Music world heartbroken as singer Oliver Tree dies aged 32 in Brazil helicopter crash

The music world is mourning the loss of "inspiring" singer-songwriter Oliver Tree, who has died following a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro. The 32-year-old, known for his track 'Miss You', was reportedly on board one of two helicopters that crashed over the Brazilian city on Sunday morning, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Tree was among six people killed when the aircraft collided over Rio de Janeiro, subsequently crashing in the city’s western zone, firefighters confirmed.

Tributes have since poured in for the musician, including from DJ and record producer Diplo, who collaborated with Tree on 'Ultraman', the theme for the Netflix superhero film Ultraman: Rising. The 47-year-old, whose real name is Thomas Pentz Jr, hailed Tree as "witty as f***" and "cooler than everyone" in a lengthy Instagram tribute, accompanied by a carousel of images of the pair.

Diplo wrote: "He was like a brother I never had. If we weren’t always on the grind, travelling, learning, and trying to make the craziest music we’d ever heard, we probably would’ve spent more time together just because we were on the exact same wavelength.

"I don’t think we’ll ever have another human like this again. No rules. No apologies. He was 1000 per cent himself and on a mission to add more joy to this music scene. I’ve never experienced anyone with this high a level of vibration."

Diplo expressed his disbelief, stating he had hoped the news of Tree’s death was "some elaborate, painstakingly insane way to drop a new song". He added: "It doesn’t feel real. Part of me still thinks I’m going to see him in a few weeks, exactly like always. What a f****** rockstar he was. I’m not gonna say I miss you yet, because somehow you’re still here. Still inspiring me right now."

US singer T-Pain shared videos of Tree featuring on his Nappy Boy Radio podcast, including a clip where Tree spoke about "making music for me" rather than succumbing to external pressures. T-Pain wrote: "Never will forget this lesson from Oliver or the time we had on @NappyBoyRadioPodcast. Thanks for sharing your art and for always being different in the best way possible. See you on the brighter side."

Other stars also paid their respects. Bebe Rexha wrote on X that she was "in shock" and "so sad", remembering Tree as "passionate, talented and kind".

US rapper Kid Cudi hailed Tree as a "really amazing and beautiful human" in a post reacting to the "heartbreaking" news, while YouTuber KSI said his death "still doesn’t feel real". The social media star, who collaborated with Tree on 'Voices', wrote: "Can’t believe I’m actually having to type this. You’re 32 man. You should still be here. You still had so much life to live. So much music to make. So much content to make."

Jackass star Steve-O also paid tribute on Instagram, stating he was "incredibly lucky" to have been his friend.

Recognisable by his signature bowl cut, Tree was also known for his songs "Life Goes On" and "When I’m Down". He released his fourth studio album, Love You Madly, Hate You Badly, in April and was only weeks into his ambitious "World’s First World Tour", which aimed to see him perform on all seven continents.

Rio de Janeiro’s Military Fire Department reported that one of the helicopters crashed onto a car dealership, where several electric vehicles were parked, igniting a fire that was later extinguished.

Police have yet to identify the bodies of those killed in the crash, but Tree was listed among the passengers provided to aviation authorities.

According to AP, content creator Gaspar Prim Diaz, known as Gaspi, who had over 2.8 million YouTube followers, was also believed to have been in one of the helicopters.

Officials have confirmed that an investigation is now under way to determine the cause of the collision.