He started his career by creating and uploading his songs to the DIY streaming platform SoundCloud. During this time, he worked at Jimmy John's and Guitar Center and lived in an attic. In 2017, using $30 borrowed from a friend, he uploaded his song "Ugotme" to Spotify, where it was soon playlisted on the platform's Fresh Finds and racked up 20,000 streams in a day. A year later, the song would cross more than 15 million streams. He released his first EP, Stereo in 2018, which was similarly well received.
In 2018 and 2019 he went on two tours, the "Want Tour" and the "Voyager Tour". During the 32-date "Voyager Tour" he released his second EP, Friends, in April 2019. He went on his first European tour in 2019 as well, and played at Lollapalooza in August.
In late 2019, Apollo released the singles "Frío" and "Hit Me Up", both collaborations with producer Kenny Beats. In April 2020, Apollo released the single "Imagine U", another collaboration with Kenny Beats, and on August 7, he released "Stayback", the lead single from what would come to be his first mixtape, Apolonio,. On September 10, he released the second single "Kamikaze".
On September 25, Apollo appeared on alternative R&B Japanese-Australian singer Joji’s second album Nectar on the track "High Hopes".
Apollo released "Dos Uno Nueve (219)" and "Want U Around" (with the last one featuring Ruel) before releasing Apolonio on October 16.
In 2021, Omar released "Go Away" and "Bad Life", the first two singles from his debut studio album, Ivory. "Bad Life", which features Kali Uchis, marked the second time the singers collaborated together, with the first being "Hey Boy", from Apollo's first mixtape, Apolonio.
In February 2022, Apollo released Invincible, the third single from Ivory, featuring Daniel Caesar, and announced the release date for his album. On the following months, he'd go to release "Killing Me" and "Tamagotchi", with the latter one being co-written and produced by The Neptunes.
Ivory received mostly positive reviews with praises going towards Apollo's musical growth and vocal performance. The album entered the Billboard 200 chart, marking his first-ever entry on the chart.
In September 2022, the track "Evergreen" went viral on TikTok which helped boost the song to enter the Spotify and Apple Music charts and eventually debut on Billboard Hot 100 at number 62 for the week ending of October 1, 2022, earning Apollo his first-ever entry on the chart. In response to the rising success, the song was chosen as the album's next single and was later sent to contemporary hit radios on October 4, 2022, making it his first-ever radio single.
In 2022, Apollo also performed at Coachella and in early 2023, opened for SZA on her SOS Tour.
In September 2023, Omar was honored with the Inspira Award at the 2023 Hispanic Heritage Awards.
In October 6th, 2023, Omar released his third EP, Live For Me, which contains the single "Ice Slippin".
Apollo is openly gay and has denied queerbaiting allegations, stating, 'It's not a choice, it's just what I am. (...) I'm totally aware of the privilege we have now to be ourselves and still have a career (...) people thought I was queerbaiting before. I wasn't super open about my sexuality, but people were hearing things. (...) It had a lot to do with me growing up in Indiana which is very conservative. I stopped putting pronouns in my music for a couple of years then I just realized, I can't let other people's opinions influence and dictate my life".
In an interview in 2022, Apollo discussed the labeling of his sexuality, saying "I feel like in the beginning, (...) I was trying to keep the mystique. But I don't even care anymore (...) now I'm just like, I'm very gay".
Growing up, he listened to his parents' favorite musicians such as Pedro Infante, Los Panchos and The Beatles. His own influences include diverse musicians such as Neil Young, John Mayer, Prince, Bootsy Collins, and The Internet.
His parents gifted him a guitar when he was 12, but, unfortunately, it was an eletric guitar without an amp. He traded it for an acoustic guitar at a pawn shop and eventually learned how to play it by watching and mimicking YouTube cover videos. A newer guitar he’d bought later on got stolen when he was 15 and it took him a couple years to get a new one and get back into playing. He then also learned how to sing on YouTube, after receiving criticism on his voice from his dad and friends.
Omar attended Indiana University Northwest, but dropped out two weeks in because he felt like he was supposed to be doing something else and wanted to focus on music.
Invincible
omar apollo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me, would you notice me?
If I were to go (go, go, go)
Tell me, would you notice me?
(If I were to)
Twenty-four hours after CS:01 release
I miss my girl, it's time to hit the streets
You won't believe what happened to me, I
Drip, drip, drip with the cold IV
Out of consciousness if I ever slip it
And I woke up in an ambulance
If I were to go (go, go, go)
Tell me, would you notice me?
If I were to go (go, go, go)
Tell me, would you notice me?
(If I were to)
Sixty-four hours since my baby spoke to me
He kissed me, now I love his dopamine
I tried go to sleep but my brain on 2C-B
You won't believe what happened to me, I
Drip, drip, drip with the cold IV
Out of consciousness if I ever slip it
I been gone, moving high speed now
That's my song, let me hear that bounce
Latin boy, Frida Kahlo brow
Jacquemus jeans, Ferragamo brown
Venetian walls with the porcelain tile
286 Donnie Darko town
If I'm down would you help me out
If I'm down would you help me out
I had to call you back to tell you that (call me back)
You could have spared my feelings (could have spared my feelings)
I'm not invincible
I'm not invincible (I'm not invincible)
I had to call you back to tell you that (call me back)
You could have spared my feelings (could have spared)
I'm not invincible
I'm not invincible (I'm not invincible)
If I were to go (go, go, go)
Tell me, would you notice me?
If I were to go (go, go, go)
Tell me, would you notice me?
If I were to go (go, go, go)
Tell me, would you notice me?
The song "Invincible" reflects on the idea of mortality and how little time one might have in this world. The opening lyrics, "If I were to go, tell me, would you notice me?" indicates the potential fear of being forgotten or overlooked after death. The verses describe moments in the artist's life where they faced danger or threatening situations, such as the line "Out of consciousness if I ever slip it / And I woke up in an ambulance." The repetition of the phrase "drip, drip, drip with the cold IV" signifies the vulnerability and fragility of the human body.
The chorus is a recurring question directed towards someone, possibly a loved one, asking if they would miss the artist if they were to disappear. The bridge describes the artist's sense of identity, with references to their Latin heritage and fashion sense. The final verse speaks to the importance of having support during times of struggle, with the lines "If I'm down would you help me out / If I'm down would you help me out?"
Overall, the song captures the complex emotions surrounding mortality, identity, and the need for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
If I were to go (go, go, go)
If I were to leave this place and go away
Tell me, would you notice me?
Would you even realize that I am gone?
(If I were to)
(If I were to leave)
Twenty-four hours after CS:01 release
A day after my music was released
I miss my girl, it's time to hit the streets
I miss my lover so I need to go out and do something
I went to check my dogs, get some vitamin C
I went to see my friends and get some vitamin C (either literally or metaphorically)
You won't believe what happened to me, I
Something unexpected happened to me
Drip, drip, drip with the cold IV
There is a cold IV drip attached to my body
Out of consciousness if I ever slip it
I could pass out at any moment
And I woke up in an ambulance
I woke up while being transported to the hospital in an ambulance
Sixty-four hours since my baby spoke to me
It has been 64 hours since my lover has talked to me
He kissed me, now I love his dopamine
I fell in love with the feeling his kiss gave me, which is related to the chemical dopamine
I tried go to sleep but my brain on 2C-B
I tried to sleep, but my mind is active due to the drug 2C-B
Drip, drip, drip with the cold IV
There is still a cold IV drip attached to my body
Out of consciousness if I ever slip it
I could pass out again
I been gone, moving high speed now
I have been absent and now I am moving fast
That's my song, let me hear that bounce
This song is mine, let me hear it with a good rhythm
Latin boy, Frida Kahlo brow
Describing their appearance, perhaps a Latinx person with eyebrows like Frida Kahlo
Jacquemus jeans, Ferragamo brown
Wearing designer clothing, specifically jeans by Jacquemus and shoes by Ferragamo in brown color
Venetian walls with the porcelain tile
Describing an elegant space with Venetian style walls and porcelain tiles
286 Donnie Darko town
A location with a reference to the movie Donnie Darko
If I'm down would you help me out
If I am feeling low, will you be there to support me?
I had to call you back to tell you that (call me back)
I needed to call you again to tell you something important and to ask you to call me back
You could have spared my feelings (could have spared my feelings)
You could have avoided hurting my emotions
I'm not invincible
I am not indestructible and can be hurt
I'm not invincible (I'm not invincible)
Reiterating that I am not invincible
If I were to go (go, go, go)
Again referencing the possibility of leaving
Tell me, would you notice me?
Asking if anyone would even realize if I were to leave
If I were to go (go, go, go)
Bringing up the idea of leaving once more
Tell me, would you notice me?
Asking again if anyone would notice if I were gone
If I were to go (go, go, go)
Still considering the option of leaving
Tell me, would you notice me?
Asking one final time if anyone would realize if I were gone
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ashton Dumar Simmonds, Carter Lang, Omar Apolonio Velasco, Matthew Sean Leon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@toronto690
Chorus: Daniel Caesar]
If I were to go (Go, go)
Tell me, would you notice me?
If I were to go (Go, go)
Tell me, would you notice me?
(If I were to)
[Verse 1: Daniel Caesar]
Twenty-four hours after CS:01 released
I miss my girl, it's time to hit the streets
I went to check my dawgs, get some vitamin C
You won't believe what happened to me, I
[Pre-Chorus: Omar Apollo & Daniel Caesar]
Drip, drip, drip with the cold IV
Out of consciousness if I ever slip it
And I woke up in an ambulance
[Chorus: Daniel Caesar]
If I were to go (Go, go)
Tell me, would you notice mе?
If I were to go (Go, go)
Tell mе, would you notice me?
(If I were to)
[Verse 2: Omar Apollo]
Sixty-four hours since my baby spoke to me
He kissed me, now I love his dopamine
I tried to go to sleep, but my brain on 2C-B
You won't believe what happened to me, I
Drip, drip, drip with the cold IV
Out of consciousness if I ever slip it
I been gone, moving high speed now
That's my song, let me hear that bounce
Latin boy, Frida Khalo brow
Jacquemus jeans, Ferragamo brown
Venetian walls with porcelain tile
286, Donnie Darko town
If I'm down, would you help me out?
If I'm down, would you help me out?
@grega4220
Ok, what the hell was that!?
It’s around 2:am Saturday night/Sunday morning, and, like a good productive insomniac, I’m in the kitchen going about my business cleaning things, washing dishes with the TV on and KCRW on the radio in the background….And then this song comes on.
I notice how beautiful it is, so I mute the TV and listen to it and begin to look it up on the radio station’s website playlist on my iPad. It finishes playing but I decide to look up the video on YouTube and possibly download it to my iPad.
I find the video,…. I watch it, listening to the lyrics and getting drawn into it…. the melody, the lyrics, the video…. All of it….. I can’t explain it or why, but before I knew it,…. this 56 year old man (me) starts getting emotional and sobbing helplessly.
The song and video together are so moving and beautifully deep.
It’s truly amazing when something can touch ones emotional core so directly addressing issues of how unpredictably fragile human life is and the priceless value of the close emotional bonds we hold with those who are irreplaceable in our short and precious lives.
It’s a very haunting cathartic piece that seems to address the pain associated with the loss of loved ones in addition to celebrating the memories of time spent with them.
My hearing it tonight just seemed a bit serendipitous in timing because in addition to recently reflecting on the number friends and family members lost to COVID over the past 2 years, I also just received news earlier this evening of the passing of a dear old friend who had been in a coma for the past 9 months (non COVID related). I also noticed that parts of the video had been filmed on location at RSI Studios at Cal Poly Pomona (Ambulance scene and house scenes, and more) which coincidentally is where I had worked on an Amazon film for 9 months in 2019 together with my buddy who recently died. That was the last time I had seen him in person. The Multiverse has a way of doing that. Oh, the ‘Feels’.
Needless to say, I put the song on ‘Repeat’ for the next hour or so and just let it all flow…. Never forget to hold those dearest to you close and tell them often how special they are in your life. Today is all we have.
@OmarApollo
BIIIITTCCCHHH AHHHHHH
@sulemaromero7414
Drip drip drip with the cold IV
@haninzul47
ISTG I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!
@carlestrada4483
Yooo directed by stillz, hell yea
loving the music
@luminisaudiovisual
SIEMPRE LE PONE BUENO USTED MI PERRO
@sulemaromero7414
@@luminisaudiovisual salvadoreño?
@DarkManSonian
They should just be a group.
This is too fucking good, I hope to be blessed with a couple more works of art like this.
@anon877
I SECOND
@uripitt6252
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
@Sile93nce
Like 2088 (Jhené Aiko & Big Sean)!