Omar Apollo has cemented his place in the neo-soul scene with his newest project, “Apolonio.”
He’s been a notable name since the start— a master of production with a multi-octave voice that shines in every setting— but he’s learning to break out of his mold and find his footing.
“Apolonio” is a nine track album released on October 16, the artist’s third full-length project since 2018. It’s a 25 minute exploration of each facet of his style. It leans a little more playlist than cohesive experience, but that’s the price you pay when you want to shake things up.
The album starts with “I’m Amazing,” a seemingly out-of-place, but still fun, song. It’s by far the most pop-based track on the album, but it still carries some soul with a more acoustic base underlaying the beat on top. The lyrics are fairly basic but still feels real. It’s pop with soul.
In my eyes, the album truly starts at “Kamikaze.” This track is for everyone that has been yearning for some new Frank Ocean for the last century. It sounds almost exactly like him without feeling like a rip-off, and strikes the same emotional chord that Apollo is so skilled at playing. It jumps from serious issues in a relationship to a fun, casual conversation and humor and definitely scores one of the top spots in the album for me.
“Want U Around” comes in strong next with the perfect example of what a collab should be—take notes, Maroon 5 and Cardi B. Their voices work seamlessly and blend into a lovely soulful, sultry ballad. He hits it out of the park again with Kali Uchis on “Hey Boy.” They really let her voice shine with Apollo’s backing and some relatively experimental production from both of them.
“Dos Uno Nueve (219)” is one of those songs that would get you weird looks if you put it on aux, but it makes sense within the context of the album. It’s a full blown Spanish bop with a sprinkle of echoic commentary throughout that brings it back into the album. Seems like an odd choice, but it just shows Apollo is growing.
“Useless” and “The Two of Us” bring us back to the Apollo we know, but they’re both fantastic tracks. He gets a little funky with the vocals on “Useless” and “The Two of Us” leans a little Steve Lacy, but they’re both great tracks.
Overall, this is a great album. Omar Apollo did it again, and took all the tools he needed from the genre to grow into his own. It’s not hard to tell that he has great things to come in his projects down the line if he keeps up this level of performance. I’m excited to see what’s up next.