Hot 100 First-Timers: Omar Apollo Arrives With ‘Evergreen’

Xander Zellner
·2 min read
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Omar Apollo scores his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Oct. 1) with his budding hit “Evergreen.”

The song, released in April via Warner Records, debuts at No. 62 with 7.4 million U.S. streams (up 70%) in the Sept. 16-22 tracking week, according to Luminate. It also opens at No. 35 on all-genre Streaming Songs chart.

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The surge can be attributed in part to the singer-songwriter’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert on Sept. 15, in honor of Latinx Heritage Month. Omar Apollo performed “Evergreen,” along with “En El Olvido,” “Petrified” and “Endlessly.”

“Evergreen” has also expanded its reach thanks to TikTok, where a portion of the song’s bridge has been used in nearly 300,000 clips.

Omar Apollo (real name Omar Velasco; Apollo plays on his middle name, Apolonio), 25, first appeared on a Billboard chart in August 2019 with his EP Friends. The set debuted and peaked at No. 19 on Heatseekers Albums.

The following year, he notched his first entry on a Billboard songs survey when Joji’s “High Hopes,” on which he’s featured, reached No. 31 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs. He returned to Heatseekers Albums in 2020 with Apolonio, which hit No. 12.

Omar Apollo’s debut studio album Ivory sent him to new heights on Billboard‘s charts earlier this year, crowning Heatseekers Albums and hitting No. 19 on Top Alternative Albums and No. 152 on the Billboard 200, marking his first appearance on the all-genre tally, in April. The set includes guests Daniel Caesar (on “Invincible”) and Kali Uchis (on “Bad Life”). He also recruited The Neptunes to produce the track “Tamagotchi.”

Outside of his solo work, Omar Apollo has collaborated with the likes of Deaton Chris Anthony, Benny Blanco, C. Tangana and Still Woozy. “Te Olvidaste,” with C. Tangana, was nominated for record of the year and best alternative song at the 22nd Latin Grammy Awards last year.

Omar Apollo is currently on the road through November on his headlining Protoype Tour, with Ranyn Lenae.

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