Maps of Music

Ugly Is Beautiful (2020)

Where the lyrics of Ugly Is Beautiful take you, and where it was really made.

The album reached release only after two delays, and the second one was set off by protests following George Floyd's murder.

Key places

Recording at Paramount Recording Studios (2020)

Recording site Paramount (Hollywood) — Discogs credits Paramount Recording Studios with recording tracks A1 to A4 of this release. It is one of the recording locations listed for the album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording and mixing at The Lair (2020)

Recording site The Lair — Discogs credits The Lair Studio with recording track B2. The same site is also listed as the place where the album was mixed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording at The Village (2020)

Recording site Village Recorders — Discogs credits The Village with recording track B7 of this release. It is one of the recording locations listed for the album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording at Glenwood Place Studios, Burbank (2020)

Recording site The Enterprise (Burbank) — Discogs lists Glenwood Place Studios among the recording locations for this album. The point is placed at the Burbank city center, not at the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Ugly Is Beautiful: debut major-label studio album by American singer-songwriter Oliver Tree
• Follows seven years of EP releases and an independent album
• Released July 17, 2020 through Atlantic Records after two delays
• Production includes Andrew Goldstein, David Pramik, Marshmello, NVDES, Rogét Chahayed, Stint, and frequent collaborator Whethan
• Album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200
• Deluxe version Shorter, Thicker & Uglier released May 28, 2021 as a separate release

Background

• Tree began hinting at the album shortly after the single Hurt in December 2018
• EP Do You Feel Me? released August 2, 2019, with six songs, four of which appear on the album
• Single Cash Machine released December 6, 2019; initial release date set as March 27, 2020
• March 25, 2020: delay announced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two days before the initial date
• June 8, 2020: further delay announced, tied to racism and police violence following George Floyd's murder and the protests
• Tree promoted the album with the graphic novel Oliver Tree vs. Little Ricky: Alien Boys from Z2 Comics

Recording

• Discogs lists several studios: Paramount Recording Studios (tracks A1 to A4), The Lair Studio (B2), The Village (B7), Glenwood Place Studios, Venice Way Studios (B3)
• Mixed at The Lair, with mixing credit to Mike Freesh
• Mastering credit to Michelle Mancini

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Oliver Tree Nickell (born June 29, 1993, Santa Cruz, California) is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and musician classified as a "genre-defying musician".
• Born to parents who worked as traveling circus performers, he spent much of his childhood in a motor home before his family settled in Santa Cruz when he was 12.
• He began piano lessons at age three, started songwriting the following year, and joined the local ska band Irony in middle school, his first live performance experience.
• In high school he gravitated toward hip-hop and electronic music and worked as a DJ under the names Kryph and later Tree.
• He studied business at San Francisco State University for two years, then transferred to the California Institute of the Arts, graduating in 2016 with a degree in music technology.

Career

• He launched his solo career as "Tree" in 2010 and self-released the album Splitting Branches in 2013.
• In August 2013 he signed with London-based R&S Records and released the EP Demons, which gained attention after Radiohead's Thom Yorke approved of his cover of "Karma Police".
• In October 2016 he was featured on Whethan's "When I'm Down", and he then signed with Atlantic Records.
• His debut studio album Ugly Is Beautiful was released on July 17, 2020, and included the RIAA gold and platinum-certified singles "Alien Boy", "Hurt", "Miracle Man" and "Let Me Down".
• His breakthrough came with "Life Goes On" (2021) and "Miss You" (2022).
• He released the studio albums Cowboy Tears (February 2022), Alone in a Crowd (September 2023) and Love You Madly Hate You Badly (April 2026).
• In April 2026 he left Atlantic Records to release the album independently through his own imprint, Alien Boy Records.
• He died on June 14, 2026, in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during his world tour; the cause is under investigation.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Reviews were mixed overall
• NME's Ben Jolley: praised the narrative covering depression, loneliness, commercialism, bullying and ignoring haters as proof Tree is more than an internet troll
• Jolley also said the album silences credibility critics with pop-rock tracks while encouraging fans to be themselves
• Pitchfork's Cat Zhang: called the music surprisingly tame for an artist chasing shock and bombast
• Zhang criticized the album's length and Tree's vocals, which she said were riddled with distortion
• Zhang read the lyrics as signs of a deeper struggle behind the persona, though in vague terms, and felt they seemed heartfelt
• Zhang concluded that the album contains glimmers of a better artist, but was unsure how much of the persona came from Tree or from others

Records

• Billboard 200: debuted at number 14
• Top Rock Albums chart: number one

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Tree promoted the album with a graphic novel published by Z2 Comics.
• Discogs lists the standard-issue black vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, with a 16-page full-color art booklet.
• The release date moved from March 27, 2020 to June 12, 2020, then to July 17, 2020.
• The June 2020 delay was announced on June 8, 2020, after the protests surrounding George Floyd's murder.
• Mixing took place at The Lair, with Mike Freesh credited for the mix.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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