Omar Apollo’s debut studio album ‘Ivory’ usually burst with frantic optimism a couple of novel love – one which didn’t collapse within the face of distance or his newfound fame. This lush alt-R&B ode to wide-eyed romance was a breakout file that remodeled his life, delivering his first Grammy nomination and a string of help slots with the likes of SZA and Billie Eilish. Given the chaos that may observe immense success, it’s not too stunning to see him return two years on with a heartbreak album, his once-earnest outlook on love dissolving into ruminations on misplaced love and resentment.
Apollo’s most atmospheric providing to this point, ‘God Stated No’ takes inspiration from the ambient compositions of late Japanese pianist and producer Ryuichi Sakamoto. The file is dotted with synths, digital piano and his signature soulful falsetto – which frequently appears to descend right into a cry of desperation. Via scattered sequencing, this moody file captures how heartbreak sends your feelings ricocheting. What on the floor can really feel like a scarcity of cohesion makes area for an eclectic, expansive sonic palette that continuously drifts between genres but is anchored in his diaristic musings on finite romance.
Whereas nursing heartache, Apollo sought solace in London golf equipment. It’s an affect evident on the techno-imbued ‘Much less Of You’, the place he asks “am I miserable you?” over a heavy, ’80s-indebted bassline. These insecurities seep into ‘Carried out With You’, whose cloying, romantic strings and jazz prospers (plus a quick cameo from John Mayer) coalesce right into a bitter try to look over it. Elsewhere, a pattern of ‘Fringe of The Ocean’ by New York indie band Ivy on ‘Drifting’ conjures the dreamy optimism of radio-friendly ’90s dance music, present in the identical technicolour vein as Texas and Donna Lewis.
But for all of the eclecticism, ‘God Stated No’ has a through-line: vulnerability. “You left me empty,” Apollo concludes on ‘Empty’, punctuated by heart-wrenching strings. The sullen ‘Life’s Unfair’ dwells on paths unfollowed, as Apollo sings, his voice distorted: “I’d have married you / however you received’t stay like that”. ‘Aircraft Bushes’, that includes Canadian artist and poet Mustafa, is a pensive ballad wealthy in Frank Ocean-esque harmonies and nostalgic sentiments like “our presence made the bottom glow”. It appears Apollo has come to phrases with the finality of the break-up.
The file’s title is Apollo’s personal interpretation of the phrase lo que sera, sera (‘no matter might be, might be’). This sentiment’s most overt manifestation is the penultimate observe ‘Pedro’, a candid monologue from actor Pedro Pascal. In a meandering voice memo, Pascal recollects his coronary heart being “shattered by one thing”, earlier than discovering catharsis in a non secular encounter by a park bench, giving him religion that life progresses and evolves previous ache.
‘Glow’, then, is a becoming finale, with Apollo begging, “Earlier than you permit, give me yet another dance,” although he lastly lets go. The observe ends with a pale anecdote from his mom, recalling making gorditas together with her father as a toddler in Mexico. It’s a voice memo Apollo recorded on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, on a vacation paid for by his music profession; Apollo has spoken up to now about working at McDonalds to avoid wasting for the laptop computer and microphone he would use to compose his early SoundCloud releases. It’s a poignant ending to an album that sees Apollo sort out insecurity and uncertainty in love, and finally discover consolation in his successes, his mates and his household – and firmly grounded in his heritage.
Particulars
- Launch date: June 28, 2024
- Report label: Warner
