Omar Apollo
Omar Apollo was the soundrack to my dreamy childhood based between California and Spain. His early indie singles made the perfect West Coast coming-of-age tracks while his recent R&B melodies have tapped into my newfound maturity as I navigate young adulthood. Omar has a certain mystique about him, yet he has always felt authentic. His writing is transparent without being overly literal or ever trying too hard, singing about everything from cumming to self-hate. His sawgger and laid-back charm makes every track feel luscious and rich with energy, rythym, and sonic pleasure. Whether he is bringing out his soft, raspy side on acoustic tracks, hyping himself up in bilingual rap verses, or his velvety belting on heartfelt ballads, Omar knows how to keep us enthralled. While everything from Stereo (2018) to God Said No (2024) has been listen-worthy, only Friends (2019) and Ivory (2022) have made their way into Forever Favorites. I not only believe these two works (the former an EP, the later an LP) sonically stand out above the others, but were also the ones that resonated most with me throughout my adolescence. I believe they showcase Omar’s songwriting and musical variety the best, both offering softness and fun simultaneously. While I adore Friends as an early EP which featured some incredible indie songs, Ivory proved Omar’s ability to create stunningly cohesive LPs. Both pieces highlight Omar’s natural talent, but also how he has made tremendous strides to grow as an artist (and will hopefully keep making music and not disappear like his rumored lover, Mr. Frank Ocean).
Friends (2019)
It’s not every day someone so early in their career puts together such a damn good collection of songs. But then again, not everyone is Omar Apollo. Because this is an EP and not an LP, and the tracks are excellent on the individual level (rather than working together), I think it’s fitting to walk through them one-by-one. I promise there is something for everyone.
Ashamed: The vocals on this go stupid. And they suit the bass and guitar so well. Such a fun track.
Kickback: That groovy indie that reminds me of growing up. Love the lyrics on this one.
Friends: The saddest on the record. Can feel incredibly relatable in the right circumstances. His voice sounds so beautiful at this tempo, too. I really love when he does the synthed autotune vocal parts.
There For Me (Interlude): OMAR APOLLO OWNS INTERLUDES. I SAID WHAT I SAID. SOMEONE TELL HIM TO MAKE HIS INTERLUDES INTO FULL TRACKS.
Hearing Your Voice: The prettiest on the album. The pain of being far away. Of moving on.
So Good: Another thing Omar owns? 80's groove-inspired modern indie. I swear this may be the most original feature of his work. If others do it, they don't do
it as well. His fusion is top notch. The groove instrumentals mixed with his lyricsm gets you both dancing and singing along.
Trouble: My favorite on the record and one of the best indie songs that exists. Granted, it is an incredibly nostalgic record for me, but I really do think the vocals and guitar on this are remarkable. How can someone be so sad and cool at the same time?
Ivory (Marfil) (2022)
Whatever minor critiques I had for Ivory (like petitioning for Endlessly Interlude to be turned into a full track) were fufilled/corrected in Ivory (Marfil). I truly believe this is one of the most well-done indie records I've ever heard. Every song is well-produced. each is so different. They all compliment eachother so well. From the “QUIERE ESE LOUIS VUITTON” of Tamagotchi to the “QUIZAS NO TENGO EL VALOR” of En El Olvido, Ivory captures every angle of Omar Apollo. It is so damn multifaceted. Raw, nonchalant, hot and heavy. Plus, the Daniel and Kali features were the perfect choice. Two incredible artists that brought so much to the album without renegading Omar. It makes sense that the two artists were highly involved in the songwriting process of their respective tracks because they feel incredibly tailored to them. And the extra songs on Marfil show exactly what a good deluxe album should be. Besides turning my most favorite interlude into a full track (which I had been begging for), it brought 4 new banging tracks to the end of the record. With a gun to my head I don't think I could say which of them is the best. Though not putting Archetype on the original record feels like an actual crime, so maybe that one. God Said No, his 2024 record, was solid but I doubt anything he puts out in the future will ever stick with me the way Ivory has.
