Omar Apollo, Live For Me | Album Review 💿

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Omar Apollo continues to grow and exhibit superb musicianship on his 16-minute, four-track EP, Live For Me.

Honesty is the best policy, right? Right 💯! So, admitting that 🏆 Grammy nominated singer/songwriter 🎙 Omar Apollo is quite handsome 😍 is the right thing to do, right? Right 😍 💯! More important, however, is to give this talented fella the flowers 💐 he deserves.  Sure, Omar is still young and ascending after blowing us away with his 2022 debut album, 💿 Ivory, but he brings so much to the table artistically that he deserves far more recognition than he receives. Again, yes, it’s obvious the man, who has become much more comfortable about his sexuality, is dashing, but more importantly, he’s an amazing artist.  Omar continues to grow and exhibit superb musicianship on his 16-minute, four-track EP, 💿 Live For Me.

“Ice Slippin” 

Omar Apollo dropped a terrific single, 🤩 🎵 “Ice Slippin”, in advance of Live For Me. On this extremely personal song, he deals with his family’s reaction to coming out and moving beyond his home state (lack of acceptance and conservative attitudes).  It commences with a minimalist sound initially, featuring unique production by Apollo and 🎛 Teo Halm.  This ballad embraces alternative R&B vibes. As always, he sings radiantly; he has a gorgeous tone.  In the chorus, the first section we hear beyond the intro, “Ice Slippin” is a tender piano ballad:

“When you comin’ home?

Home is where you’re supposed to be

Turn around, it’s not too late, did I hurt you?

You live too far away

Are you turnin’ off your phone again?

If I take back my words, would you return to me?”

Clearly, home is not a happy place for Omar, given his sexuality. He contrasts his tender vocals with more coarse, bold vocals in the verses. Ice 🧊 comes into the picture for the first time in the first verse:  “Ice slippin’, swear to God, could’ve hit the brakes, steering wheel locked almost said, ‘Fuck it’ (Fuck, fuck, fuck it).” This seems to capture the sentiment of non-acceptance, as well as literal coldness in Indiana during the winter.  Notably, both pre-choruses have different melodic identities, which add an element of unpredictability – he keeps us engaged by not being complacent. The bridge is unique, with its unique wavy sounds and vocal effects. “Real life, real life, real life / You ain’t got no real friends in your life, your life, your life,” he sings, continuing, “You gon’ feel better by the springtime… / Slippin’ on ice in the meantime.” The depth of 🎵 “Ice Slippin”, as well as the personal nature, particularly from an LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 perspective, truly makes this a special record.

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: September 2023

“Live For Me”

“How you feel about the way your life is goin’? / And tell me why you’d wanna go through it alone…” What Omar Apollo sings in the pre-chorus of the second track, title track 🤩 🎵 “Live For Me” is legit.  In the chorus, he goes on to sing, “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.” Aww! From the onset, you can sense Omar’s authenticity, delivering expressive, powerful vocals. He sounds particularly soulful during the chorus as his vocal runs are magnificent. Additionally, the harmonies are marvelous, while the melodies are sweet as well. Also sweet on this emotional song –  the production work with synths, keys, and a subtle, but potent drum groove (🥁 Sir Dylan). The production expands later, with touches of organ, and a repetitive, rhythmic synth. Following up a gem like 🎵 “Ice Slippin” is tough, but the title track gets it done. He wrote and produced it alongside 🎼 ✍ 🎛 John Shanks. 

“Angel” 

Live For Me continues to be an emotional project for Omar Apollo – an understatement.  A lyric that stands out from the first verse of the third track, 🎵 “Angel,” is “Took Fentanyl to melt his mind / Numb his thoughts… a sacrifice /… You pray to God… I’ll pray to mine.” Whoa!  At the beginning, there is a hypnotic guitar loop.  “Angel” features indulgent, rich vocals, with Omar’s tone shining as always – gorgeous to the nth degree. The vocal effects, harmonies, and various vocal parts help to make “Angel” truly angelic. Eventually a drum groove enters the mix. What separates “Angel” from the title track that precedes are the more experimental vibes, making it an ear-catching listen. As the song  progresses, it reveals more of its magic, particularly how tuneful the chorus is. That chorus is also honestly penned and performed:

“Too young to grow wings, too young to be an angel

Your mother needs you, woah

Your father needs you.”

The bridge section marks another high point of the record, where Omar speaks about lying.  He finishes things off with that fabulous chorus, in extended fashion. Shout out the various instruments and production work by 🎛 Oscar Santander (Apollo writes, plays instruments, and co-produces).

“Pilot”

“Jesus in my eyes, on a flight like a pilot / And my eyes move side to side like a light in my eyelids.” Woo! 🎵 “Pilot” caps off Live For Me, an EP that runs just 16 minutes in duration yet packs a mighty punch. “Pilot” features no shortage of alluring moments, specifically, unique lyrics like those excerpted above.  It marks another experimental number, at least at times. This perfectly suits the creative, restless artist that Omar Apollo is.  Omar gives us some of his radiant falsetto, distorted vocals, and rhythmic melodies – a little bit of everything. “Pilot” features its fair share of beautiful moments, such as the chorus:

“Sufferin’ for you is growin’ on me

And you know I still got you

By any means

Said I got you.”

The beat is one of the best aspects of the production (Apollo, 🎛 Carter Lang, Teo Halm, Choker, and Solomonophonic), growing more intense as “Pilot” progresses.  Ultimately, this is a song that is Omar Apollo through, and through which is a big part of its charm and overall success. “Things ain’t what they seem /… Nothing last forever / It doesn’t hurt forever.”

Final Thoughts 💭 

Cutting straight to the chase, Omar Apollo does NOT make bad music. 💿 Live For Me (EP) marks another example of this handsome, talented musician ‘doing the damn thing.’ This is a personal EP that both satisfies the listener’s ears while simultaneously being therapeutic for the artist.  All four songs are worthwhile showing Omar’s musicianship.  16 minutes well spent, PERIOD 💯.

🤩 Gems 💎: “Ice Slippin,” “Live For Me” & “Angel”

🎙 Omar Apollo • 💿 Live For Me (EP) • 🏷 Omar Apollo / Warner • 🗓 10.6.23

[📷: Omar Apollo / Warner]