Recommended Tracks: “Crazy,” “Someone Else,” “Joyride,” “Flowers”
Artists You Might Like: Sub Urban, Weathan, Tommy Cash
Genre-defying artist and producer Oliver Tree has done it again: His fourth album, Love You Madly Hate You Badly, not only brings fans back to his early days but also introduces a new, experimental, and worldly sound.
The satirical artist continues to push boundaries in music, blending his staple catchy sound with a fresh, dynamic feel for a riveting album.
Though you can feel the classic Oliver Tree touch throughout the project, it feels like the album is split in two: the first half is reminiscent of the early days of Ugly Is Beautiful (2020), and the second half brings on a reimagined, electronic vibe like no other Oliver Tree project.
A sort of usual Oliver Tree sound is found in tracks like “Death Ray,” which reminded me of the Ugly Is Beautiful track “Lies Came Out My Mouth” (one of my favorites, at that). “Superhero” has a vibe similar to that of “Cowboys Don’t Cry” from Cowboy Tears (2022).
Album opener “My Only Friend” serves as a substantial introduction to the project, beginning with the country-esque charm of his Cowboy Tears-era before swiftly moving into the alternative-pop allure of Alone In The Crowd (2023).
Beyond the project itself, Tree performed alongside DJ Subtronics during the EDM artist’s Coachella set for a badass rendition of “F–ck The Whole World.” While I wish we had a longer version of that collaboration, it really got me excited for the track release.
This track displays one of my favorite Oliver Tree approaches to music, giving us a bold presentation of what’s actually an extreme love song: “You will always feel like home / You will never be alone / I can’t wait to watch you grow / Through your highs and your lows / Your true color always show / All the love will overflow / I have hope.”
Lead single “Superhero” opened the door to the latest project, giving a proper taste of what was to come in Love You Madly Hate You Badly. Fans who are eager for a bold, classically Oliver Tree-sounding new song are in luck, as “Superhero” gives a voice to those who feel like theirs is overshadowed, sharing a story of how everyone can have super abilities in their own right. Tree himself describes the anthem: “It’s about embracing what makes you different […] When people don’t get you, that’s your superpower.”
While I enjoy the first half of the album, there is admittedly something about the second half that I’ve found myself gravitating towards even more… perhaps it’s the elevated electronic elements, or the danceability, or the subject matter.
The second half of the album sounds like Tree taking his usual sound and putting a new spin on it. While a sexual undertone isn’t necessarily a new concept in Tree’s music, there is something straight-up vicious about what I keep referring to as “the sexy trilogy” of “Joyride,” “Crazy,” and “Halo.”
Exploring both intense and casual sexual relationships atop a mesmerizing, fast-paced beat, I simply say this with much love; these tracks are wild. If you’re expecting more “Life Goes On,” you’re in the wrong place.
Sitting pretty at track twelve, no song took me by surprise like “Crazy.” It’s unnerving, chaotic, and provocative… and somehow that’s exactly what I’m looking for. The pulsating melody transitions perfectly into the high-energy track “Someone Else,” which I immediately flagged as a song that would be dangerous to drive to.
Rage-filled breakup-anthem “Flowers” is a standout track, combining anger with cheery alternative-pop beats in his usual genre-bending fashion. He retrospectively explores a toxic relationship and hopes the worst for the heartbreaker: “I hate your f–cking guts, I hope you’ll always feel regret / I hope you fall and snap your neck and die a violent death / I wish we had never met, I’ll hate you ’til the day I’m dead.”
Perhaps even more impressive than the end product is the adventure Oliver Tree took while producing Love You Madly Hate You Badly. The 17-track project was recorded entirely in couch-crashing and hotel rooms in 82 countries as part of an unprecedented global journey.
From Africa to China to Afghanistan, Tree drew on his experiences to create a truly unique, culturally diverse record with sonic textures, dynamic instrumentation, and experimental sound unlike that of any other artist.
While Oliver Tree may have some staple elements in his music, there is no doubt that he thrives on keeping listeners on their toes. Whether it’s blurring the lines of genre, pushing past the box of what conventional music-making may be, or putting on uncomfortable displays in his music videos, fans can always expect the unexpected.
Love You Madly Hate You Badly is available on streaming platforms here.
Oliver Tree announced he will embark on The World’s First World Tour, spanning more than 30 countries on 70+ dates. The headliner will kick off on May 30, 2026, in Mexico City, Mexico, at Pabellón Oeste, and will stop in countries including Italy, the US, Germany, the UK, and more before stopping in the latest announced venue in Perth, Australia. Tickets and more information are available here.
Oliver Tree The World’s First World Tour Dates 2026:
May 30 – Mexico City, MX – Pabellón Oeste
June 2 – Santiago, CL – Blondie
June 4 – Buenos Aires, AR – Niceto Club
June 6 – São Paulo, BR – Studio Stage
July 1 – Lisbon, PT – Lisboa ao Vivo (Sala 1)
July 3 – Madrid, ES – Sala MON Live
July 4 – Barcelona, ES – Sala Apolo
July 7 – Rome, IT – EUR Social Park
July 8 – Milan, IT – Circolo Magnolia
July 9 – Vienna, AT – Arena Wien
July 11 – Trenčín, SK – Pohoda Festival %
July 12 – Budapest, HU – Dürer Kert
July 13 – Prague, CZ – Lucerna Music Bar
July 15 – Feldkirch, AT – Poolbar
July 18 – Gøta, FO – G! Festival %
July 28 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
July 29 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
July 30 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
August 1 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring
August 2 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall
August 4 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
August 5 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner
August 7 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY
August 8 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
August 9 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
August 11 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed
August 12 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore
August 14 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
August 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
August 17 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
August 18 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
August 21 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Quarry Amphitheater
August 22 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
August 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
August 25 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
August 27 – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory
August 28 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
September 5 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
September 6 – Brussels, BE – Cirque Royal
September 8 – Cologne, DE – Carlswerk Victoria
September 9 – Paris, FR – Bataclan
September 10 – Zürich, CH – Komplex 457
September 12 – Munich, DE – TonHalle München
September 13 – Berlin, DE – Astra Kulturhaus
September 14 – Hamburg, DE – Docks
September 16 – Copenhagen, DK – Store VEGA
September 18 – Warsaw, PL – Progresja
September 19 – Bratislava, SK – STARS Auditorium
September 21 – Bucharest, RO – Quantic Club
September 22 – Sofia, BG – Pirotska 5 Event Center
September 24 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 TV Studio
September 25 – Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz Manchester
September 27 – London, UK – O2 Forum Kentish Town
October 2 – Brisbane, AU – Fortitude Music Hall
October 3 – Melbourne, AU – Forum Melbourne
October 6 – Auckland, NZ – Auckland Town Hall
October 7 – Sydney, AU – Enmore Theatre
October 8 – Adelaide, AU – Hindley Street Music Hall
October 10 – Perth, AU – Metro City
October 14 – Chengdu, CN – Venue TBA*
October 16 – Chongqing, CN – Venue TBA*
October 17 – Guangzhou, CN – Venue TBA*
October 18 – Shenzhen, CN – Venue TBA*
October 21 – Wuhan, CN – Venue TBA*
October 23 – Shanghai, CN – Venue TBA*
October 24 – Hangzhou, CN – Venue TBA*
October 25 – Beijing, CN – Venue TBA*
TBD – Japan – Venue TBA*
TBD – South Africa – Venue TBA*
TBD – Antarctica – Venue TBA*
* More information to be announced
% Festival Date
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