NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� In just four songs on his latest EP, 鈥淟ive For Me,鈥� Omar Apollo processes death, grief, acceptance and the lack of it 鈥� big, traumatic emotions 鈥� through intimate, lush sounds.
The EP, out Friday, follows Apollo鈥檚 2022 debut album 鈥淚vory鈥� and a for best new artist. It鈥檚 also his first project since touring with SZA, and since his song 鈥淓vergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me At All)鈥� went viral on social media, bringing swaths of new listeners to his music.
The singer-songwriter recently debuted the EP's lead single at a show in London and went underground to with TikTok鈥檚 latest sensation, 鈥淭ube Girl鈥� Sabrina Bahsoon. Later this month, he鈥檒l share New York's Madison Square Garden stage with Daniel Caesar and Montell Fish at Caesar鈥檚 鈥淪uperpowers World Tour.鈥�
So, things are busy. But Apollo, 26, says all of it has felt productive, and inspiring.
鈥淚 just feel like I鈥檓 doing and living. I feel alive now and 鈥� I think that鈥檚 important,鈥� he said.
Apollo spoke with The Associated Press via Zoom about the release, not conforming to any one genre and his favorite song as of late. One thing he didn鈥檛 want to talk about just yet: The portrait by artist Doron Langberg on the EP's front cover (and the NSFW extension of that painting on the back). More on that later, he said.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: You said in a statement that 鈥業ce Slippin,鈥� the first song released from the EP, is about the feelings you had after coming out to your family. Why did now feel like the right time for you to put out this song?
APOLLO: A lot of the songs I write are emotions that I dealt with or am dealing with at that time. I think it was something that I wanted to go back to, travel back in time to. A lot has changed since then. ... That song was about me being in a car, driving during the winter and getting off the highway 鈥� and I was just sliding. It was such an emotional part of my life, and it also surfaced physically. So it was strange to see what I was dealing with and I feel how it was manifesting in my life physically. Everything kind of felt like this crash, you know?
AP: It feels like that song establishes the emotional landscape of 鈥楲ive For Me.鈥� Of the four songs, why did you want 鈥淚ce Slippin鈥� to be released first?
APOLLO: It was really important for this song to come out first, actually. A lot of people that I work with were like, 鈥榃hy this one first?鈥� 鈥� But for me it was more about, this was a transition I wanted to make as an artist, to not feel bound by structure or other people鈥檚 ideas of me 鈥� more just like my decisions that I would make if I was still in Indiana living in the attic. I would upload that song first.
AP: And why these songs together on an EP, and not a longer project?
APOLLO: A longer project would definitely need more time. I鈥檝e been on the road 鈥� I was on tour with SZA, I did two, three headline tours, so I haven鈥檛 really had time. These songs were made in between these things. Now I have time, so I鈥檓 working. But these songs have been done for a while and 鈥� I wanted to do something this year. I wanted to do something that wasn鈥檛 passive, that had intention. 鈥� It鈥檚 short, but it has a lot of my introspective world.
AP: The sound of these tracks feels a bit different than some of what you鈥檝e done recently 鈥� do you think it is? Or does it feel like a natural evolution?
APOLLO: I think it鈥檚 better. I think it鈥檚 an evolution. I think everything is intentional on this. And yeah, like I鈥檝e been big on types of music since the beginning, you know. I鈥檝e been rapping since I did the first EP. I know on 鈥楨vergreen鈥� I was singing and singing, so people might just know me as a singer. But I like to do all genres. I love music, I got into music because I love all parts of it 鈥� so no, it doesn鈥檛 feel like I鈥檓 like, 鈥極h, I鈥檓 going to go try this.鈥� I just feel like I鈥檓 doing and living. I feel alive now and ... I think that鈥檚 important.
AP: What is your process when approaching a new song idea?
APOLLO: One song at a time. Always. I can come up with an intentional example, or an idea. But it鈥檚 usually just one song at a time. Like, I have this idea stimulating my brain, and I鈥檓 going to sit here for 16 hours and figure it out because it鈥檚 fun.
AP: Is there any music that you鈥檝e been listening to a lot recently?
APOLLO: I鈥檝e had 鈥楾ESLA鈥� by Lil Yachty on for the past four days. It鈥檚 the only song I listen to. It鈥檚 so strange, it鈥檚 just the only song I want to listen to right now. I think because my music can be really heavy sometimes, I don鈥檛 want to think too much. Sometimes I just want, you know, some hard sh鈥�. And I like the feeling of that song, like 鈥� that鈥檚 fantastic. I love this.
AP: How do you hope this project is received?
APOLLO: The only thing I can hope for is for (fans) to be inspired in whatever way they choose. I know these songs can be interpreted in all different ways. 鈥� When I go to the shows and I see their faces and they鈥檙e crying, singing every word, that gives me energy. I鈥檓 up there trying my hardest, sweating, you know, out of breath, just trying to put on a good show. So that鈥檚 everything to me. I would just hope for people listening to learn something about themselves or be inspired.
Elise Ryan, The Associated Press
