'I've commodified my heartbreaks since I was 18': Omar Apollo on his new album God Said No

The first time Omar Apollo sat down with Q's Tom Power in 2022, it was clear they had a special bond (maybe it's because they're both Taurauses). The singer-songwriter acknowledges as much in their most recent conversation about his sophomore album, God Said No.

"I really, really despise being interviewed, like, I hate it," Apollo tells Power. "Not from you though…. You're a good guy."

Since the release of his debut record two years ago, Apollo's career has skyrocketed. He received a Grammy nod, toured with SZA and Billie Eilish, attended the Met Gala, and made his acting debut in Luca Guadagnino's film Queer. But he says he also experienced his "rock bottom."

"I had a tough year," he says. "It was a lot of things, but mostly a little break up — not little, it was colossal. But, I mean, now I'm better than I ever have been."

The title of Apollo's new album was inspired by a comment his friend made that helped him change his perspective on the end of that relationship: "I gave it my everything, and God said, 'No.'"

"I was like, 'Wow, that kind of ate," he tells Power. "It makes a lot of sense because I have a really religious background. I think there's great wisdom in all the religions and I think you just take what resonates and leave what doesn't."

While this wasn't Apollo's first heartbreak (he is, after all, the writer of Evergreen, one of the saddest songs to ever go viral on TikTok), it was the most devastating.

"I've hit my lowest and I've hit my highest," he says. "I know what it's like to be loved. I know what it's like to want to burst into tears every single moment of your life for a year…. I've commodified my heartbreaks since I was 18 years old. But this was different. It consumed me. It took over everything. Now, I'd say, I'm just in a way better state of mind. I understand myself way more. I understand the world. The relationships in my life are harmonious."

The full interview with Omar Apollo is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. He also talks about making his acting debut in Luca Guadagnino's Queer and launching a new hot sauce. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Omar Apollo produced by Vanessa Nigro.