Artist: Kali Uchis
Album Title: ORQUÍDEAS
Genre: Pop, R&B and Bolero
Release Date: Jan. 12, 2024
Overall Rating: ★★★★★
With her last album being a smash hit, receiving immense praise and support for its enticing melodies and catchy verses, American singer and songwriter Kali Uchis has recently released her latest and greatest: “ORQUÍDEAS”. In actuality, the album was the second of two the artist had announced on online forums last year, the first being “Red Moon in Venus.” ORQUÍDEAS features various well-known artists in the Latin music scene, including Rauw Alejandro, El Alfa and Peso Pluma, offering expertise in their respective specialties. The long-awaited album brings a plethora of lavish songs that fans simply cannot get enough of.
“Kali’s new album shows a new part of her and proves how she can make different types of music and still make meaningful and good work that her fans including myself enjoy; her new album showed a different part of her and made me love her even more,” sophomore Scarlett Estrada said.
Track 3: Igual Que Un Ángel (with Peso Pluma)
Rating: ★★★★★
“Igual Que Un Ángel” is a smooth piece which tells the story of a woman who does not submit to “amor superficial”, or superficial love. With her soothing R&B-esque voice, Kali Uchis explains that while others seek fame or fortune, she only wants stability and to be in touch with herself, keeping what is truly important in mind. The artist emphasizes how rare this is nowadays through her line “Un corazón como el tuyo está en extinto,” translating to “A heart like yours is becoming extinct.” Through the repetition of the chorus, Kali Uchis is able to continue stressing how pure the subject is, claiming that they must have been sent from heaven.
The appearance of Peso Pluma in the track made it that much better. Although he is known for his harsher, raspy voice in other songs, “Doble P” surprised listeners with his soft approach to the lines which fit the feel of the song perfectly. The harmonization of both the artists’ voices later in the song showed their increasing ability as vocalists, with Peso Pluma exploring a softer tone and Kali Uchis coming a long way from the start of her career.
“If I am being honest, seeing Peso Pluma on ‘Igual Que Un Ángel’ made me a bit nervous. He has a super raspy voice which fits his genre, but on a more chill track like this I was scared it would stick out. I have to say though, his lines did nothing but make the song better and the blend of both Kali and Peso’s voices was something else,” sophomore Paula Lopez said.
Track: Te Mata
Rating: ★★★★★
Being one of many deeply meaningful songs on the “ORQUÍDEAS” track list, “Te Mata” taps into the bolero scene Kali Uchis began to explore some time ago. The songs describes a situation where Kali Uchis is considered “la diabla”, or “the devil,” of her current relationship from her partner’s perspective. Kali Uchis starts off strong, expressing that in order to fly she would be tasked with finding her own wings, meaning that she would have to take charge of her future due to her partner’s negligence.
Kali Uchis goes on about how she dealt with mistreatment, saying her partner’s actions stung like bullets and she cried herself to sleep only to wake up and continue being treated badly. Later in the song, she refers back to that line, affirming that her past lover with never be able to cut her wings, which is what “kills” him. The rest of the song takes a more joyful tone with Kali Uchis emphasizing that her days are “no longer gray” and now knows she deserves so much more.
The lyrics are truly jam-packed, with every line adding more and more depth to the story. The song is the epitome of modern bolero, with its beat and message making it more than worthy of a five star rating.
“My first impression of this song was just ‘Wow.’ I have never been particularly interested in bolero, but ‘Te Mata’ was incredible. Every time you thought the story was over and there was going to be some repetition in the chorus, Kali would come up with another line to draw you in again. I think this style was what she was missing in her past albums to really bring them to that next level,” sophomore Lola Garcia-Jacques said.
Track 14: Dame Beso // Muévete
Rating: ★★★★☆
In the first part of “Dame Beso // Muévete“, Kali Uchis expresses the affection she craves from her partner, especially physical touch. One lyric in the first part of the song says “Como una flor necesito tu atención”, meaning “Like a flower, I need your attention.” In this part of the song, she seems to be expressing her longing for the one she loves dearly. In the second part of the song, “Muévete”, she says “Baby, ven salte conmigo, vámonos a bailar”, meaning “Baby, come out with me, let’s go dance”, keeping the loving mood of the song but switching up the way she expresses her love. With this song, she concludes her album by focusing on the intimacy and power that dance has.
“Kali’s music has never failed to make me feel a certain way. “Dame Beso” is one of those songs that just make you feel so confident and good about yourself, as all of her songs do. I’ve always been able to relate to her music and I really enjoyed her new album,” sophomore Gabriella Arango said.
As always, Uchis has delivered yet another outstanding album, showcasing her exceptional musical talent. The album mainly revolves around the themes of self-love and divine femininity, and its title is inspired by Colombia’s national flower, the orchid, which is also the artist’s homeland. Additionally, the album features lots of vivid lyrical imagery, while Uchis stays true to her roots with the beat. Some fans may say that this newly released album is the yang to her yin with her last album “Red Moon In Venus”, since both match each other perfectly.
“I love Kali’s music because it’s so emotional and has amazing melodies; a big part of her music helped me through so much and she really knows how to convey feelings I never thought of,” sophomore Scarlett Estrada said.
