Omar Apollo Lets Go of the Old on New EP ‘Live for Me’

Omar Apollo is back with a new four-track EP, Live for Me, sharing a music video to go along with the title-track as well. 

“Live for Me” begins as a spare ballad but eventually transforms into a deceptively danceable soul tune. The song’s infectious groove, however, bolsters a deeply affecting vocal performance from Apollo as he delivers this aching plea on the chorus: “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.”

The video for “Live for Me,” directed by David Heofs, pairs the tune with a series of vignettes and portraits that toe the line between quotidian, strange, and tender: People are taking out the trash late at night, doing trust falls, dancing in their driveways, whacking piñatas alleys, and leaving flowers at roadside memorials. 

The Live for Me EP marks Apollo’s first new project since he released his hit debut solo album, Ivory, last year (which helped him earn a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist). He announced the four-track release back in August along with the single, “Ice Slippin,” which found him reflecting on the “cold judgement,” not acceptance, he received the winter he came out to his family. 

In a statement, Apollo said the four songs on Live For Me are “a reflection of the realities I’ve had to face in the last few years.” He continued: “Coming to terms with the person I was becoming and letting go of the old to be able to feel like myself and whatever purity I had left. Addressing parts of me I’ve compartmentalized, leaving myself feeling a bit exposed. I know it’s only four songs but they hold a lot of the weight I’ve been carrying throughout my life. I feel lighter now and ready for the next phase of whatever life has to offer.”

Apollo has a pair of shows on the horizon, starting with an Oct. 15 show at the Filmore in Philadelphia. He’ll then co-headline Madison Square Garden in New York City with Daniel Caesar on Oct. 17.  

From Rolling Stone US.