Tamagotchi (Omar Apollo song)

In April 2021, Apollo tweeted that he finished creating songs with Pharrell Williams.[1] One of the tracks the two collaborated on was "Tamagotchi", which was announced on March 23, 2022.[2]

"Tamagotchi" was written by Omar Apollo, Maria Alejandra Osorio, and Najai Washington. The song is a "bass-heavy" Latin-infused trap and R&B song with Spanish guitars and a plucked Samba cadence.[3][4][5] It features Apollo rapping and singing in Spanish during the verses and in English during the hook and bridge.[6] Towards the end of the track, Apollo utilizes pitch shifted vocals to distort his voice.[5][7] With production by The Neptunes, Williams' signature four-beat producer tag can be heard at the beginning of the track.[8]

Lyrically, Apollo sings about material wealth and "living the fast life, yet constantly craving physical connection from that special somebody."[9][10] The song is noted for having "tongue in-cheek" and forward lyrics about sexuality and queerness, with Apollo bragging about boys and girls lusting over him.[3][10][11][12]

The song features a sample of "I Wanna Rock" by Uncle Luke during its bridge section.[13]

"Tamagotchi" received generally positive reviews by music critics. Sophie Williams of NME praised the production of the song saying that its "bouncy melody is bolstered by pitch-shifted vocals and vivid Pharrell-assisted production."[7] Tomás Mier of Rolling Stone commented on the production and lyrics of the song saying, "With its bouncy Neptunes beat, flirty, bilingual lyrics, and effortlessly catchy chorus, “Tamagotchi” is a perfect example of the qualities that have made Apollo, one of the most exciting artists of his generation."[11] Writers at Billboard placed the song at number 41 on its list of Best Songs of 2022 and claimed that the song's stylistic leap helped earn Apollo his Grammy nomination.[10] Writers at GQ called the song a "catchy" single.[14] Cora Jordan of Clash commended the song's ability to show Apollo's versatility calling it "punchy and jam-packed" and stating that it "clearly shows his range in sound, stepping away from the slow and sultry tone that reflects much of the album and blending into an upbeat, hard-hitting flow."[8] Larisha Paul of The Fader also applauded Apollo's departure from his signature sound, stating he “abandons his signature sleek indie pop” and instead “paints an airy, harmony-filled wonderland as captivating as any dreamy pop performance that preceded it."[15] Jessica McKinney of Complex called the track a "smooth single" and an "upbeat banger".[9]

The music video for "Tamagotchi" was directed by Jake Nava and released on April 8, 2022, the same day as the release of Ivory.[18]