Meet the 2023 Grammys Best New Artist Nominees

As Omar Apollo recalled to NPR, he saved up to buy a laptop and microphone by working at fast-food restaurants, later teaching himself how to sing by watching YouTube videos.

In 2017, the Indiana-born artist uploaded his song “Ugotme” to Spotify and later moved to Los Angeles to focus on music. He dropped his debut studio album Ivory in 2022, in which he sings in both English and Spanish.

“The life that I live is bilingual, mostly English,” the “Evergreen” star, whose parents moved to the U.S. from Mexico, told the Los Angeles Times in 2020. “But I think music’s a reflection of my life.”

Through his music, Omar also expresses his pride as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. “I’d always write about boys, even when it was just subtle or whatever,” the 25-year-old told Out in October. “It felt right. I mean, this is reality for me. The fact that people can relate to it and apply it to their lives or feel like they can resonate with what I’m saying, that makes me happy.”