Omar Apollo Could Write the Next Great Soundtrack — ‘God Said No’ Is a Step in That Direction

variety.com:

Thania Garcia Omar Apollo has always had the ability to paint “the scene of a song” he’s writing. In fact, his latest 14-song LP, the powerfully titled “God Said No,” makes the most of that approach, finding its sonic inspiration in “places and locations” – more specifically, its breeding grounds in the famously picturesque and tree-lined canal neighborhoods of Little Venice in London. “I was really inspired,” Apollo tells Variety of his temporary home. “Even something like a gust of wind, I could say, inspired a moment on this album.” Said album follows 2022’s “Ivory,” which propelled Apollo’s career, landing him his first Grammy nomination and Billboard Hot 100 entry (“Evergreen” peaked at No.

51). He’s had little downtime since, supporting the record with a tour and releasing “Live for Me,” a four song EP that reads like diary pages from Apollo’s youth.

That era tends to be an endless well of inspiration for Apollo, who in a song called “Ice Slippin,” writes about the moment he came out to his parents: “And you thought what you said / Would be for the best / Instead, it broke me down.” The new record lifts from the more recent experiences – themes of success, heartbreak, love and existential contemplation – he’s had across the last year and a half.

It follows “three to four different love interests, although most of it” is about one person, he says. “I was in love when I wrote most of this album.