by Rocky Paterra. @rockypaterra.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — UMich alum Oliver Quinn’s new single “Unique (One of Me)” has kicked off the musical theatre graduate’s latest era of original pop music, though the single continues Quinn’s unfortunate pattern of not making any significant chart impact.
“This song is a deep dive into embracing your freak and taking up space,” described Quinn between hits of his steam inhaler. “I deliver a bolstering vocal performance over a complex piano arrangement in 7/8 time. I just need the TikTok challenge to pick up steam - you know, the one where you sing the full song outside your window at sunrise.”
We spoke with Quinn’s former classmate, Marcia Meyers, outside Pearl Studios. Meyers has been following the artist’s music journey since he released his debut single “Dancing to the Beat of My Own Drum” after not getting cast in their undergrad production of A Chorus Line.
“We love Oliver. We’re all so glad that he’s found an outlet for his big feelings,” Meyers stated as she began drifting into a flashback.
When asked if Oliver’s music has ever made it onto her Spotify Wrapped, Meyers ran inside the building, shouting “Gotta go to my dance call now!”
After days of attempted contact, we finally received a statement from Quinn’s music producer, Benny Bibb, before promptly being blocked from the producer’s Instagram.
“I wasn’t shy about telling Oliver that it’s still sounding too musical theatre, but he would get defensive and say that 'back in the day, musical theatre was pop music,'” wrote Bibb, followed by three melting smile emojis. “One of our sessions was just him playing me songs by Kerrigan-Lowdermilk. Then he asked me how he can get the Chappell Roan fame arc. He doesn’t know what he wants, and he hasn’t paid me yet.”
Quinn’s new album Must the Show Always Go On? drops May 16th. The album is officially registered in the pop and dance genres on distribution platforms and will feature duets with Marla Mindelle and Linda Eder.
Despite the Billboard snub, Quinn is all smiles holding a pair of headphones in his latest IG post captioned “I’m your favorite multi-hyphenate’s favorite multi-hyphenate.”
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