Omar Apollo on his emotional new EP, ‘Live For Me,’ and ignoring the confines of genre

By ELISE RYAN
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — In just four songs on his latest EP, “Live For Me,” Omar Apollo processes death, grief, acceptance and the lack of it — big, traumatic emotions — through intimate, lush sounds. The EP, out Friday, follows Apollo’s 2022 debut album “Ivory” and a 2023 Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist. It’s also his first project since touring with SZA, and since “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)” went viral on social media, bringing swaths of new listeners to his music. Apollo spoke with The Associated Press via Zoom about the EP, not conforming to any one genre and his favorite song as of late.