Chicano R&B singer Omar Apollo hosts a luxe yacht party in his brand new video for “Kickback.” It’s the fourth single off his 2019 EP, Friends, which he self-released in April.
In the Matthew Dillon Cohen-directed video, Apollo takes the kickback, or SoCal slang for “house party,” to the Mediterranean Sea — presumably off the Southern coast of France. Starring some of Apollo’s real-life friends, the clip plays out his wholesome fantasy of the high life. Wearing a captain’s hat and a breezy, unbuttoned yellow shirt, Apollo treats his guests to a vintage Nineties beat coolly paired with sparing jazz guitar licks. Just as the video ends, so does the dream — Apollo’s promptly struck by lightning.
Although he typically sings in English, Apollo is part of an inspiring new class of Latinx R&B musicians: including acts like Cuco, Girl Ultra and Ambar Lucid.
“Usually all the Mexicans that I know don’t come from money,” he told Rolling Stone in August. “[Now] we’re getting money thrown at us and I had to fucking study some shit. I had to get a lawyer, a business manager, all that shit. I’m not gonna fuck up. They’re not gonna catch me slipping. I’m not gonna get stuck in no deal; I’m not gonna get taken advantage of.”
Following an appearance in Mexico City, Apollo officially kicks off his fall tour, dubbed The Speed of Sound, November 1st in Las Vegas. The tour extends across both North America and Europe, and includes stops at Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival as well as Tropicalía Festival. Tickets are now available via OmarApollo.com.
Omar Apollo The Speed of Sound Tour Dates
October 19 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Bar Oriente
November 1 – Las Vegas, NV @ Day N Vegas Festival
November 2 – Oakland, CA @ The New Parish*^
November 3 – Oakland, CA @ The New Parish*^
November 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre*^
November 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre*^
November 7 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park*^
November 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival
November 10 – Pico Rivera, CA @ Tropicalia Festival
November 12 – El Paso, TX @ The Lowbrow Palace*^
November 14 – Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall*^
November 15 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk*^
November 16 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall*^
November 19 – Paris, France @ Badaboum<
November 21 – Glasgow, UK @ The Blue Arrow Club<
November 22 – Manchester, UK @ Night People<
November 23 – Leeds, UK @ Belgrave Music Hall<
November 25 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange<
November 26 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store<
November 27 – London, UK @ Heaven<
December 5 – Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall*^
December 6 – Hobart, IN @ Art Theater*^
December 7 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall*^
December 10 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club^+
December 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel^+
December 13 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club^+
December 15 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West^+
* = w/ Dijon
^ = w/ Silver Sphere
+ = w/ Alexander
< = w/ Shay Lia