Killing Me (Omar Apollo song)
| "Killing Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Omar Apollo | ||||
| from the album Ivory | ||||
| Released | March 11, 2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:45 | |||
| Label | Warner | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Omar Apollo | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Omar Apollo singles chronology | ||||
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| Lyric video | ||||
| "Killing Me" on YouTube | ||||
"Killing Me" is a song by American singer Omar Apollo from his debut studio album Ivory (2022). It was released as the album's fourth single on March 11, 2022.
Composition
[edit]"Killing Me" was written by Omar Apollo and co-produced with Mike Hector, Carter Lang, and Oscar Santander. The song is a moody and bilingual R&B track with elements of psychedelic music.[1][2][3]
Lyrically, the song sees Apollo longing intensely over someone and lusting for their love to the point where it's killing him.[2][4] During the second verse, Apollo sings in Spanish about swearing that he only thinks of that person while craving for their touch.[4]
Critical reception
[edit]"Killing Me" was received positively by music critics. Tomás Mier and Julyssa Lopez of Rolling Stone admired the song's sensual feel as well as Apollo's blend of English and Spanish, calling it one of his "unabashedly sexy releases yet" and that he "makes a seamless switch to Spanish, allowing the song’s sensuality to seep through in another language."[1] Lopez later wrote in a full review of Ivory, that the song does well at capturing the album's overall feel stating, "This is a Mexican American kid from Indiana, proudly singing about queer love and desire while doing exactly what he wants as a musician."[5] Robin Murray of Clash called the song a "bold, lush, and soulful return" with Apollo's vocals being a "lightning rod for emotion" against the song's "hazy and inviting" arrangement.[6] In a review of the song's parent album, Neive McCarthy of Dork remarked that the song was "an alluring, lustful height of the album, practically simmering with desire."[7]
Live performances
[edit]Apollo first performed the song on The Tonight Show.[1] The song was later featured on his setlist for Coachella.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Mier, Tomás; Lopez, Julyssa (March 11, 2022). "Omar Apollo's 'Killing Me' Brings a Sexy, Late-Night Fantasy to 'Fallon'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ^ a b Helfand, Raphael (March 11, 2022). "Omar Apollo gets deep in his feelings on "Killing Me"". The Fader. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ^ Watson, Elly (April 19, 2022). "Omar Apollo: Rocket Man". DIY. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
... the psych-drenched 'Killing Me' features an intense description of love as Omar croons with the listener to "love me like I'm gonna die".
- ^ a b Alvarado, Holly (March 15, 2022). "Omar Apollo's "Killing Me" Sees Him Caught Between Love and Infatuation". Ones to Watch. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ^ Lopez, Julyssa (April 8, 2022). "Omar Apollo's Full-Length Debut 'Ivory' Further Proves What We Already Knew — That This Guy Is a Freaking Star". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ^ Murray, Robin (March 14, 2022). "Omar Apollo Shares Bold Single 'Killing Me'". Clash. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ^ McCarthy, Neive (April 6, 2022). "Omar Apollo – IVORY". Dork. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ^ Millman, Ethan; Mier, Tomás (April 16, 2022). "Coachella 2022, Day One: Harry Styles Proclaims 'Men Are Trash' With Help From Shania Twain and More". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 30, 2023.