"Invincible" is a song by American singer Omar Apollo, featuring Daniel Caesar, from his debut studio album Ivory (2022). It was released through Warner Records as the album's third single on February 9, 2022.[1]
| "Invincible" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Omar Apollo featuring Daniel Caesar | ||||
| from the album Ivory | ||||
| Released | February 9, 2022 | |||
| Genre | Neo soul | |||
| Length | 3:36 | |||
| Label | Warner | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Omar Apollo singles chronology | ||||
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| Daniel Caesar singles chronology | ||||
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| Lyric video | ||||
| "Invincible" on YouTube | ||||
Composition
editApollo co-wrote and co-produced the song with Caesar with Sean Leon providing additional writing.
"Invincible" is a future-leaning neo soul ballad driven by guitar and drum production.[1][2][3] The song incorporates different genre elements such as drum and bass, alternative R&B, and reggae.[4][5]
The song has lyrics focusing on themes such as human fragility, mortality, queer love, and melancholy.[6][7]
Music video
editThe music video for "Invincible" was directed by Stillz and released on February 9, 2022.[8]
The video begins with Apollo plugging in an amplifier, which he is then sitting on while strumming a guitar in the middle of an alleyway. Alongside him is Caesar and two young boys racing with toy cars, an SUV and an ambulance. The scene transition to Caesar riding out the top of an SUV in which seems to be a car chase between the vehicles the young boys were playing with. Apollo is riding passenger-side behind the ambulance, which is then shown to have Caesar inside of it attached to IVs. The ambulance arrives to a house where Caesar is being pulled out on a stretcher and placed onto a dinner table with a cake on top of him, where a family celebrating a birthday and blowing out candles. In between, there are scenes depicting Caesar being prepared for surgery. During Apollo's verse, he is seen getting an MRI in a garage. After Apollo finishes his rap verse, a shirtless male couple wearing large puppet heads are hanging out. The two men are seen running, holding hands, wrestling on the ground, and embracing each other. The video ends with Apollo and Caesar exiting the alleyway into a tunnel.
The puppet heads that the gay couple are wearing were created by Andrés Gudiño, a Costa Rican artist whose visuals depict sexuality and gender.[9] The video won the Best International R&B/Soul Video award at the 2022 UK Music Video Awards.
Critical reception
edit"Invincible" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics.
Writers at Billboard, appreciated the song for exploring different genres, calling it a "musical match made in heaven".[5] Cora Johnson of Clash Music gave the song a positive review, calling it "hypnotic" and "beautifully arranged with "symphonic" harmonies layered throughout the track.[10] K.G. of NME praised the song's stripped-down production as it "allowed Apollo's and Caesar's vocal performances to shine."[11] In a review of the song's parent album, NME also called the track “emotionally climactic” and "tender" collaboration.[12]
Accolades
edit| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | UK Music Video Awards | Best R&B/Soul Video - International | Won |
References
edit- ^ a b Murray, Robin (February 10, 2022). "Omar Apollo Announces Debut Album 'Ivory'". Clash Music. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ Daw, Stephen (April 8, 2022). "First Out: New Music From Omar Apollo, Orville Peck, Syd & More". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ NME (February 21, 2022). "NME Radio Roundup 21 February 2022: Doja Cat, Saweetie, Foals and more". NME. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "14 New Songs to Listen to This Week From Ibeyi to Omar Apollo". Remezcla. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ a b Lee, Cydney; Rouhani, Neena; Rouhani, Neena (February 14, 2022). "R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Vince Staples, Omar Apollo, Fana Hues & More". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "Omar Apollo and Daniel Caesar Address Mortality on "Invincible"". FLOOD. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ Mier, Tomás (April 1, 2022). "'I Can Say How I Feel, No Matter What': The Liberation of Omar Apollo". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ Lopez, Julyssa (July 7, 2022). "The Art of Stillz: The Elusive Creative Visionary Talks About His Most Memorable Videos". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ Mier, Tomás (February 9, 2022). "Omar Apollo and Daniel Caesar Reminisce About a Love that Once Was in Beautifully Queer 'Invincible' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Cora (April 7, 2022). "Omar Apollo - Ivory". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ NME (February 21, 2022). "NME Radio Roundup 21 February 2022: Doja Cat, Saweetie, Foals and more". NME. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ Williams, Sophie (April 7, 2022). "Omar Apollo – 'Ivory' review: silky songs dripping with serious drama". NME. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "UK Music Video Awards 2022: all the nominations for this year's UKMVAs". Promonews. September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.