Omar Apollo is a rising name in the realm of laid-back R&B and soulful music nowadays. He first gained recognition after his song “Ugotme” racked up thousands of streams on Spotify and went viral. The Indiana-born singer has a discography of about 30 songs, but each one packs a meaningful punch. His new EP, “Live For Me,” is no exception to this.
The EP contains 4 songs, which were released this October. One of the songs, “Ice Slippin’,” was released in August. In an interview with the Associated Press, he stated, “For me it [“Ice Slippin’”] was more about, this was a transition I wanted to make as an artist, to not feel bound by structure or other people’s ideas of me.”
It’s also about the struggles he faced when coming out to his family in Indiana. The song seems to be a method through which Apollo processes. It definitely inspires his creative process, as he told ABC, “A lot of the songs I write are emotions that I dealt with or am dealing with at that time.” Accompanied by the transcendent vocals and acoustics, he sings, “And I hate me too much, could’ve just lied to me that night, could’ve just said nothin’, I wish you would’ve just said nothin’, nothin’.”
The album is meant to sympathize with and support listeners going through similar struggles as Apollo did when he came out to his family in Indiana. Their disappointment towards him was part of why he left, but he does not regret his decision. It instead influences a majority of the music he writes.
The support he offers is definitely most transparent in “Live For Me,” the track the EP is named after. The song is slow to start but quickly switches to a surround-sound effect of beautiful vocals that offer an immense feeling of comfort. The safety-blanket feeling that “Live For Me” offers is reinforced in his lyrics, as he writes, “Won’t you live for me? Or could I live for you? There’s nothing I won’t carry, So you don’t have to.”
“Angel” continues the theme of understanding his growth after leaving Indiana. The song is more synth-heavy, with angelic undertones reminiscent of the track’s title. The final piece, “Pilot,” focuses more on a failed relationship. The music is more fast-paced than the other three releases, with the quick lyrics reflecting his frustration over how the situation ended.
All the “Live For Me” songs carry a more profound message beyond the enchanting surface vocals. Apollo’s diligence in this album is crystal clear when listening to any of the songs. Apollo already left his mark in numerous areas of the music industry so soon into his career. While he just toured with SZA in 2022 and has a few concert dates coming up, fans of his music are excited to see what the future holds for him.
