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After returning earlier this month to deliver his stellar return ‘Affection’, fast-rising rapper Ollie is back once again to announce the details behind his new studio album ‘Even When I’m Happy I Listen To Sad Music’, alongside the new lead track ‘Wasted’.
Originally conceived more than a year ago, his new full-length release aims to reflect the artist that he has grown into in recent times. Showcased by the new single ‘Wasted’, we hear a confident and progressive name at the helm as he delivers fiery hot flows with a driven wit that has become the hallmark of this new collection.
Speaking about the new album, Ollie said, “This project has been something I’ve been working on for over a year with the release date being delayed twice already. This goes without saying but these songs are very close to my heart and represent everything that I am. Throughout my past, like most, I’ve experienced my fair share of pain, some of it a direct cause from my own actions. Lets just say if I could go back in time there are a few situations that I would like to change, unfortunately that isn’t possible. I struggle sometimes with that reality, regardless if my shortcomings have ultimately led me here.”
“This is where music comes into play, I’m not a very emotional person and typically withhold a lot of my feelings. But somehow music has the ability to extract all of that from within me without my egotistical conscience realizing, it’s an emotional heist guised in melodies. Some of my biggest self realizations have come from this, I see another perspective, sometimes the exact one I wish I couldn’t. Life and ultimately God has a funny way of showing us what we don’t want to see, simply put nobody is perfect. Each of our stories is a combination of good times and bad times, beauty and chaos, success and failure. The balance of these two realities shape who we are, give us purpose and help us understand and appreciate the opposite. So, even when I’m happy I listen to sad music.”
Ollie, or “Ollie Raps”, as some still refer to him, has quietly been making a name for himself worldwide, amassing more than 300+ miilion streams over the last 6 years. Hailing from a small town just south of Toronto, Ollie is “the guy next door”, albeit one who has patiently built a loyal and quickly expanding audience thanks to his relatable brand of music. Regularly touching on subjects such as failure, heartbreak and mental health, Ollie speaks directly to the Millennial and Gen Z members who are facing the very same issues.
Ollie’s DIY approach to his career with minimal marketing spends and consistent content output has garnered successful campaigns so far with one album, two EPs, and countless single drops, including collaborations with Powfu and Felly. His next project Even when I’m Happy I Listen to Sad Music will be released on July 8th and builds on his trademark sound with a fresh visual aesthetic.
Ollie recently collaborated with Royal for a digital collectable project that sold out in ten minutes. Giving ownership to fans, this music platform founded by Justin Blau and JD Ross pioneers a new way in which artists can engage with their fans. Ollie was their third artist to do so – following Nas, Vérité and preceding Diplo. At the forefront of the new age music industry, Ollie is very much dialled into music business innovation, communicating with his fans on a growing discord channel.
Early in his career, Ollie was heavily involved in the YouTube gaming community. This eventually drove him to create a music channel where he would promote the sounds of up-and-coming artists and eventually begin releasing his own, connecting with music fans around the globe early on. It was music that Ollie turned to as a form of therapy. He shifted his focus to creating dynamic deliveries and engaging lyricism to reflect his experiences — including those concerning overcoming obstacles, facing adversity, and being proud of who you are. This path lead him to become the person he is today – an artist inspiring others using the mantra, “More Than Music.”
“My fans are my label, but more than that they are me. We’re a group of like-minded kids who’ve all been through similar struggles, felt the same pain and are together lonely. Music just happens to be the medium that connects us all.”
Today, Ollie has garnered 265K+ subscribers on YouTube, over 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and landed adds on countless Spotify and Apple Music playlists as well as a Spotify billboard feature at Toronto’s Yonge & Dundas Square.
Ollie’s music presents itself as a unique catalogue of sounds and cadences, pulling inspiration from a number of different genres with a core influence being his small town upbringing. His skillset highlights his ability to adapt to different sounds effortlessly, creating a series of lyrical paintings that are not only captivating, but relatable.