Why Fans Can’t Wait for Omar Apollo’s Newest Album Ivory

By Avery Viers
Music Journalist

Within one year of uploading his first single to Spotify in 2017, then 19-year-old singer-songwriter Omar Apollo received over 15 million streams. Now, at 24 years old, Apollo begins his “Desvelado” Tour with Deb Never on April 5th — just a few days before the release of his first full-length debut studio album, Ivory, on April 8th, 2022.

Since the release of “Ugotme” just five years ago, Apollo and his career hit the ground running; nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Alternative Song, it’s safe to say this Indiana-native’s music is here to stay. Though Apollo has released three brief solo albums prior to his newest anticipated release, it wasn’t until his 2020 album, Apolonio, that he began to feature big names alongside his own.

Between his personally released work and features with others, Apollo has worked alongside names such as Kali Uchis, Dominic Fike, Joji, and Still Woozy. On Ivory’s lead single released on Feb. 9th, 2022 titled “Invincible (feat. Daniel Caesar),” fans were thrilled by Apollo’s partnership with Canadian singer-songwriter. Following the lead single’s release, Apollo has released two consecutive tracks titled “Killing Me” and “Tamogatchi,” respectively.

In anticipation of the album’s release, Apollo has since promoted an official music video for “Invincible (feat. Daniel Caesar)” and an official visualizer for “Tamogatchi.”

The most notable of the R&B singer’s newest releases, however, would be his latest single, “Tamogatchi,” produced by Pharrell and Chad Hugo. Following the single’s release on all platforms, fans from all over the globe couldn’t stop talking about the new track— including other artists themselves. Arguably one of Apollo’s biggest fans, Tyler, The Creator, even went as far as sending the artist a voice message about the track, saying, “I don’t even think you realize you got a f***ing banger on your hands, you f***in’ dork!,” which Apollo would later upload to his Instagram.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Apollo promises his fans an album “laced with funky, psychedelic, R&B sounds, raw, relatable emotions, and a tribute to his Mexican Heritage.” In addition to the authenticity Apollo has shown in his previous works, Ivory’s primary producer, Carter Lang, may be the uniting force that brings the album altogether. Lang, the producer responsible for other well known works like SZA’s Ctrl, seems to have played a major role in Apollo’s creative process throughout Ivory’s development.

With April 8th right around the corner, Ivory will soon be released on all platforms via Warner Records.

See Omar Apollo Live at Emo’s Austin on May 19th.