Omar Apollo is a Grammy-nominated artist with one mission when it comes to making music: his friends have to like his songs better than other artists' releases.
During his interview with V Magazine, the "Evergreen" hitmaker revealed what motivates him to make good songs: jealousy.
"I make music that moves me and I hope it moves other people," Apollo said. "I do care about the people and seeing their faces react to the music and words, but the pressure is always the one I put on myself."
He then went on to explain how critiques are a double-edged sword and that not all comments have to matter to him.
"I wouldn't be able to live my life as an artist if I sat and listened to every critique," he continued.
"And you know, I make music for me. I make songs that are literally just for my friends. They'll tell me they're into some type of music, and I get kind of jealous."
Omar Apollo Makes Music For His Friends
The "Want U Around" singer then went on to explain that he sometimes makes music out of spite so his friends can listen to his songs instead of someone else's.
Apollo described this as a music-making "exercise," and that it helped him improve his craft.
"That's my life. It's a good exercise for sure. Even with rap-I've always been rapping, but obviously, you know, I'm a singer-songwriter. Rapping is a whole other skill set."
Fans could not help but gush at Apollo's dedication to making music for his friends: "I can imagine how special it must feel to receive a song made specifically for you."
"Wow so beautiful," another added.
Omar Apollo's Rise to Fame
Apollo rose to prominence by uploading his music on SoundCloud; by 2018, he released his debut EP "Stereo," and promptly went on his "Want" tour and "Voyager" tour to promote the release.
"I will forever be grateful. I think that good music definitely surpasses any way that it's being consumed," he said about his song "Evergreen" going viral on TikTok, which propelled his career forward.
In fact, the singer went so viral that one of his songs, "Tamagotchi," was included in former president Barack Obama's favorite songs in 2022.
"I mean, it's the Grammy nomination. But Obama, I love Obama, man. That's insane," he said, noting that it was an honor for Obama to like his song and be nominated for Best New Artist in 2023.
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