The In-between

The transition from boy-band stardom to a solo career was a period of profound uncertainty for Omar Rudberg, marked by a sense of lost identity and a quiet, heavy depression.

When FO&O disbanded in 2017, Omar went from being part of a high-energy, chart-topping machine to standing entirely alone. He has since been candid about the mental health struggles he faced during those "gap years" between 2018 and 2020.

 

The Post-Band "Void"

  • Loss of Purpose: After four years of constant touring and brotherhood, the silence was jarring. Omar described feeling "empty" and struggling to figure out who he was without his bandmates.
  • The Pressure of Success: While his former bandmate Felix Sandman saw immediate solo success, Omar’s early solo releases didn't initially reach the same commercial heights. This sparked a period of intense self-doubt and a fear that his time in the spotlight was over.

 

Feeling "Stuck"

  • Financial and Creative Strain: Omar has admitted that there were times he felt "stuck" in Sweden, wanting to create the Latin-infused music he loved but feeling limited by the industry's expectations.
  • The 2020 Breaking Point: By the time 2020 arrived, Omar felt his music career had hit a wall. He later shared in interviews that he felt depressed and hopeless about his future in entertainment. He was essentially a "star" who couldn't find a clear path forward.

 

The Audition That Saved Him

Omar has often credited the casting of Young Royals as the turning point that pulled him out of that dark period.

  • A Final Attempt: When he auditioned for the role of Simon, he wasn't an actor; he was a struggling singer looking for any spark of inspiration.
  • Finding Simon: He has noted that he felt a deep connection to Simon’s own struggles with identity and being an outsider, which allowed him to channel his own sadness into the performance.

The global success of the show didn't just give him a new career—it gave him the confidence to return to music on his own terms, eventually leading to his debut album OMR and his recent signing with Atlantic Records.