Olivia O’Brien Bio
Olivia Gail O’Brien (born November 26, 1999) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress from Thousand Oaks, California. She first gained national attention in 2016 when she collaborated with the artist Gnash on the single “I Hate U, I Love U,” a song that climbed to number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one in Australia. That early success led to a recording contract with Island Records, where she built a catalog of extended plays, micro-mixtapes, and her debut studio album. After parting ways with the label in 2023, O’Brien launched her own independent imprint, Girlhood Records, and has continued releasing new music on her own terms.
Early Life and Background
Olivia Gail O’Brien was born on November 26, 1999, in Thousand Oaks, California. She began singing at the age of seven and taught herself to play both the guitar and the piano during her childhood, an early discipline that gave her a strong foundation in songwriting and performance. She attended Justin-Siena High School in Napa, California, and also spent time in Montessori and Catholic school settings, having skipped the third grade.
As a teenager, O’Brien navigated the social challenges of growing up in her community, including being bullied in part because of her social class and because she was already creating music at a young age. Despite those difficulties, she continued to write and perform, channeling her experiences into original material. Her self-taught musicianship and her willingness to share songs online set the stage for her eventual discovery.
Path to Music
Olivia O’Brien began making music publicly at the age of thirteen, posting original material and covers on SoundCloud. One of those covers caught the attention of the singer and producer Gnash, who reached out to her and asked to hear any original songs she had been working on. O’Brien responded by sending him a voice note of an original track she had written called “I Hate U, Love U.” Impressed by the song, Gnash invited her to Los Angeles to record it with him.
The collaboration, officially released in March 2016 and stylized in lowercase, appeared on Gnash’s third extended play, “Us.” The track quickly built momentum, eventually peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching number one in Australia. The success of “I Hate U, I Love U” introduced O’Brien to a global audience and established her as a young songwriter with a distinctive voice, opening the door to her first record deal.
Olivia O’Brien Career
Early Career (2013–2019)
Following the breakout of “I Hate U, I Love U,” Olivia O’Brien signed with Island Records and released her debut solo single, “Trust Issues,” in August 2016, premiering the track through Complex magazine. She followed with “Root Beer Float,” a collaboration with Blackbear, and “Find What You’re Looking For,” both released later that year. In December 2016, she put out “Hate U, Love U,” the original solo version of her breakout collaboration, and made her television debut in July 2016 on Late Night with Seth Meyers, performing the song with Gnash. The pair also performed together on the Today show in September 2016.
In 2017, O’Brien released “Empty” as the lead single from her debut extended play and earned a nomination at the iHeartRadio Music Awards for Best Solo Breakout, ultimately losing to Zayn Malik. Her debut extended play, “It’s Not That Deep,” arrived in November 2017 and included singles like “RIP” and “No Love.” A 2018 remix of “RIP” featured G-Eazy and Drew Love, and the following year O’Brien released the singles “I Don’t Exist,” “Care Less More,” and “Love Myself” in the lead-up to her first full-length project.
Breakthrough (2016–2019)
Olivia O’Brien’s breakthrough moment arrived with the release of “I Hate U, I Love U” in March 2016, a collaboration with Gnash that became one of the year’s defining pop songs. The track’s success on the Billboard Hot 100 and in Australia made O’Brien one of the youngest songwriters to land a top-ten hit in the United States that year. The attention translated directly into her Island Records deal and a steady stream of new releases throughout 2016 and 2017.
Her debut studio album, “Was It Even Real?,” was released on April 26, 2019, after a rollout that included the singles “I Don’t Exist,” “Care Less More,” “Love Myself,” “Just Friends,” and “Just a Boy.” The album marked a major milestone in her career and showcased her growth as both a vocalist and a songwriter. In May 2019, she also collaborated with the Norwegian production group Seeb on the single “Fade Out,” further expanding her reach in the pop and electronic spaces.
Notable Works and Milestones
Olivia O’Brien’s signature work remains “I Hate U, I Love U,” the 2016 collaboration that introduced her to a global audience and earned her first major label deal. Her debut studio album, “Was It Even Real?,” stands as a defining project of her early Island Records era, while her independent work on Girlhood Records has marked an important creative turning point in her career.
Olivia O’Brien Award Nominations
In March 2017, Olivia O’Brien received a nomination at the iHeartRadio Music Awards for Best Solo Breakout, recognizing the impact of “I Hate U, I Love U” and her emergence as a new solo artist. The nomination placed her alongside other rising pop stars of the era, though the award ultimately went to Zayn Malik.
Olivia O’Brien Family
Olivia O’Brien grew up in Thousand Oaks, California, and attended Justin-Siena High School in Napa. She also spent time in Montessori and Catholic school settings during her youth. Public details about her immediate family, including her parents and any siblings, have not been widely reported.
Personal Life
Olivia O’Brien came out as bisexual via Twitter in July 2022, sharing that part of her identity with her fans. Beyond that public disclosure, she has kept most of her personal life private, focusing public attention on her music and her independent creative ventures.