Omar Apollo Announces Sophomore Album, ‘God Said No’
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Omar Apollo is pouring his experiences with heartbreak into his sophomore album. On Wednesday, the Mexican American musician announced that he’ll release his album God Said No, featuring appearances from Mustafa and actor Pedro Pascal, on June 28.
“This album is a reflection of my life for the past 2 years and I’m happy to finally present it to you,” Apollo wrote on Instagram, also revealing that he’ll drop the album’s next single, “Dispose of Me,” on Thursday.
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Apollo wrote most of the album in London, spending a lot of his time at Abbey Road Studios with collaborators Teo Halm, Carter Lang, and Blake Slatkin.
“It was really no breaks. It was cool to get into that state of mind where everything is about making music we both love and connect to,” Apollo told Rolling Stone last month. “The album doesn’t feel like it’s a bunch of songs put together. It’s a sequence that is made to be listened to front to back. That’s what I love about it. The songs, the writing, the narrative, everything about it is just from someone who has progressed in music. You can just tell.”
Among the tracks on the album are “Less of You,” “Plane Trees” with Mustafa, “Life’s Unfair,” “While U Can,” and “Pedro,” the track seemingly featuring the Last of Us actor. The album’s title references something his friend told him as he was processing the end of a relationship. “I gave it my everything,” Apollo said. “And God said ‘no.’” It’s also a play on the Spanish phrase “Lo que será, será,” which roughly translates to “What will be, will be.”
After releasing the single “Spite,” Apollo gave Rolling Stone a status update on the album and revealed that he was inspired by Kate Bush, Giorgio Moroder, Labi Siffre, Jeff Buckley, Lana Del Rey, and Beyoncé while making the record.
In the interview, he also teased a house-infused track and another in which he sings about grieving the end of a relationship. “[Grief is] such a complex feeling because you could feel grief for someone who’s passed away or grief for someone you have heartbreak over,” he said. “That song, in particular, is one of my favorites on the album. I took my time and was trying to give an imagery and a feeling, and a temperature and a light. Even the writing is kind of psychedelic.”
God Said No follows Apollo’s EP Live for Me, which he dropped in October 2023. His debut album, Ivory, which earned him a Best New Artist nomination at the 2023 Grammys, was released in April 2022. The LP featured singles “Tamagotchi,” “Invincible” featuring Daniel Caesar, and “Evergreen.”
God Said No Track List
1. “Be Careful With Me “
2. “Spite”
3. “Less of You”
4. “Done With You”
5. “Plane Trees” (feat. Mustafa)
6. “Drifting”
7. “Empty”
8. “Life’s Unfair”
9. “Against Me”
10. “While U Can”
11. “Dispose of Me”
12. “How”
13. “Pedro”
14. “Glow”
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