HERE HE COMES NOW, sauntering down the sidewalk in L.A.’s Westchester neighborhood, a few blocks from LAX — iced coffee in hand, friend by his side, and a Whitney Houston song on his mind. “I’m saving all my love for youuuu,” he hum-sings with effortless soul and a soft smile, a friendly giant at 6 feet 5 inches. He introduces himself as he approaches: “Hi, I’m Omar.”
Omar Apollo leads us into an unassuming house that looks like it should be hosting a college party, with strange doodles on the wall, misplaced Xbox controllers, and a car door leaning against the kitchen bar. For now, he’s dressed casually, in gray sweatpants, a dark flannel over a white tank top, and Birkenstock clogs. It’s about 11 a.m. on a Tuesday in March; in a couple of hours, he’ll be shooting the video for “Tamagotchi,” the latest single from his magnum opus, Ivory, which came out in April.
With its bouncy Neptunes beat, flirty, bilingual lyrics, and effortlessly catchy chorus (“You with somebody, or are you cool?/ I want your body, you want me too”), “Tamagotchi” is a perfect example of the qualities that have made Apollo, 25, one of the most exciting artists of his generation. A self-taught Mexican American musician with a remarkable vocal range, he saw nearly overnight success after uploading a smoldering, D’Angelo-style R&B song called “Ugotme” in 2017. Since then, he’s collaborated with everyone from Bootsy Collins to the Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. to Spanish rap star C. Tangana (the latter earning him a Latin Grammy Record of the Year nomination); won comparisons to Prince and Frank Ocean that, amazingly, don’t feel hyperbolic; and built a devoted, diverse base of Gen Z fans, largely Latino, often queer, who feel represented by his work.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2022-Ausgabe von RollingStone India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2022-Ausgabe von RollingStone India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Akshath Plots India Tour on the Back of Hit Song 'Nadaaniyan'
Mumbai artist's breezy love song took over streaming charts and short-video platforms
Aksh Baghla and 10CM Swap Languages in 'Spring Snow' Hindi Version
The Indian pop artist got the South Korean indie-pop artist to sing in Hindi on his hit song from the 'Lovely Runner, Part 8' soundtrack
Sukha Talks New EP '2003' and the Success of '8 Asle'
The Toronto-based Punjabi artist also looks back at hits like 'Sangdi' and the EP 'Undisputed'
Masrat Un Nisa on Channeling Raj Begum in Upcoming Film 'Songs of Paradise'
Inspired by the legendary Kashmiri voice Raj Begum, the singer talks about working with filmmaker Danish Renzu, who has also called on her for songs with his label Renzu Music
How Daira's 'Jaadoo Bastar' Tapped Into Chhattisgarh Tribal Stories
Mumbai rock band teamed up with artists including Lakheshwar Khudaram and Hindi lyricist Alok Ranjan Srivastava for five songs and a documentary that goes behind the scenes of the project
Peekay Embraces Djent on 'Merciless' and Plots an L.A. Move
The Hyderabad artist worked with guitarist Jonathan Edward and prog band Skyharbor's Keshav Dhar on the track
The Derelicts Take a 'Highway Drive' on Euphoric New Song
The Kochi disco-pop/electronica band introduce a science fiction-informed storyline for their first release since 2018
Sudan on How 'Happy Accidents' Led To His Genre-Defying Debut Album
Mumbai-based producer and multiinstrumentalist launched 'Sudan?' in August with a collab-heavy list of guests including Tejas, Frizzell D'Souza and more
Zubin Mehta Talks Symphony Orchestra of India Concerts
The Mumbai-born conductor leads a slightly offbeat selection for the SOI Autumn 2024 Season, taking place on Aug. 17 and 18, followed by Aug. 24 and 25
Ameya Saraf: 'I Wanted to Do Music for Life the First Time I Picked Up a Guitar'
Los Angeles-based Indian composer and producer worked his way from the rock scene to assisting pop artist Arjun Kanungo at the latter's Promethean Studio in Mumbai