Ivory
| Omar Apollo
Ivory
Ivory is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Omar Apollo, released on April 8, 2022, by Warner Records. The album was promoted by five singles: "Go Away", "Bad Life", "Invincible", "Killing Me" and "Tamagotchi". The album's deluxe edition, titled Ivory (Marfil), featuring five additional tracks, is going to be released on August 12, 2022
Ivory received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising Apollo's musical growth and vocal performances. - Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
Show All-
Rolling Stone
The Mexican American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s sense of maturity grounds the project, and the songs stay playful yet tender, free yet focused.
-
Pitchfork
The singer-songwriter’s debut expands beyond bedroom R&B to traverse genres with dimension and control. He can shift from wizened soul belter to ’90s boy band innocence in a heartbeat.
-
The Guardian
The singer-songwriter’s range is both a gift and a hindrance on this overstuffed record.
-
NME
silky songs dripping with serious drama.
-
Collegiate Times
“Ivory” flows like a book and culminates into a feeling of fulfillment words cannot describe. It is extremely apparent how much Apollo has grown as an artist and it is easy to tell how much love, care and hard work went into “Ivory.” If Apollo had not already done so, “Ivory” confirmed that he is a superstar.
-
The Arts Fuse
Ivory feels like a big step forward in Omar Apollo’s career. After two EP’s and an album that showed promise, it’s refreshing to see an artist deliver a project whose depth and texture does justice to his potential.
-
The Communicator
Hopefully, the tracks which I felt more positive towards show Apollo as a more evolved and tasteful artist, and can be a sign of better things to come. For now, I’ll take a small handful of tracks from this 16-track album and be on my way. Consensus: “Ivory” is a relatively mixed experience, which lathers in its apparent influences — I’m looking at you, Frank.
-
AllMusic
He launches into bristling pop-punk after the intro, and elsewhere offers honeyed hip-hop, convincing retro-soul, and a touching corrido, among other styles, refining his R&B-rooted bedroom pop throughout. He teams with the Neptunes on the bumping "Tamagotchi," reunites with Kali Uchis for the dead-end ballad "Bad Life," and with Daniel Caesar delivers "Invincible," another aching number, if with one of his cleverest boastful couplets: "Latin boy, Frida Khalo brow/Jacquemus jeans, Ferragamo brown."
-
5 Finger Review
Ivory is jam-packed with catchy melodies and lyrics. Apollo shows a range of moods and styles; though most of the album is gentle and sultry, there are moments of upbeat and hard-hitting sections to even the flow. Ivory is a solid first outing and continues to gather momentum for his career, which is just now blossoming on its journey to success.
-
DIY Magazine
Conflating his electro-pop tendencies with the occasional stride of a campfire guitar, he turns everything he touches to glistening radio gold.
-
The College Reporter
This record is a commanding start. It is worth keeping a finger on the pulse of Omar Apollo’s work, as his talents are nothing short of extraordinary. Ivory is a gift— and it is only the beginning.
-
Varsity
All in all, this debut album proves that Omar Apollo is the real deal. Expect to see this project on a few year-end lists, and one can only hope that it catapults him into the mainstream — this album truly merits such a response. An impressive effort and a tremendous formal introduction to the world.
-
Palatinate
Apollo teases you back in with a suave guitar progression near the end, but the song is over in the blink of an eye. Likewise Ruel’s raspingly affecting feature in ‘Want U Around’ lasts only a few lines. By doing this, Apollo manages to create an experience of fleeting emotional flashes. No sooner is one raw emotion here, than the next displaces it.
-
UCSD Guardian
The release of “Ivory” marks Apollos departure from his alternative bedroom pop roots, proving that he has come a long way from his Soundcloud days. He has taken his passion and shaped it into a craft, welding his songs into a story, and this album into his future.
-
Clash Magazine
Indeed, Apollo creates a new sound within his alternative style. Bouncing from indie to alternative R&B to hip-hop, ‘Ivory’ is a culmination of his interests, all mushed together to create his own sense of authenticity. It is a commanding start, clearly marking out his career ambitions as he continues his journey of success. For him, this is only but the beginning.
-
Remezcla
Omar Apollo Proves ‘Ivory’ Is Worth Its Weight in Gold With Debut Album.
Rate This Album and Leave Your Comments