Ivory (Omar Apollo album)

Apollo's debut album had to go through a rewriting process as he was dissatisfied with the initial version of the album. Apollo explained, "I had this feeling that I didn't want to promote or tour this music. I wasn't excited about it. It was good music — it wasn't bad music, but it didn't feel like me".[2] Despite the disappointment from his record label Warner, Apollo was allowed to proceed with the rewrite, starting in November 2021, after releasing two lead singles.[3]

On February 9, 2022, Apollo announced the release date as well as the title of the debut album.[4]

Musically, Ivory is described to be an eclectic, genre-hopping pop and R&B album,[19][20][21][22][23] that incorporates elements of alternative R&B, hip hop, indie-pop,[13][24] along with sounds of Latin trap, funk, electropop, psychedelic music and traditional Mexican music.[22][23][25][26]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	79/100[41]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[42]
Clash	8/10[24]
DIY	[25]
Dork	[26]
The Guardian	[19]
NME	[43]
Pitchfork	7.6/10[20]
Riff Magazine	8/10[44]
Rolling Stone	[22]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 79, based on seven reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[41]

Reviewing for DIY, Alisdair Grice said "Omar Apollo inspires, and his competence as a vocalist is unmistakable on Ivory. Conflating his electro-pop tendencies with the occasional stride of a campfire guitar, he turns everything he touches to glistening radio gold."[25] Rolling Stone's writer Julyssa Lopez praised Apollo's ability to "[let] the music speak for [his identity and sexuality and that he] doesn’t hold back in his lyrics.[22] Cora Jordon from Clash praised the album and said, "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."[24] Pitchfork's Cameron Cook praised Apollo's vocals, saying that "while the musicianship on Ivory remains lush and intricate throughout, Apollo's voice has always been his ace in the hole. He can shift from wizened soul belter to '90s boy band innocence in a heartbeat", and then commended the variety of genres by summing up the review with "Apollo’s sheer talent has strained against the limits of the micro-genre he came up in. With its amalgam of genres, tones, and tastes, Ivory goes beyond thinking outside the box: It's as if the box were never even there to begin with."[20] Neive McCarthy of Dork called the album "unpredictable and deeply transformative".[26] Domenic Strazzabosco of Riff Magazine wrote: "Ivory gives Omar Apollo the fullest platform to display his songwriting, vocal dexterity and the converging musical styles that influence him".[44] Meanwhile, in a mixed review, Ammar Kalia of The Guardian labelled the album as "overstuffed", while praising Apollo's vocals and "aptitude for unexpected genres".[19]

Ivory was supported by the Desvelado tour.[58] The tour was originally scheduled to be held in 2021, starting from July.[59] However, Apollo later rescheduled the tour to 2022 to give him time to complete production of the album.[20] The tour officially began on April 5, 2022, in Portland, Oregon at the Crystal Ballroom and concluded on June 16, 2022, in London at KOKO. The tour also included two performances at the 2022 Coachella festival on April 15 and 22.[60]

To support the album's deluxe edition, Apollo announced the Prototype tour, in collaboration with Ravyn Lenae. The tour began on October 21, 2022, in San Diego, California at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre and concluded on November 29, 2022, in Toronto at the History venue.[61]

In September 2022, Apollo made an appearance on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, performing "En El Olvido", "Endlessly", "Petrified", and "Evergreen".[62] The latter performance helping boost the track's streams.[17]