Prior to his recent release ‘3 Boys’, which has reached over five million streams all ready according to his Spotify page, Omar Apollo’s song ‘Evergreen’ was popularized within the hands of TikTok users in 2022. It instigated conversations regarding what, or who the song may be about.
Not only the song, but his entire album Ivory from which it originated lead to speculations about the likelihood of a relationship between Apollo and Frank Ocean. Comparisons have also been drawn between their music, ascribing Apollo as the new Frank Ocean – perhaps also due to Ocean’s lack of releases in recent years.
Apollo has promoted his consistency with this new track, conveying an extremely emotive and intimate narrative. Yet, he maintains an almost jovial, nostalgic sound which makes his music comparable to several male artists aside from Frank Ocean such as Daniel Caesar, Dominic Fike, and Joji who peaked in previous years.
His soothing vocals are exploited mostly within the pre-chorus and chorus, along with the continuous delicacy of the beat and subtlety of guitar; a bitter-sweet tone is generated faultlessly. This tone, in addition to the direct address and questioning within the lyrics “What should I do?” creates a perfect portrayal of “the complexities that come with a relationship”; as Apollo himself noted, discussing his development and release on a statement to Pitchfork.
Fluidity and complexity has taken over relationships more and more in recent years, so ‘3 Boys’ is cleverly targeting something that is topical for younger generations, who might resonate with exploring “something non-monogamous” as he stated to Pitchfork, or struggling with discovering their desires. He shows frustration in being “tethered” to one person yet wondering if “Three boys would work”.
Omar Apollo’s rise in the music industry is no surprise, as he has released a track which successfully adheres to previous sounds we might have missed in the Indie/ Alternative genre, whilst simultaneously introducing new narratives which have been addressed scarcely in the past. The sense of familiarity within his song is bound to comfort those who crave something lyrically melancholic which invokes a juxtaposing feeling of relief and joy.
Watch the ‘3 Boys’ Official Lyric Video below!
