27-year-old Portuguese artist Miguel Oliveira, otherwise known by his stage name “HOLLY”, has quickly and efficiently made quite a name for himself in the world of rap & electronic music over the last 9 years, as he began making music at age 18. HOLLY was able to share his music around the world at an impressively early stage in his career, making stops in the USA, Australia, Europe, Asia, and South Africa– most recently being booked for the biggest festivals around the world such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, EDC Las Vegas, and EDC Korea.

During this time, he released his music on some of the largest music labels to date, including Insomniac, Universal Music, Warp/Lucky Me, Mad Decent, Fool’s Gold Records, Dim Mak Records, and Monstercat. Having performed around the world while releasing his music on such well-known labels, he quickly garnered the attention of many critically-acclaimed producers and DJs – namely Tiesto, Diplo, Marshmello, Noisia, David Guetta, Martin Garrix, TOKiMONSTA, Alison Wonderland, and more.

Tell us about your story as an artist:

– I don’t really know where to begin. I guess I’ve always been an artist since I was born? I feel like art is everything that us human beings add to the universe, and I’ve always been fascinated in creating things since I was a baby, even if it was LEGO buildings or any other sort of thing. Of course people know me more as a musician when it comes to being an “artist” but the reality is that I love everything that is creative and that brings a positive change into the world, even if it’s a good conversation with a friend or helping another human. 

What do you think is the most important aspect of your life right now?

– Happiness. 

What makes this release special in your opinion?

– It’s a clear way to understand how I sound and how my life has been during the last 2 years. A lot of my other records sometimes are overloaded with features or with the contribution from other people which I love but, I felt like it was time to purely write a record that is only my true expression. 

What inspired this release?

– Life.

What are some of the core messages here?

– The music and the art are the ones that will do the work to reply here, but one of the most important messages on this record is how it screenshots my life and gives a clear picture of how my life has been like.

How do you think tik tok and social media are contributing to change an artist’s career?

– I guess I’m still figuring out? I mean, my favorite artists are not even on socials, but I see socials helping a lot of other people. I guess it’s all about what you do with it just as any other tools that exist out there.

What excites you about your life?

– The present and the future.

What are some of your core values as a human being?

– Love, respect, peace, freedom, loyalty… 

What are your projects for next year?

– You’ll hear about them.