Omar Apollo’s first single of 2023, “3 Boys” is a smooth, soulful tune about a man who is struggling with his partner’s proposal to make their relationship non-monogamous. He laments his intense feelings of attachment for his partner which make it impossible for him to bring himself to want to open up the relationship, yet he simultaneously finds himself unable to fully admit this preference to himself, stuck in a state of aching indecision and confusion.

In a statement about the song, Apollo said:

When I first started writing songs I would often write about unrequited love. Eventually I wrote songs about the complexities that come with a relationship. “3 Boys” was my first time writing about something non-monogamous. Having more than one person to talk to.

I wrote the song on a rainy day in London. I spent most of December there, mostly just because I wanted to get out of America. I ended up going to the studio more than I thought I would. I wrote the song with a friend of mine, Dylan Wiggins. It seemed like we were both in the same mind state for a song like this. The song wrote itself really quickly. I also had my friend Mustafa help me with a few lines after I played it for him.