Oliver Sim

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Oliver Sim
Sim in 2013
Sim in 2013
Background information
Born (1989-06-15) 15 June 1989 (age 36)
London, England, United Kingdom
Genres
OccupationsMusician, singer, songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, bass, synthesizers
Years active2005–present
Member ofThe xx

Oliver Sim is an English singer and bass guitarist. He is a member of the xx and released a solo album, Hideous Bastard, in 2022, which peaked at No. 58 on the UK Albums Chart.[1]

Music

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The xx

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Sim met Romy Madley Croft at nursery school in London when they were 3.[2] Sim grew up living in a Fulham council flat with his mother, 5 minutes away from Madley Croft.[3] They attended the same primary school and then met Jamie Smith (Jamie xx) when they were 11, at the induction day for Elliott School, the secondary school they all attended.[3][2] The future bandmates all studied GCSE Music together.[4] Sim received his first bass guitar on his 14th birthday.[3] Romy and Sim formed the band in 2005, with Jamie xx and Baria Qureshi joining in 2006.[3][5]

The band released their debut album xx in 2009, their second album Coexist in 2012, and their third album I See You in 2017.[5]

Solo Work

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Hideous Bastard

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Sim's first solo album draws on queer and horror imagery, as well as a range of pop-culture references, as "he grapples with identity, shame and expectations of masculinity."[6] Sim has described growing up identifying with characters in horror films, the monsters who come back to wreak revenge, as well as the "scream queens" and "final girls", such as Sissy Spacek Carrie, Sigourney Weaver in Alien, Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as they represent both femininity and anger.[7][8] The album was produced by Jamie xx.[8]

Sim describes the album's single "Fruit" as being the first song he has written using the male gendered pronoun, which he never did with the xx, as a significant marker of him being more open about being gay.[9] He described the use of gender non-specific pronouns in the xx, as coming both from an agreement with Romy to make the lyrics universal, but also from a place of insecurity about his sexuality.[7] He describes the song as a love letter to himself as a child/teenager struggling with his sexuality.[9]

The song "Hideous" was the first time Sim spoke openly about his HIV status.[7] The song features Jimmy Somerville.

Sim has said that his music is influenced by John Grant, Bronski Beat's Jimmy Somerville, who he became friends with during the Covid-19 pandemic.[8]

A short film was created to accompany the album.[6] In the film, "Sim plays an artist who, after coming out on live television and performing the undeniably celebratory "Fruit" with sensual self-possession, transforms into a clawed, horned and green-skinned monster to exact violence on the production crew that mocks him."[6]

The Guardian gave the album a 3-star review.[10]

2025

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Sim released his single "Obsession" in August 2025.[11] It was produced by Bullion and Taylor Skye, the first music Sim had not produced with Jamie xx. It was premiered on BBC 6Music by Nick Grimshaw on 27 August 2025. On this show, Sim stated that the song was about lust and infatuation.

In October 2025, Sim released the single "Telephone Games", also produced by Bullion.[12] The single was released with a video directed by Sharna Osborne. Telephone cards were placed in telephone boxes across London to tease the release.

Modelling

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Between the xx's second and third albums, Sim modelled for Dior.[5]

Sim also modelled for the rebooted JW Anderson Resort lookbook.[11]

Personal life

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Sim has disclosed that he has had issues with alcohol, which led him to deciding to be sober from 2016.[2][5]

In 2022, Sim publicly came out as living with HIV since he was 17 years old.[13]

Solo Discography

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Studio albums

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Singles

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  • "Obsession" (2025)[14]
  • "Telephone Games" (2025)

Awards and nominations

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Award Ceremony Year Work Category Result
Berlin Music Video Awards 2023 Hideous Best Bizarre Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b "Hideous Bastard by Oliver Sim". Official Charts. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c NPR Staff (6 January 2017). "The xx On Growing Up Without Growing Apart". NPR. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Lamont, Tom (1 September 2012). "The xx: 'It's abnormal for bands to share so much'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  4. ^ Abbott, Jeremy. "an interview with the xx from 2010". i-D. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d Abraham, Amelia (9 March 2017). "the xx discuss mistakes, recovery, drifting apart, and coming back together". i-D. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Touros, Cyrena (17 September 2022). "On 'Hideous Bastard,' Oliver Sim mines horror tropes to embrace queer identity". NPR. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Kallao, Stephen; Perez, Miguel (9 January 2023). "Oliver Sim invokes the misunderstood horror movie villain on Hideous Bastard". NPR. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  8. ^ a b c D'Souza, Shaad (24 August 2022). "Oliver Sim: 'The way I dealt with shame in the past hasn't worked at all'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  9. ^ a b Martin, Michel (10 September 2022). "Oliver Sim of The xx is telling his own story with his first solo album". NPR. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  10. ^ Morris, Damien (4 September 2022). "Oliver Sim: Hideous Bastard review – raw frankness on xx singer's solo debut". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  11. ^ a b Dunworth, Liberty (27 August 2025). "Check out Oliver Sim's playful new single 'Obsession'". NME. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  12. ^ Molloy, Laura (15 October 2025). "Listen to Oliver Sim's radiant new single 'Telephone Games'". NME. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  13. ^ Maskell, Emily (7 October 2022). "Oliver Sim opens up on HIV status: 'it made me scared'". Attitude. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  14. ^ DeVille, Chris (27 August 2025). "Oliver Sim - "Obsession"". Stereogum. Retrieved 1 December 2025.