Omar Apollo

Omar Apollo is an R&B songwriter and Latin Grammy Award-nominated solo artist who performs bilingual music in both Spanish and English. He was born as "Omar Apolonio Velasco" on May 20, 1997, in Hobart, Indiana, and raised by Mexican parents whose musical heroes included ranchera singer Pedro Infante. Equally influenced by American artists like John Mayer, Rick James, and Prince, Apollo began making his own music as a teenager and released the debut single "Ugotme" in 2017. Although Apollo was still an independent artist at the time, "Ugotme" became a notable viral hit, earning more than 15 million digital streaming during its first year and paving the way for introductory EPs like Stereo (2018) and Friends (2019). Apolonio, his debut album, was released the following year, along with collaborations with artists like Joji, Ruel, and Kenny Beats. His single "Go Away" became a hit in 2021, but its success was overshadowed by "Te olvidaste," a collaboration with Spanish rapper C. Tangana that appeared on Tangana's chart-topping album El Madrileño. "Te olvidaste" received nominations for "Record of the Year" and "Best Alternative Song" at the Latin Grammy Awards in 2021, and Omar Apollo capitalized on the momentum by releasing his second full-length solo album, IVORY, the following year. The album's most successful song was "Evergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me at All)," which went platinum in both Canada (where it peaked at number 43) and America (where it reached number 33 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart). IVORY was followed by the EP Live For Me in 2023, and Omar Apollo made a return to the charts with 2024's God Said No, whose lead single "Spite" reached number 99 on the Top 100 Hot Songs JWAVE chart in Japan.