Omar Apollo talks TikTok fame, overcoming ‘Catholic guilt,’ landing Pharrell collaboration
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For Omar Apollo, the language of music needs no translation.
Born Omar Apolonio Velasco to Mexican immigrant parents, the 25-year-old Indiana native is shaking up the pop landscape with his own big voice, winning over fans at Coachella and Austin City Limits Music Festival this year with his soulful brand of Latin-tinged alternative R&B and diversifying Latin entertainment with his unapologetic queerness.
Apollo, who snagged a nomination for best new artist at the 65th Grammy Awards to be held in February, says his Mexican American "raíces," or roots, form an indelible part of his musical DNA, as heard on his debut album, “Ivory.”
“My parents put me on to a lot of ‘50s romantic songs,” Apollo says. “I was introduced to soul music, R&B and funk, and I had this blend of cultures. Living in America and having that culture from Mexico that my parents brought definitely had an effect on how everything turned out.”
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Released in April, “Ivory” established Apollo as a suave bilingual crooner, singing about love gone awry in songs that span indie pop, hip-hop and traditional Mexican music. Despite releasing a string of projects – 2018’s “Stereo,” 2019’s “Friends” and 2020’s “Apolonio” – Apollo says the album reinvigorated his passion for music.
“It just taught me so much about songwriting, about collaborating, about producing and recording vocals,” Apollo says. “It honestly just opened my mind up and made me fall in love with the process of making music way more than what it was before.”
One of the album’s collaborations includes “Tamagotchi,” a breezy Latin trap-esque midtempo produced by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes. Apollo says working with Williams was a true pinch-me moment.
“I didn’t even sleep that night. I was so excited,” Apollo recalled. “It was so crazy.”
The album also features Apollo’s song “Evergreen,” a tender ballad that went viral on TikTok thanks to its emotional bridge, and earned his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Apollo says the song’s lyrics served as a self-affirmation in getting past heartbreak.
“The inspiration definitely was to move on and whatever you need to tell yourself to move on," Apollo says. “The punchline was ‘You didn’t deserve me at all,’ and that’s the thing I had to tell myself to move forward and feel like the love I had to give was something that they didn’t deserve.”
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Whether it’s channeling Mexican tradition on the corrido-inspired “En El Olvido” or opening his “Tiny Desk” concert in September with a live mariachi, Apollo proudly wears his Latin heritage on his sleeve.
“It brings this nostalgia for me, and I can only hope it could be a shared experience," Apollo says. “But I just do what I feel.”
Apollo’s bicultural pride has also inspired the singer’s burgeoning philanthropy, teaming up with Scotch whisky brand Buchanan’s on its nonprofit 200% Futuro campaign, which saw Apollo spotlight the work of Hispanic American businesses.
“When they asked me to celebrate and support the 200 percent-ers,” people who are “100% Hispanic and 100% American, it was definitely a no-brainer,” Apollo says.
Apollo is bursting with LGBTQ pride, peppering his music with candid references to his queer love life, as heard on songs “Pretty Boy,” “Invincible” and “Evergreen.” But Apollo says this honesty was hard-earned.
“I grew up very, very Catholic, and I had a lot of Catholic guilt, especially when I first started writing music. In the beginning I did (use pronouns), and then my spirit got shut down by some family and I stopped doing it,” Apollo says. “Eventually, I was like: ‘I can’t live in service for other people. I just have to live for me.’ ”
This self-assuredness also extends to Apollo’s relationship with critics. In November, Apollo humorously – and bluntly – dismissed a Twitter accusation that he was "queerbaiting," which is when a straight, cisgender person exploits queer aesthetics for fame and fortune.
“I don’t really feel pressured,” Apollo says. “Honestly, that tweet had no thought. I tweeted it, went to dinner, and then after dinner looked at my phone and it was like, ‘Oh wow. ... I’ve been talking about this the whole time.’ ”
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In less than two months, Apollo will vie for gold at the 2023 Grammy Awards, where he’s up for best new artist alongside chart-topping acts such as Anitta and Måneskin. But for Apollo, the recognition alone is a prize.
“Just being nominated is good enough for me, but winning would be insane," Apollo says. “I don’t even know how I would react.”
Apollo is looking to the future. He wants his songwriting style to evolve beyond the romantic musings he has become known for.
“A lot of my music is longing,” Apollo says, adding that he’d like to focus less on “infatuation” and more on “the complex after years of a relationship.”
But first, he’s heading back on the road. Hot on the heels of his Prototype tour, Apollo is opening for R&B songstress SZA on her SOS arena tour, which squares perfectly with his dream of playing bigger shows.
“I would love to play arenas and stadiums,” Apollo says. “That’s just something I think about.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Omar Apollo on TikTok fame, Grammy nomination, working with Pharrell
