Omar Apollo

Biography

Omar Apolonio Velasco (born May 20, 1997), known professionally as Omar Apollo, is an American singer-songwriter. After signing a record deal with Warner Records, his debut album, Ivory×Ivory8 April 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Ivory0:452Talk2:373No Good Reason1:484Invincible3:365Endlessly (interlude)0:346Killing Me2:457Go Away3:278Waiting on You2:319Petrified3:1710Personally3:3111En el olvido2:2612Tamagotchi2:4813Can’t Get Over You1:0214Evergreen3:3615Bad Life3:1716Mr. Neighbor2:46, was released in 2022 to positive reviews and earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Apollo sings in both English and Spanish.

Early life

Omar Apolonio Velasco was born on May 20, 1997, in Hobart, Indiana, to Mexican parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He grew up in Indiana with his three older siblings. Apollo's parents both worked multiple jobs to support the family. His family had a taco shop before he was born called El Super Taco which popularized his family's hot sauce that he would later sell as Disha Hot Sauce. As a child, Apollo was a ballet folklorico dancer and he was also a part of his Catholic church choir.
At the age of 12, Apollo's parents bought him a guitar at his request; however, it was an electric guitar without a guitar amplifier. Apollo traded the electric guitar for an acoustic guitar at a pawn shop. At age 17, he worked at McDonald's to save up enough money to buy a laptop and then a microphone which he used to learn how to sing and play by watching and mimicking YouTube cover videos.
Apollo was also taught by his uncle and he played music at church; he formed a short-lived band with a friend at the church.

2017–2020: Career beginnings, breakthrough and debut mixtape Apolonio

Apollo created and uploaded his songs to SoundCloud, a platform with DIY streaming. At the time he worked at Jimmy John's and Guitar Center, and he lived in an attic. In 2017, using $30 borrowed from a friend, he uploaded his song "Ugotme×Ugotme11 July 2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Ugotme2:07" to Spotify, where it was soon added to the platform's Fresh Finds and racked up 20,000 streams in a day. A year later, the song had more than 15 million streams.
He released his first EP, Stereo×Stereo30 May 2018 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Stereo (intro)3:172Ignorin2:283Erase3:574Ugotme2:075Hijo de su madre2:586Lucky2:427Amor malo2:25, in 2018, which was similarly well received. In 2018 and 2019, Apollo went on two tours, the "Want Tour" and the "Voyager Tour." His second EP, Friends×Friends10 April 2019 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Ashamed3:242Kickback2:513Friends3:074There for Me (interlude)1:235Hearing Your Voice4:026So Good4:277Trouble3:23, was released in April 2019. The EP featured production by rock producer John Shanks, who had previously worked with artists such as Michelle Branch and Melissa Etheridge. Apollo is managed by Shanks' son, Dylan, whom he met over Twitter in July 2017 when the latter booked Apollo for a university show at NYU. Apollo signed with Artists Without A Label earlier that year and performed at SXSW as part of a showcase with the group. He went on a European tour in 2019 and played at Lollapalooza as well as Tropicália. In late 2019, Apollo released the singles, "Frío" and "Hit Me Up" which are collaborations with producer Kenny Beats. In April 2020, Apollo released the single "Imagine U×Imagine U8 April 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Imagine U3:09", another collaboration with Kenny Beats.
On August 7, 2020, Apollo released the lead single "Stayback×Stayback7 August 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Stayback2:40" from his debut mixtape; and two weeks later released a remix featuring Bootsy Collins, whom Apollo has cited as an influence. On September 10, he released the second single "Kamikaze×Kamikaze10 September 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Kamikaze3:31." On September 25, Apollo appeared on alternative R&B Japanese singer Joji's second album Nectar on the track "High Hopes." Apollo released two more singles, "Dos Uno Nueve (219)×Dos Uno Nueve (219)28 September 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Dos Uno Nueve (219)3:07" and "Want U Around×Want U Around12 October 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Want U Around4:07" (featuring Ruel) before releasing his first mixtape Apolonio×Apolonio16 October 2020 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1I’m Amazing2:232Kamikaze3:313Want U Around4:084Stayback2:405Hey Boy1:426Dos Uno Nueve (219)3:077Useless3:048Bi Fren2:529The Two of Us2:32 on October 16, 2020.

2021–present: Ivory, Live for Me and God Said No

Apollo was featured on "Te olvidaste" by Spanish artist C. Tangana on his 2021 album El Madrileño. The song received two Latin Grammy Awards nominations for Record of the Year and Best Alternative Song. At the 65th Grammy Awards, Apollo was nominated for Best New Artist, his first Grammy nomination.
In 2021, Apollo released the single "Go Away×Go Away8 July 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Go Away3:26", including a music video and a live performance on The Tonight Show. He followed up with the single "Bad Life" featuring Kali Uchis, their second collaboration; "Hey Boy" from Apolonio was the first. In February 2022, Apollo released the single "Invincible" featuring Daniel Caesar and announced the release date for his debut album. The next month he released the singles "Killing Me" which included a live performance on The Tonight Show as well as "Tamagotchi," which was co-written and produced by The Neptunes. With the release of "Tamagotchi", Apple Music Up Next selected him as its featured artist for the month in April 2022.
Apollo released his debut studio album Ivory×Ivory8 April 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Ivory0:452Talk2:373No Good Reason1:484Invincible3:365Endlessly (interlude)0:346Killing Me2:457Go Away3:278Waiting on You2:319Petrified3:1710Personally3:3111En el olvido2:2612Tamagotchi2:4813Can’t Get Over You1:0214Evergreen3:3615Bad Life3:1716Mr. Neighbor2:46 on April 8, 2022, and embarked on the Desvelado tour supporting the album. The album received mostly positive reviews with praises going towards Apollo's musical growth and vocal performance. It entered the Billboard 200 chart, marking his first-ever entry on the chart. The deluxe version of the album, Ivory (Marfil), was released on August 12, 2022. In September 2022, the track "Evergreen" went viral on TikTok which helped boost the song to enter the Spotify and Apple Music charts and eventually debut on Billboard Hot 100 at number 62 for the week ending of October 1, 2022, earning Apollo his first-ever entry on the chart. In response to the rapid success, the song was chosen as the album's next single and was sent to contemporary hit radio on October 4, 2022, making it his first-ever radio single.
In addition to solo tours, Apollo also performed at the Coachella, Something in the Water, and All Points East music festivals in 2022. In early 2023, he opened for SZA on her SOS Tour. Later in 2023, Apollo was announced as the ambassador for the skincare brand Youth to the People. Omar also starred in the fall/winter 2023 men's campaign for the fashion house Loewe. In September, Apollo was honored with the Inspira Award at the 2023 Hispanic Heritage Awards.
In April 2024, Omar released the single "Spite×Spite5 April 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Spite2:42," the first release from his second album God Said No×God Said No24 June 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Be Careful With Me3:172Spite2:393Less of You3:134Done With You2:385Plane Trees3:326Drifting4:237Empty3:188Life's Unfair2:599Against Me2:3110While U Can3:0711Dispose of Me3:3812How2:5913Pedro2:2614Glow4:39. This was followed by the May 16 release of the second single "Dispose of Me×Dispose of Me16 May 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Dispose of Me3:382Spite2:39".
The 14-track set was written over the course of a three-month stay in London in 2023, and was inspired by poets Mary Oliver, Victoria Chang, and Ocean Vuong. God Said No was recorded in London's Abbey Road Studios with executive producer Teo Halm with features from Mustafa and actor Pedro Pascal. The title was inspired by a friend's assessment of his recently ended relationship, which Apollo described as "I gave it my everything, and God said 'no.'" The album was released on June 28, 2024. In September 2024, Apollo made his acting debut in the Luca Guadagnino film Queer.
In 2023 Omar Apollo was the cover of issue 17 of Gayletter, photographed by Fabian Guerrero. In December 2024, Omar was named as part of Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 Music 2025 list.

Artistry and influences

Apollo's music has primarily been described as R&B, alternative R&B, and pop with elements of soul, funk, hip hop, latin music, trap, and bedroom pop.
While growing up, he listened to his parents' favorite musicians such as Pedro Infante, Los Panchos and the Beatles. His own influences include diverse musicians like Neil Young, Paul Simon, John Mayer, Prince, Bootsy Collins, Rick James, and The Internet, a r&b band. When speaking to Billboard, Apollo listed Minnie Riperton's Perfect Angel, Whitney Houston's self-titled album, Nirvana's Nevermind, Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as inspiration for his musical career.

Personal life

Apollo's parents encouraged him to attend college; however Apollo dropped out after two weeks to pursue a musical career. He has Mexican citizenship.
Apollo is gay and has denied queerbaiting allegations saying, 'It's not a choice, it's just what I am. [...] I'm totally aware of the privilege we have now to be ourselves and still have a career [...] people thought I was queerbaiting before. I wasn't super open about my sexuality, but people were hearing things. [...] It had a lot to do with me growing up in Indiana which is very conservative. I stopped putting pronouns in my music for a couple of years then I just realized, I can't let other people's opinions influence and dictate my life. In 2022, a tweet of his went viral addressing the queerbaiting rumors where he responded to a fan saying "i like his song but i don't like supporting straight men doing queerbaiting." Apollo wrote back "no i be sucking d-k fr" ... "from the back." In an interview in 2022, Apollo said, "I feel like in the beginning, [...] I was trying to keep the mystique. But I don't even care anymore [...] now I'm just like, I'm very gay."
As of August 2024, Apollo resides in Pasadena, California.