LOVING HEALING WITH KALI UCHIS

I discovered Colombian singer and songwriter Kali Uchis in my sophomore year of high school. Tracks from her 2015 album, “Loner,” made it to my playlist, and I thought it was the newest sound I have ever heard from Latin American artists.

Her 2018 album, “Isolation,” has a special place in my heart: All that summer I listened to that album on repeat. I like to think both she and I matured as young women, writers, and lovers.

I appreciate that Uchis’s growth and maturity as an artist is being reflected in her newest album, the just-released “Red Moon in Venus.” There are 15 tracks that explore the highs and lows of love, the physical and intimate aspect of love, and healing as a person. The first track, “In My Garden,” gives a soft and calm introduction. Her voice, the sounds of windchimes, and birds chirping follow throughout the entire album to create the perfect mix.

Three featured artists are part of this project: Omar Apollo, Don Toliver, and Summer Walker. The unique sounds each artist bring to the songs makes me think that the order of the tracks was selected carefully and purposefully.

“Worth the Wait” features Apollo. He and Uchis have worked together before to create beautiful tracks for each other’s albums. He has a soft and melodious sound similar to hers. The lyrics to this song explain the feelings of wanting to be around a lover, and experience physical intimacy that was worth the wait.

I love the lyric “I don’t wanna end up just another broken family (you would never do that to me, would you baby?).” It’s interesting to see a more personal side of thoughts, fears and emotions that come up when being in a relationship with someone. This lyric goes further than the feelings our bodies experience when in love.

“Love Between…” is what being in love sounds like and flows seamlessly after ‘Worth’ as the second track. This track gives the same vibes as a 1950s-60s oldie. The Temprees are a soul trio from the 1970s with the greatest selection of old-school love songs. Their song, “Love…Can Be So Wonderful,” is given credit for the inspiration behind Uchis’s new take on the song.

I enjoy when artists do justice to old-school songs, which is exactly what Uchis did on this track, making it my personal favorite. The instrumentals are absolute perfection, especially the electric guitar towards the end of the song.

I think part of her growth as an artist has been releasing even more music in Spanish. “Como Te Quiero Yo” and “Hasta Cuando” are tracks in Spanish, exploring the same themes of love and healing. I believe words in Spanish seem to mean and sound stronger, while personally, I love experiencing music in both English and Spanish.

“Endlessly” is a song that gives me the old sound and style that made me gravitate towards Uchis’s music in the first place. “Moral Conscience” is an entrancing song that I would add to my personal favorites. It explains karma when relationships are over, and how that comes back to a person in the depths of loneliness and conscience. “Happy Now” truly brings the album to a happy ending with the same windchimes and nature sounds with which it began.
I definitely recommend this album to anyone interested in music with captivating new and old sounds all together.

I discovered Colombian singer and songwriter Kali Uchis in my sophomore year of high school. Tracks from her 2015 album, “Loner,” made it to my playlist, and I thought it was the newest sound I have ever heard from Latin American artists.

Her 2018 album, “Isolation” has a special place in my heart: All that summer I listened to that album on repeat. I like to think both she and I matured as young women, writers, and lovers.

I appreciate that Uchis’s growth and maturity as an artist is being reflected in her newest album, the just-released “Red Moon in Venus.” There are 15 tracks that explore the highs and lows of love, the physical and intimate aspect of love, and healing as a person. The first track, “In My Garden,” gives a soft and calm introduction. Her voice, the sounds of windchimes, and birds chirping follow throughout the entire album to create the perfect mix.

Three featured artists are part of this project: Omar Apollo, Don Toliver, and Summer Walker. The unique sounds each artist bring to the songs makes me think that the order of the tracks was selected carefully and purposefully.

“Worth the Wait” features Apollo. He and Uchis have worked together before to create beautiful tracks for each other’s albums. He has a similar soft and melodious sound, much like hers. The lyrics to this song explain the feelings of wanting to be around a lover, and experience physical intimacy that was worth the wait.

I love the lyric “I don’t wanna end up just another broken family (you would never do that to me, would you baby?).” It’s interesting to see a more personal side of thoughts, fears and emotions

that come up when being in a relationship with someone. This lyric goes further than the feelings our bodies experience when in love.

“Love Between…” is what being in love sounds like and flows seamlessly after ‘Worth’ as the second track. This track gives the same vibes as a 1950s-60s oldie. The Temprees are a soul trio from the 1970s with the greatest selection of old-school love songs. Their song, “Love…Can Be So Wonderful,” is given credit for the inspiration behind Uchis’s new take on the song.

I enjoy when artists do justice to old-school songs, which is exactly what Uchis did on this track, making it my personal favorite. The instrumentals are absolute perfection, especially the electric guitar towards the end of the song. I think part of her growth as an artist has been releasing even more music in Spanish. “Como Te Quiero Yo” and “Hasta Cuando” are tracks in Spanish, exploring the same themes of love and healing. I believe words in Spanish seem to mean and sound stronger, while personally, I love experiencing music in both English and Spanish.

“Endlessly” is a song that gives me the old sound and style that made me gravitate towards Uchis’s music in the first place. “Moral Conscience” is an entrancing song that I would add to my personal favorites. It explains karma when relationships are over, and how that comes back to a person in the depths of loneliness and conscience. “Happy Now” truly brings the album to a happy ending with the same windchimes and nature sounds with which it began.

I definitely recommend this album to anyone interested in music with captivating new and old sounds all together.