Xavier Omar

BIOGRAPHY

Growing up, music was the connection that helped the Monterey, Calif.-born Omär and his two siblings adjust to frequent moves with their military dad across the country and overseas to Japan. Mom and the children sang and played drums and piano; dad was also a writer, producer and minister of music at church. As a fledgling 12-year-old rapper (“I thought I’d be famous within a year”), he wrote and produced his first song, recording it in his family’s basement. Eight years later, he moved to San Antonio, Texas to be near his dad. 

Influenced by artists and bands such as Kanye West, John Legend, James Blake, Arcade Fire and Coldplay (“major pieces of my life”), Omär opted to give singing a go. He soon found himself auditioning for American Idol’s 11th season in Houston — only to be eliminated during the preliminary judging round. But his steadfast determination to push forward yielded a pivotal liaison with renowned Soulection producer Sango (Frank Ocean) and a string of EPs starting with his and Sango’s Hours Spent Loving You in 2015. Subsequent EPs with other collaborators include 2016’s The Everlasting Wave, 2017’s Pink Lightning and 2019’s A Late February. 

After partnering with Sango again in 2019 for debut album Moments Spent Loving You, Omär returned the next year with the critically-acclaimed sophomore set if You Feel. Featured on NPR’s Best Music of 2020, Feel elicited praise from critics ranging from "the perfect blend of traditional and experimental R&B" to "on a clear path to R&B greatness." 

Having recently relocated to Dallas and adjusting to life as a new father, Omär will soon begin work on his next album. In the meantime, however, fans and newcomers can connect with the sonic richness and real-life emotions brimming throughout the aptly titled b l u r r. 

“Wide open; that’s my creative mindset,” says Omär. “And that’s why R&B remains such a vital genre: because of how diverse you can be within it.”