Ugly Is Beautiful

Last updated
Ugly Is Beautiful
Ugly Is Beautiful.png
Digital cover
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 17, 2020 (2020-07-17)
Genre
Length37:28
Label Atlantic
Producer
Oliver Tree chronology
Do You Feel Me?
(2019)
Ugly Is Beautiful
(2020)
Welcome to the Internet
(2021)
Singles from Ugly Is Beautiful
  1. "Hurt"
    Released: December 7, 2018
  2. "Miracle Man"
    Released: June 7, 2019
  3. "Cash Machine"
    Released: December 6, 2019
  4. "Let Me Down"
    Released: April 7, 2020
  5. "Bury Me Alive"
    Released: May 26, 2020

Tree promoted Ugly Is Beautiful with the graphic novel Oliver Tree vs. Little Ricky: Alien Boys from Z2 Comics. [12] [13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Pitchfork 4.8/10 [1]

Ugly Is Beautiful received mixed reviews from music critics. Ben Jolley of NME said that "beyond the fuzzy guitars and old-school hip-hop beats, Tree's thought-provoking narrative – which tackles depression, loneliness, commercialism, bullying and ignoring haters – proves he's more than a piss-taking internet troll" and that the album "just about silences his credibility critics by delivering wall-to-wall pop-rock ragers while encouraging fans to be unashamedly themselves". [2] However, Cat Zhang of Pitchfork wrote that "for an artist chasing shock and bombast, Oliver Tree's music is surprisingly tame" and criticized the album's length and Tree's voice which "is riddled with distortion, casting a fuzzed-out sameness over even the more left-field selections". Zhang said that Tree's lyrics "indicate deeper struggle behind Tree's ludicrous facade, touching on the same themes of being an outsider, fucking up, and dealing with negativity, although in the vaguest possible terms" but that they appeared heartfelt. She concluded that "the album contains glimmers of a better artist" but was unsure how much of Tree's persona was down to him or other people. [1]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Me, Myself & I"
  • Nickell
  • Snoreck
2:53
2."1993" (featuring Little Ricky ZR3)
  • Snoreck
  • Nickell
  • Ricky Robinson
  • Casey Mattson
  • Nickell
  • Mattson
  • Snoreck
  • Little Ricky ZR3
2:39
3."Cash Machine"
  • Nickell
  • Snoreck
  • Pramik
2:56
4."Let Me Down"
  • Snoreck
  • Nickell
  • Pramik
  • Nickell
  • Snoreck
  • Pramik
1:51
5."Miracle Man"
  • Nickell
  • Pramik
  • Nickell
  • Pramik
2:05
6."Bury Me Alive"
  • Nickell
  • William Zaire Simmons
  • Trevor Brown
  • "Downtown" Trevor Brown
  • Nickell
  • Simmons
2:44
7."Alien Boy"
2:44
8."Joke's on You!"
3:11
9."Again & Again"
2:54
10."Waste My Time"
  • Bhattacharyya
  • Nickell
  • Nickell
  • Stint
3:27
11."Jerk"
  • Pramik
  • Marshmello
  • Nickell
2:15
12."Hurt"
  • Nickell
  • Snoreck
  • Nickell
  • Snoreck
2:25
13."Introspective"
  • Goldstein
  • Nickell
2:16
14."I'm Gone"
  • Nickell
  • Dylan Wiggins
  • Wiggins
  • Nickell
3:05
Total length:37:25

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. [15]

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Ugly Is Beautiful
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [26] Gold20,000
Canada (Music Canada) [27] Gold40,000
United States (RIAA) [28] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Drones</i> (Muse album) 2015 studio album by Muse

Drones is the seventh studio album by English rock band Muse, released on 5 June 2015 through Warner Bros. Records and the band's own Helium-3 imprint. The album was recorded between October 2014 and April 2015 at the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, with orchestral sections recorded at Officine Meccaniche in Milan, and was produced by the band and Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Drones is a concept album following a soldier's abandonment, indoctrination as a "human drone", and eventual defection. It also comments on the Obama administration's drone program. After their previous albums incorporated orchestral and electronic music, Muse aimed to return to a more straightforward rock sound musically.

<i>Woodstock</i> (Portugal. The Man album) 2017 album

Woodstock is the eighth studio album by American rock band Portugal. The Man, released on June 16, 2017 through Atlantic Records.

<i>To the Bone</i> (Steven Wilson album) 2017 studio album by Steven Wilson

To the Bone is the fifth studio album by British musician Steven Wilson, released on 18 August 2017 on Caroline International. It became Wilson's highest charting album ever, reaching number 3 on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard Independent Albums chart.

<i>17</i> (XXXTentacion album) 2017 studio album by XXXTentacion

17 is the debut studio album by American rapper XXXTentacion. It was released through Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution on August 25, 2017. With a runtime of just under 22 minutes, 17 is a brief album and does not feature a song longer than three minutes. The album was supported by the lead single "Revenge", and is XXXTentacion's second commercial record, following the compilation mixtape of the same name (2017). 17 includes a sole guest appearance from Trippie Redd and samples by Shiloh Dynasty. Production was handled by XXXTentacion, among others.

<i>I Am Human</i> 2018 studio album by Escape the Fate

I Am Human is the sixth studio album by American rock band Escape the Fate. It was released on March 30, 2018. The album's single "Broken Heart" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in July 2018.

<i>Liberation</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2018 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Liberation is the eighth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. The album was released on June 15, 2018, through RCA Records. It is Aguilera's first studio album in six years, following her seventh studio album Lotus (2012). The album was Aguilera's last album under RCA Records as she parted ways in 2024. The singer started recording the album in late 2014, and throughout 2015 and 2017, Aguilera collaborated with a handful of producers and songwriters to reach her desired sound; Pharrell Williams and Linda Perry were in the studio in early stages and ended up not being on the album, while new collaborators such as Anderson .Paak, Kanye West, Che Pope, Mike Dean and Tayla Parx were confirmed to be on the album. It features collaborations with Demi Lovato, Keida, Shenseea, GoldLink, Ty Dolla Sign, 2 Chainz, and Lewis Hamilton under the pseudonym "XNDA".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Tree</span> American singer

Oliver Tree Nickell is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and filmmaker. Born in Santa Cruz, California, Tree signed to Atlantic Records in 2017 after his song "When I'm Down" went viral and released his debut studio album Ugly Is Beautiful in 2020. He achieved international recognition with his songs "Life Goes On" in 2021, and "Miss You" in 2022. He released his second studio album Cowboy Tears on February 18, 2022, and his third studio album Alone in a Crowd was released on September 29, 2023.

<i>X 100pre</i> 2018 studio album by Bad Bunny

X 100pre is the debut studio album by Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny. It was released on December 24, 2018 on Christmas Eve, by Rimas Entertainment. It features guest appearances from Diplo, El Alfa and Drake. It was ranked number 41 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Debuts Albums of All Time and number 447 on the list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

<i>Mother</i> (In This Moment album) 2020 studio album by In This Moment

Mother is the seventh studio album by American rock band In This Moment, released on March 27, 2020, by Atlantic Records and Roadrunner Records. The album was produced by Kevin Churko and Kane Churko.

<i>No.6 Collaborations Project</i> 2019 studio album by Ed Sheeran

No.6 Collaborations Project is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 12 July 2019 through Asylum and Atlantic Records. The album compiles tracks which include collaborations from Khalid, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, PnB Rock, Stormzy, Yebba, Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Eminem, 50 Cent, Young Thug, J Hus, Ella Mai, Paulo Londra, Dave, H.E.R., Meek Mill, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Skrillex, Chris Stapleton, and Bruno Mars. It is a sequel to Sheeran's 2011 compilation extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project.

<i>Romance</i> (Camila Cabello album) 2019 studio album by Camila Cabello

Romance is the second studio album by American singer Camila Cabello. It was released on December 6, 2019, through Epic Records and Syco Music. The singer recorded the album from November 2018 to September 2019. It was produced by Frank Dukes, Louis Bell, the Monsters and the Strangerz, John Hill, Andrew Watt, and Finneas, among others. Cabello finished recording Romance on October 31, 2019, and the next day submitted the masters for the album. On November 13, Cabello announced that the album would be released on December 6, 2019. Musically, it is a pop record that contains R&B, Latin pop, and rock influences.

<i>2020</i> (Bon Jovi album) 2020 studio album by Bon Jovi

2020 is the fifteenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. The album was initially set for release on May 15, 2020, through Island, but was later pushed back to October 2, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

<i>Wunna</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Gunna

Wunna is the second studio album by American rapper Gunna. It was released on May 22, 2020, by YSL Records and 300 Entertainment. The album features guest appearances from Young Thug, Nechie, Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, and Travis Scott. The deluxe edition was released on July 24, 2020. It features additional guest appearances from Yak Gotti, Future, Nav, and Lil Uzi Vert.

<i>Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez</i> 2020 studio album by Gorillaz

Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez is the seventh studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz, released on 23 October 2020 via Parlophone and Warner Records. The album was released as the culmination of Gorillaz' Song Machine project, a web series consisting of a collection of singles and music videos, dubbed "episodes" each featuring different guest artists. The album marked the return of the character Murdoc Niccals in promotional material, after his absence from The Now Now in 2018. The record received positive reviews from music critics. Slowthai, Slaves, Fatoumata Diawara, Peter Hook, Georgia, Octavian, ScHoolboy Q, Robert Smith, Elton John, 6lack, Beck, Leee John, St. Vincent, Kano, and Roxani Arias, among others, appears as the collaborators on the album.

<i>Post Human: Survival Horror</i> 2020 recording by Bring Me the Horizon

Post Human: Survival Horror is a commercial release by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. It was released on 30 October 2020 and is intended to be the first in a series of four projects to be released by the band under the Post Human name. The release was produced by frontman Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, with additional production from composer Mick Gordon. Stylistically, the release marks return to the heavier and more aggressive metalcore sound of the band's earlier material.

<i>Jordi</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Maroon 5

Jordi is the seventh studio album by American band Maroon 5. It was released on June 11, 2021, through 222, Interscope and Polydor Records. The album features guest appearances from Megan Thee Stallion, Blackbear, Stevie Nicks, Bantu, H.E.R., YG, and late rappers Juice Wrld and Nipsey Hussle. The deluxe edition of the album features additional guest appearances from Anuel AA, Tainy, and Jason Derulo.

<i>Cowboy Tears</i> 2022 studio album by Oliver Tree

Cowboy Tears is the second major-label studio album by American singer-songwriter Oliver Tree. The album was released on February 18, 2022, through Atlantic Records. A deluxe edition, Cowboy Tears Drown the World in a Swimming Pool of Sorrow, was released on December 23, 2022.

<i>Twelve Carat Toothache</i> 2022 studio album by Post Malone

Twelve Carat Toothache is the fourth studio album by American rapper and singer Post Malone. It was released on June 3, 2022, by Mercury and Republic Records. The album contains 14 tracks and includes guest appearances from Roddy Ricch, Doja Cat, Gunna, Fleet Foxes, the Kid Laroi, and the Weeknd. The deluxe edition was later released on June 7, 2022, including two new tracks, "Waiting For Never" and "Hateful".

<i>A Very Backstreet Christmas</i> 2022 studio album by Backstreet Boys

A Very Backstreet Christmas is the tenth studio album and the first Christmas album by the Backstreet Boys. Initially slated for release in 2021, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was released on October 14, 2022. It entered the Billboard Top Holiday Albums chart at number 1, and debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 chart. A related television special, "A Very Backstreet Holiday," was pulled from airing and streaming debuts after sexual assault allegations against Nick Carter, who has since filed a defamation lawsuit for $2.5 million dollars.

<i>I/O</i> (album) 2023 studio album by Peter Gabriel

I/O is the tenth studio album by English singer-songwriter and musician Peter Gabriel, released on 1 December 2023 through Real World Records. It is Gabriel's first album of new original material in over 21 years since Up (2002), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in his solo career. I/O features 12 tracks, each with two different mixes labeled the "Bright-Side Mix" and "Dark-Side Mix". It is also Gabriel's longest studio album of original material, with both mixes each clocking in at over 68 minutes and the total project lasting over two hours. An additional "In-Side Mix" of the album is available on versions which include the Blu-ray audio disc.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Zhang, Cat (July 23, 2020). "Oliver Tree: Ugly Is Beautiful Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Jolley, Ben (July 22, 2020). "Oliver Tree – Ugly Is Beautiful review: more than just a piss-taking internet troll". NME . Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  3. "UGLY IS BEAUTIFUL – OLIVER TREE ALBUM REVIEW". TotalNtertainment. July 20, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  4. "Oliver Tree releases new track 'Out Of Ordinary'". DIY . February 5, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  5. "Oliver Tree announces Ugly is Beautiful tour 2019".
  6. Greenwood, Koltan (December 6, 2019). "Oliver Tree drops over-the-top "Cash Machine" video, debut album details". Alternative Press . Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  7. "Oliver Tree". www.facebook.com.
  8. Mao, Jessica (April 11, 2020). "Oliver Tree delivers final song and performance in, 'Let Me Down' [Watch]". Dancing Astronaut . Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  9. Havens, Lyndsey (May 27, 2020). "Oliver Tree Announces Debut Album, Shares New Single". Billboard . Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  10. "Instagram post by Oliver Tree". Instagram. June 9, 2020.
  11. "Tracklist Leaked on Google!!!". 14 July 2020.
  12. Grunenwald, Joe (May 5, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Whoa Nelly! Take a first look at OLIVER TREE VS. LITTLE RICKY: ALIEN BOYS". The Beat. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  13. Heinrichs, James (May 3, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Oliver Tree's Surreal Humor Shines In New Graphic Novel". Screen Rant . Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  14. Collar, Matt. "Oliver Tree - Ugly Is Beautiful Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic . Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  15. "Credits / Ugly Is Beautiful / Oliver Tree". Tidal . Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  16. "Australiancharts.com – Oliver Tree – Ugly Is Beautiful". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  17. "Austriancharts.at – Oliver Tree – Ugly Is Beautiful" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  18. "Oliver Tree Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  19. "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  20. "Charts.nz – Oliver Tree – Ugly Is Beautiful". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  21. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  22. "Oliver Tree Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  23. "Oliver Tree Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  24. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  25. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  26. "Brazilian album certifications – Oliver Tree – Ugly Is Beautiful" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  27. "Canadian album certifications – Oliver Tree – Ugly Is Beautiful". Music Canada . Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  28. "American album certifications – Oliver Tree – Ugly Is Beautiful". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved December 23, 2023.