Kali Uchis is an artist I have appreciated through her features and guest appearances for quite a while but I have never listened to her own music much. The first time I ever heard Kali Uchis was in 2017 on the song ‘She’s My Collar’ by the Gorillaz; this is easily one of my favorite songs on the Gorillaz’s album Humanz, and it immediately made me appreciate her very distinctive vocal tone. I was exposed to Kali Uchis again that year on one of my favorite albums, Miguel’s War & Leisure, specifically on the song ‘Carmelo duro.’ Like ‘She’s My Collar,’ ‘Carmelo Duro’ is one of the best songs on that album(which is saying a lot considering I think the whole thing is almost flawless). Honestly, these two releases alone should have inspired me to look into Kali Uchis’ personal projects, but for some reason, I never looked into her. Since 2017, I have enjoyed multiple other songs that she has been featured on such as Kaytranada’s ‘10%,’ as well as Don Tolliver’s ‘Drugs And Hella Melodies’ and ‘4 Me.’ After originally breaking through in the mid-2010s when her EP Por Vida garnered her a lot of attention within the music industry, Kali Uchis released her critically acclaimed debut album Isolation in 2018. Her next album, 2020’s Sin Miedo(del Amor y Otros Demonios), was not quite as well received as her debut, but it is still considered an excellent record that shows off her immense talent. After releasing a very good EP called To Feel Alive in 2020(which contains the song ‘angel,’ the only solo track of Kali’s I had downloaded before listening to this new record), Kali Uchis released her third album, Red Moon In Venus, near the beginning of 2023. Because Kali was not on my radar like she should have been when that record came out, I did not review it last year. Like her debut, this album received a ton of love and is considered to be great by many. I listened to it last week, and I will admit it is worth the hype. Kali Uchis just released her second album within a year, with this one called ORQUÍDEAS. Considering how much I now appreciate Red Moon In Venus, I have been looking forward to covering ORQUÍDEAS. Here is how I feel about Kali Uchis’ ORQUÍDEAS. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from ORQUÍDEAS, and also comment on how you feel about the record as a whole.
Kali Uchis gets ORQUÍDEAS started on a light and sweet note with the song ¿Cómo Asi?.’ This song has an ethereal sound that I love. The track is driven by a simple yet punctual melody provided by pleasant and spacious synths complemented by various sound effects that give the song a futuristic feeling. The beat for this is fast-paced and a bit off-kilter, almost feeling like a fusion between 1990s Garage music and Hyperpop. As cool as the instrumental is on this track, the thing about ¿Cómo Asi?’ that stands out the most is Kali Uchis’ excellent vocals. Her dainty delivery matches the ethereal feeling of the instrumental so well, and the high notes she hits give the song so much texture and life. On ¿Cómo Asi?,’ Kali Uchis is singing about how desirable she is. When the person who wants her comes into her life, they can not stop thinking about her when they leave. ‘Me Pongo Loca’ is a song with a sound that fuses multiple kinds of old-school Dance music. The first time I turned this track on, I thought of the 1990s-inspired House music from Beyonce’s Renaissance album. There are also elements of this beat that make me think of early 2000s Reggaeton and Latin Pop as well, though. I do not know how they mixed this beat in a way that sounds like classic Latin Pop and House music simultaneously (two pretty distinctive sounds), but it sounds so natural on this track. Similar to the opening track of the record, the melody for this one is weightless and free-sounding, provided by shimmering, homey synths. Kali Uchis’ vocal performance on ‘Me Pongo Loca’ is not as captivating as the one on ¿Cómo Asi?,’ but that is okay; the low-key nature of her vocals goes nicely with her vocals on the track. On ‘Me Pongo Loca,’ Kali Uchis is singing about someone she has a love/hate relationship with. Even though she and this person can not stand each other a lot of the time, they can not deny their attraction to each other. ‘Igual Que Un Ángel,’ which features Peso Pluma, is a song with a Disco flair. ‘Igual Que Un Ángel’‘ is driven by a super funky and warm bassline that is complemented by various synths and twinkling sound effects that make the melody so pleasant. This song has an old-school feeling that sounds like it came out of the 1970s; the undeniable groove this song contains immediately makes me think of artists like Diana Ross or The BeeGees. Both of the vocal performances on this track are great, with Peso Pluma especially standing out. I really enjoy how his raspy tone contrasts Kali Uchis, giving the song a bit of a harsh element that provides texture. On ‘Igual Que Un Ángel,’ Kali Uchis and Peso Pluma are singing about a beautiful woman who has been hurt by those she has loved way too many times and does not deserve what she has gone through.
‘Pensamientos Intrusivos’ is the second song in a row that has elements that are reminiscent of 1970s Disco music. I would say that the overall sound of this song is a lot more modern than the one that precedes it. Whereas ‘Igual Que Un Ángel’ is driven by that groovy bassline that could have been created by Nile Rodgers, ‘Pensamientos Intrusivos’ is more driven by the futuristic synths that surround its bass line. In my opinion, this instrumental is not quite as engaging as the ones on the first three songs, but its quality is pulled up by Kali Uchis’ vocals. I especially love the high notes she hits on this track, as it makes the song feel so charming. On ‘Pensamientos Intrusivos,’ Kali Uchis is singing about a former partner that she is still in love with. ‘Diosa’ sees Kali Uchis veer away from the Disco feeling of the last couple of songs and go with a more Dance music feeling. This song seems to fuse Merengue music and House music. It gives this song a super interesting texture that makes it stand out in a major way. This song is not nearly as bright as any of the songs before it. The melodies on the first four songs make me think of the sun, but the melody about this one makes me think of the night. Vocally, Kali Uchis’ performance is not super compelling. I feel like this song would hit even harder if she showed off her range on ‘Diosa’ a bit more. In ‘Diosa,’ Kali Uchis sings about how great she knows she is and how much her man partner loves to please her(like she is a goddess). ‘Te Mata’ is another track with a classic Latin Music feeling to it. This track has a sound that is heavily inspired by Cuban Bolero music. There is nothing about this instrumental that feels modern. It has a very classic sound, driven by a Jazzy piano riff that is complemented by various wind instrumentals. ‘Te Mata’ has a sound that feels so golden and sophisticated. This track may contain Kali Uchis’ best vocal performance of the album yet. Her performance on this track is so full and illustrious, adding to the grand nature of this track. On ‘Te Mata,’ Kali Uchis is singing about a bad relationship and finally feeling like she has moved on from someone. She knows she is better without this person and does not care how badly they now think of her. ‘Perdiste’ is a song that takes on a different form of retro music. Instead of having a Disco influence, this song makes me think of Yacht Rock. I could totally see artists like Rupert Holmes or Michael Bolton making a song with this kind of instrumental back in the day. There is a tropical element to this song that makes it so appealing. The melody and drums make me want to sip a margarita on a beach somewhere. Kali Uchis’ vocal performance is not super riveting on this song, but its soft and dainty nature does fit the sound of the instrumental well. On ‘Perdiste,’ Kali Uchis is singing to a former lover, asserting that they have lost her forever and can do nothing to get her back.
‘Young, Rich, & In Love’ is the first song on the album that feels like a bit of a low point for me. To be honest, this one just bores me a bit. It does have a pleasant melody and groovy, but the slow Pop-Trap beat just does not pull me in. The vocals on this song are alright, but they do not improve the quality of the song very much for me. This is one that just feels like a complete skip for me. ‘Young, Rich, & In Love’ is an aptly titled song, as Kali Uchis sings about being blissfully in love and enjoying the perks of her fame. ‘Tu Corazón Es Mío…’ is a song that sort of fuses both of the old-school styles of music we got earlier in the project. I can hear the influence of both Yacht Rock and Disco music on this track. Unfortunately, this is the second song in a row that just does not grab me very much. Whereas the other songs that have these old-school feelings to them have components that are super entrancing, this one just does not have that spark. ‘Tu Corazón Es Mío…’ does not have a vocal performance that makes the song more absorbing, either. Kali Uchis’ vocals on this track are nice, but they are not overly special in my opinion. On ‘Tu Corazón Es Mío…,’ Kali Uchis sings about how in love she is with her partner and how they were meant for each other. ‘Muñekita,’ which features El Alfa and JT, has a totally different sound and style than anything that precedes it. This song is directly inspired by modern Dominican Bachata-infused Dembow music. This instrumental has a sound that I would expect to hear from El Alfa himself. The beat for this track is so high-octane, and the song’s fiery melody matches the sound of that beat so well. Even though this instrumental sounds like something one would expect from El Alfa over anyone else, I have to say both Kali Uchis and JT kill it on Muñekita.’ Obviously, El Alfa sounds excellent on this track, but I have to say that Kali Uchis and JT match his energy and also contribute to this song’s appeal. On Muñekita,’ Kali Uchis and her features are talking about a beautiful woman who affects everyone she interacts with because of how enticing she is. ‘Labios Mordidos,’ with KAROL G, is the first traditional Reggaeton song of the album. I could see this one end up being a major hit because of how fun and exciting it is. Even though for the most part, ‘Labios Mordidos’ feels like typical Reggaeton music, there are moments in the track where the instrumental takes on a bit of a Salsa music feeling that gives it a very cool flair. Vocally, Kali Uchis’ soothing and sultry vocals make this song so all-encompassing. KAROL G’s breathy and soft tone adds to the sexy feeling that this track has. On ‘Labios Mordidos,’ Kali Uchis and KAROL G are talking about how much they know they turn everyone’s heads whenever they walk into a room.
Although I feel like ‘Labios Mordidos’ is the song that is going to end up being a club banger from this album, I really hope it ends up being ‘No Hay Ley Parte 2’ with Rauw Alexandro(honestly, maybe they will both become smash hits because of how entertaining both tracks are). Everything about this song is fresh and intriguing. This song is driven by a Synth-heavy melody that reminds me of 1980s Pop artists like Madonna or Cyndi Lauper but has a beat that makes me think of modern Downtempo-House music. This fusion of 1980s music and current Electronic music gives this song such an invigorating feeling. As cool as the instrumental is, the best thing about ‘No Hay Ley Parte 2’ is the vocal performances. Both Kali Uchis and Rauw Alexandro sound so dynamic on this track, matching the extremely energetic feeling of the instrumental. On ‘No Hay Ley Parte 2,’ Kali Uchis and Rauw Alexandro are singing about being in love and not worrying about the potential consequences or downfalls of this relationship. ‘Heladitos’ is yet an additional track that shows a completely different side to Kali Uchis that we have not seen on this record yet. This is a track that blends R&B and Jazzy Pop in a unique and awesome way. There are elements of this track that make me think of artists like Amy Winehouse or Nina Simone, but there are also elements of the track that make me think of Erykah Badu or Corinne Bailey Rae. The instrumental is simple yet poignant. ‘Heladitos’ is not a track with an instrumental as intricate as some of the preceding tracks, but it is just as powerful. As powerful as the instrumental is, Kali Uchis takes ‘Heladitos’ over the top with her vocal performance. She sings with such strength and heart, making ‘Heladitos’ so enthralling. In ‘Heladitos,’ Kali Uchis sings about how infatuated she is with her partner and how this person wants to provide for her everything she needs. Kali Uchis closes out ORQUÍDEAS with the track ‘Dame Besos // Muévete.’ As the title would suggest, ‘Dame Besos // Muévete’ is a song with two parts, with both parts taking on a form of Merengue music. The first half of the song has a more modern Merengue sound that is driven by a funky piano riff and bass guitar line. The second half of the song has more of a classic Merengue típico sound, driven by the sound of an accordion. Both sections of this song are very distinctive and enjoyable; they both have distinctive moments that make the song shine overall. Kali Uchis’ vocal performance on this track matches the exciting energy of the song perfectly; ‘Dame Besos // Muévete’ is a song that could get any party rocking because of how lively it is. On ‘Dame Besos // Muévete,’ Kali Uchis sings about how in love she is with her partner in the first half of the song, and how she wants to dance the night away and be the star of the party in the second half of the song. It is an animated way to end the album, and it sends ORQUÍDEAS off on a tremendous note.
As I stated in the introduction, Kali Uchis is an artist who I have always appreciated for her guest performances, but for some reason, have never given a chance when it comes to her own music. I even heard great about her 2022 album Red Moon In Venus when it came out, but ended up forgetting to go back to it and give it a listen. I am happy that I decided to check out ORQUÍDEAS because this is a very good project with a ton to love for so many different kinds of Latin music fans. The best thing about ORQUÍDEAS is its diversity in sound. On this record, Kali Uchis shows off her massive range as an artist; it seems as if there are no limits to what she can do. Even though this record is so eclectic, it still flows very well and does not have any songs that sound out of place. ORQUÍDEAS is a super good album from an artist I should have gotten into a long time ago, and it makes me excited to not only hear what she does next, but also go back into her discography and see why she became so popular to begin with.
EAST SIDE VIBES 