Oliver Tree Reportedly Dies in Helicopter Crash in Brazil

American musician Oliver Tree has reportedly died in a helicopter crash in Brazil.

He was 32.

Two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning, crashing in the city's western zone and killing all six people onboard, the Associated Press confirmed.

Tree, best known for his viral hits When I'm Down and Life Goes On, was in Brazil on a world tour. He was scheduled to tour Australia in October, with performances in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Police said the alternative singer and online personality was one of six passengers listed on manifests handed to aviation authorities, alongside Gaspar Prim Díaz, also known as Argentine YouTuber Gaspi; independent filmmaker Lucas Vignale; Brazilian DJ and producer Lucas Brito Chaves, and helicopter pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.

One of the helicopters was carrying five passengers and the other only the pilot.

Rio de Janeiro's Military Fire Department said one of the helicopters plummeted into the yard of a car dealership, setting ablaze at least 20 electric vehicles.

There were no survivors. Police said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the collision and officers had not been able to formally identify the bodies of the victims.

With his wild fashion and distinctive hairstyle, Oliver Tree was known for blending satire, performance art and pop music. His internet-savvy, meme-friendly music and persona often incorporated comedy and stunts into his marketing, music videos and content creation.

He was born Oliver Tree Nickell in Santa Cruz, California on 29 June, 1993, and took an interest in music from a young age.

In 2010, he began self-releasing music under the pseudonym Tree and in 2013, released his debut EP, Demons.

He signed to Atlantic Records in 2017 shortly after When I'm Down, a collaboration with producer Whethan, went viral. He officially debuted as Oliver Tree with the single Welcome To LA, sporting his trademark bowl cut, purple-pink windbreaker and sunglasses.

His debut album Ugly Is Beautiful followed in 2020, and the same year, he broke the Guinness World Record for the largest kick scooter, standing at 4.16 meters tall and 3.13m long.

Tree's single Life Goes On, from the Shorter, Thicker & Uglier deluxe album, became one of his most popular tracks, with over 700 million plays on Spotify. He followed with 2022 album Cowboy Tears, featuring another signature song — Miss You, and 2023's Alone In A Crowd.

Tree released his fourth album Love You Madly, Hate You Badly in April this year. It was his first via his own imprint Alien Boy Records and prompted a world tour scheduled to feature 70 shows across 30 countries, including Australia in October.

Tree's first Australian visit was as part of the 2020 Laneway Festival line-up. He returned for festival performances at Splendour In The Grass (2022), Yours & Owls (2023) and, most recently, Tasmania's Party In The Paddock (2025).