"Tamagotchi"
Single by Omar Apollo
from the album Ivory
Language
  • Spanish
  • English
ReleasedMarch 23, 2022
Recorded2021
Genre
Length2:48
LabelWarner
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)The Neptunes
Omar Apollo singles chronology
"Killing Me"
(2022)		 "Tamagotchi"
(2022)		 "Highlight"
(2022)
Music video
"Tamagotchi" on YouTube

Tamagotchi is a song by American singer Omar Apollo from his debut studio album Ivory (2022). It was released as the album's fifth single on March 23, 2022. The song was written by Apollo, Maye, and Najai Washington and produced by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes. It is named after the Japanese toy of the same name.

Background

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]

Composition

"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]

Critical reception

"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]

Year-end list

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Billboard The 100 Best Songs of 2022: Staff List 31 [10]
Esquire 45 Best Songs of 2022 5 [16]
NPR The 100 Best Songs of 2022 21 [17]
The Fader The 100 best songs of 2022 13 [15]

Music video

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]

Accolades

Award nominations for "Tamagotchi"
Year Ceremony Award Result Ref.
2022 MTV Video Music Awards Push Performance of the Year Nominated

References

  1. ↑ Apollo, Omar [@omarapollo] (April 13, 2021). "me and pharrell just made like 5 songs" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  2. ↑ Apollo, Omar [@omarapollo] (March 21, 2022). "TAMAGOTCHI Prod by. @Pharrell & @ChadHugo" (Tweet). Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023 – via Twitter.
  3. 1 2 Cook, Cameron (April 18, 2022). "Omar Apollo : Ivory". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (March 23, 2022). "Listen to Omar Apollo's New Song "Tamagotchi" Produced by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo". Complex. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Grace, Alisdair (April 6, 2022). "Omar Apollo - Ivory". DIY. Retrieved January 29, 2023. Tamagotchi' is an on-the-nose, steeze-soaked track that combines late 2010's R&B flow with a plucked samba cadence, with Omar distorting his own voice to create a Brockhampton-like effect.
  6. ↑ Strazzabosco, Domenic (April 4, 2022). "REVIEW: Omar Apollo is heartbroken but refined on debut album, 'Ivory'". Riff Magazine. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Williams, Sophie (April 8, 2022). "Omar Apollo – 'Ivory' review". NME. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Jordan, Cora (April 7, 2022). "Omar Apollo - Ivory". Clash. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  9. 1 2 McKinney, Jessica (March 25, 2022). "Best New Music This Week: NIGO, Latto, Kid Cudi, and More". Complex. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "The 100 Best Songs of 2022: Staff List". Billboard. December 7, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  11. 1 2 Mier, Tomás (April 1, 2022). "'I Can Say How I Feel, No Matter What': The Liberation of Omar Apollo". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  12. ↑ Villa, Lucas (April 8, 2022). "This Week's New Music Releases: Arca, Omar Apollo, Karol G, and More". Latina. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  13. ↑ Paul, Larisha (March 30, 2022). "10 songs you need in your life this week". The Fader. Retrieved January 29, 2023. He weaves in between lanes and vocal cadences with tantalizing confidence over skitting beats as the sample of Luke's "I Wanna Rock" gasses his swaggering delivery.
  14. ↑ Bennett, Willa (April 7, 2022). "Omar Apollo Is Your New Soundtrack to Heartache". GQ. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "The 100 best songs of 2022". The Fader. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  16. ↑ "The 45 Best Songs of 2022". Esquire. December 2, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  17. ↑ "The 100 Best Songs of 2022". NPR Music. NPR. December 15, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Jake Nava – Cherry". Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  19. ↑ "MTV VMAs 2022 Nominees Announced". Pitchfork. CN Entertainment. July 26, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
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