Evergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me at All) explained

Evergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me at All)
Cover:Evergreen (track).jpg
Type:single
Artist:Omar Apollo
Album:Ivory
Length:3:36
Label:Warner
Producer:
  • Halm
  • Barajas
  • Apollo
Prev Title:Highlight
Prev Year:2022
Next Title:3 Boys
Next Year:2023

"Evergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me at All)" (album version titled "Evergreen") is a song by American singer Omar Apollo. On October 4, 2022, it was sent to contemporary hit radio after it had gone viral on TikTok in September 2022.[1] The song serves as the eighth single off Apollo's debut studio album Ivory.

Background

The song originally appeared on Apollo's debut studio album Ivory, simply titled "Evergreen". A few months after the album's release, the song went viral on TikTok. By the end of the month, a snippet of the song had been used in over 300,000 clips.[2] Apollo performed the song as part of his Tiny Desk Concert on September 15, 2022, which caused another surge in streams.[3]

Reception

Critical response

Rolling Stone listed "Evergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me at All)" as one of the best songs of 2022, placing it at number 29, and wrote: "...as teardrop guitar licks spill against the soft edges of his falsetto. Apollo packs it all in there — anger, anguish, self-loathing, doubt — but still builds to a bridge bursting with defiant confidence. [...] Apollo has always excelled at these kinds of songs, and it’s thrilling that such a superb display of his skills has finally scored him a well-deserved place on the charts and the broader pop ecosystem."[4]

Commercial performance

In North America, "Evergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me at All)" debuted at number 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100, for the week ending October 2, 2022.[5] Two weeks later, it peaked at number 51. While in Canada, it peaked at number 43.

In Europe, the song entered the top 5 of the Netherlands' song chart and the top 40 of Ireland and the UK's charts. In Oceania, it has since peaked in the top 20 at number 12 in New Zealand and the top 40 at number 33 in Australia.

Music video

The accompanying music video was premiered on November 19, 2022. It depicts Apollo on a soundstage where a house is being put together only to be blown apart with him in the middle of it but winds up being eventually rebuilt at the end.

Accolades

Year-end lists

Publication! scope="col"
AccoladeRank
BillboardThe 25 Best Pride Songs of 2022: Staff Picks
Los Angeles TimesThe 100 best songs of 2022 (another 50 songs not to be missed)
NMEThe 50 best songs of 2022
Remezcla10 Best Indie & Alt-Rock Songs of 2022
Rolling StoneThe 100 Best Songs of 2022

Charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 33
Lithuania (AGATA)[7] 41
Netherlands (Single Tip)[8] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 12
Suriname (Nationale Top 40)[10] 4
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[11] 18

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormat(s)VersionLabel(s)
United StatesOctober 4, 2022Contemporary hit radioOriginalWarner Records
ItalyOctober 14, 2022Radio airplay[12]
VariousNovember 11, 2022Sped Up Version[13]
December 2, 2022Stripped Version

Notes and References

  1. Web site: October 4, 2022 . Top 40/M Future Releases . https://web.archive.org/web/20221003213918/https://www.allaccess.com/top40-mainstream/future-releases . October 3, 2022 . October 7, 2022 . All Access.
  2. Hot 100 First-Timers: Omar Apollo Arrives With 'Evergreen'. Zellner. Xander. Billboard. September 27, 2022. October 7, 2022.
  3. Web site: Watch Omar Apollo's Tiny Desk Concert. Helfand. Raphael. The Fader. September 15, 2022. October 7, 2022.
  4. December 5, 2022 . The 100 Best Songs of 2022 . December 8, 2022 . . en-US.
  5. Billboard Hot 100 . . September 29, 2022.
  6. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 17, 2022. October 14, 2022.
  7. Web site: 2022 40-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). AGATA. lt. October 7, 2022. October 7, 2022.
  8. Web site: Dutch Single Tip 08/10/2022. dutchcharts.nl. nl. October 9, 2022.
  9. Web site: NZ Top 40 Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. October 10, 2022. October 8, 2022.
  10. Web site: Top 40 – 27 April Tot 04 Mei 2023. Top 40 – April 27 to May 4, 2023. Nationale Top 40 Suriname. 27 April 2023. July 5, 2023.
  11. Web site: Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 41. Sverigetopplistan. October 14, 2022.
  12. Tenaglia . Raffaella . October 11, 2022 . Omar Apollo - Evergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me At All) (Radio Date: 14-10-2022) . it . EarOne . November 18, 2022 . June 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220622113246/https://www.earone.it/news/beyonce_break_my_soul_radio_date_24_06_2022_62561265/ . live.
  13. Web site: Grammys 2023: Breaking down this year's Best New Artist category . 2022-11-18 . . 15 November 2022 . en-US.