this one in the context that people weren’t listening to albums. And I kind of made the album with that mindset of “Hey, this is really a collection of all my favorite styles and selected works.”

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah.

Oliver Tree:
“If you will of the highlights of what I like, different styles.” But also, there can still be a component that’s a thread through of a concept album through the visual component, through the character, which still allows it to be cohesive.

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah.

Oliver Tree:
And the thing that also ties it together nicely is I produce every single song, I’m the one who mixes so from the beginning of the conception through the mixing process, I’m hands-on. I can produce these things by myself, It’s not something I’m particularly interested in doing because you spend so much time making these albums. And if you’re just by yourself making music all the time, it’s very lonely.

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah.

Oliver Tree:
And I used to do that, for all my old music. It was just me by myself. And I found myself incredibly lonely. And I think that that’s ironic, in the context of this album, is exploring the theme of loneliness.

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah.

Oliver Tree:
And it’s such a big part of it. It’s kind of a full circle moment as I’ve evolved as an artist, I recognize that it doesn’t have to be so lonely. I would rather do it with my friends. I’d rather go to Brazil, and bring out my friends and work there than necessarily be stuck in one place by myself in this dark room.

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah.

Oliver Tree:
So it’s a way that I’ve found it’s a lot more fun and sustainable in the long term.

Watch the full video above!

City Girls’ JT is setting the record straight on what she really fought with Lil Uzi Vert about at the BET Awards. Jung Kook’s “Seven” featuring Latto became the fastest song to reach 1 billion streams in Spotify history, the streaming platform announced. The MAMA Awards have revealed the second round of performers for their 2023 show: ENHYPEN, (G)I-DLE, LE SSERAFIM, SEVENTEEN, TXT and more are set to hit the stage in Tokyo. And more!

Tetris Kelly:
“And then home of the brave! Of the brave…”

“Of the brave….”

Happy Halloween from Billboard News.

City Girls’ JT is setting the record straight. BTS’ Jung Kook is breaking records. The MAMAs announced another round of epic performers. We sit down with Oliver Tree. And Manuel Turizo explains what’s Behind the Photo.

Happy Halloween! I’m normally Tetris Kelly, but as you can see today, I’m Flavor Flav and it’s Tuesday, October 31st.

We’re starting the show by addressing some rumors. Well, JT from the City Girls is, at least.

JT:
“For real. OK, the reason I threw my phone at Uzi is because…”

Tetris Kelly:
We all remember when couple JT and Lil Uzi Vert got into a little viral altercation in the BET Awards audience. Well, now JT is opening up about exactly what happened. Let me break it down. Earlier this year, videos went viral of JT of City Girls and Lil Uzi Vert arguing at the BET Awards. She legit threw a phone and people were saying it was because of Uzi and Ice Spice. Well JT went on ‘The Breakfast Club’ to clear the air that it was just their homie.

JT:
I had on a huge dress so I’m thinking he’s leaving and about to send somebody back to come and get me but when I got up, he’s down there with Bari — sorry, Bari. He now chilling with Bari and so happens…”

Interviewer:
“Who’s Bari?”

“A$AP Bari?”

“His friend… his friend that he brought. You should have made sure I had that seat.”

Tetris Kelly:
And she made it clear her and Ice Spice had no beef.

JT:
“It was never about another artist because an artist is supposed to be there. Oh, he sat directly back next to Ice Spice. I said where Bari was sitting so it was never a problem.”

Tetris Kelly:
So there’s a lesson here: Always save a seat for your boo.

Watch the full video above!