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“Orquídeas” finds Uchis somewhat in the same lyrical realm as her previous albums of self-love with herself, her partner and her womanhood. Just the evening before the album released Jan. 12, she posted an Instagram reel confirming her pregnancy with rapper Don Toliver.
As Kali Uchis welcomes the life of her child, listeners also welcome this new album onto their playlists.
Opening Tracks
The album opens with “¿Como Asi?,” a bubbly track with a light dance influence that turns into hyper-pop at the end of the song — Uchis’ voice sounds like a whisper of fresh air. As soft as the song is, there is still a strong sentiment of soft punk sweetness that lays out the foundation of “Orquídeas” perfectly.
“It’s a good intro because ‘¿Como Asi?’ gets you in the mind of dancing,” junior Bryce Jones said. “And of course, her voice in it is angelic because it’s Kali Uchis.”
“Me Pongo Loca” softly takes her listeners to a tropical island with dreamy blows of percussion and smooth keys that blend well with her pouty attitude on the song — a style that became her signature when she emerged on Soundcloud with “Por Vida,” coining her classic sound patterned with bubble-gum vocals that are adorably infectious.
Uchis sings about not caring about being a little crazy. She is passionate — maybe toxic — but by the second song, she is a femme fatale Latin pop star.
“The first stereotypes to come to mind behind Latinas is being toxic, and I feel like she uses that as a resource,” senior Kimberly Banda said. “Kali Uchis gives a little toxica but classy.”
Uchis wears this strong persona like a badge of honor which has in turn spawned a slew of successful songs with millions of streams. In her album, “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios),” she owned that baddie aesthetic with songs where she swooned with shiny lips of revenge and romance.
“Te Mata“
She continued a few of these motifs in “Orquídeas,” especially in the spine-tingling experience of “Te Mata.” Heartbreak becomes her motivation to finish on top in the track. “Te Mata” is complemented with an elaborate orchestration filled with passion and a controlled rage, cloaked in the luscious shroud of her impressive voice.
Uchis sings, “Nunca vas a tocar mis alas, y eso es lo que te mata.” In English, it means, ‘You will never touch my wings, and that is what kills you.’
The vibrant and dramatically-done official music video for “Te Mata” released Oct. 23.
In the music video to “Te Mata,” Uchis dives into the drama of a Spanish telenovela that is filled with intense colors, impressive and low-budget production design and lots of tears.
“Igual Que Un Ángel” is a pop-heavy, almost-disco song. The beat shifts into pop gear behind Uchis’ breathy voice, which is all only accelerated as the chorus begins.
“I have this whole album on repeat but specifically ‘Igual Que Un Ángel,’ especially Pluma’s part,” Jones said.
This song features Peso Pluma, a rising Mexican star of corridos, a type of regional Mexican music that is a horn and guitar-heavy ballad. Pluma showed off this vocal flexibility with this song, proving that his raspy, almost nasally voice can complement pop melodies.
“Pluma’s music is usually rough-voiced, but then with Uchis, it’s a different side of him,” Banda said. “It’s soft. It’s geared toward a different audience and his team did a really good job collaborating with Uchis.”
Kali Uchis takes her audience to a retro live performance for the official music video to “Igual Que Un Ángel” featuring Peso Pluma, released Jan. 17.
Uchis In Love
Uchis continues to investigate the thrills of being in love with “Young Rich & In Love.” The song begins with psychedelic guitars and immediately turns seductive as the beat drops. The harps add to the romantic feel — something perfect for Valentine’s Day.
“Heladito” is a puppy love song with a classic flavor that romanticizes a date to the ice cream store with your love. The song features a second verse with a euphoric buildup that bursts sweetly into the chorus.
“Pensamientos Intrusivos,” is a playful beat fit for the radio, which Uchis maneuvers perfectly with her signature sensual swoons.
The song features a bubbly, echoey and overall atmospheric experience like most of her songs, yet “Pensamientos Intrusivos” sounds exactly like her old sound —bubbly, whiny and reminiscent of Amy Winehouse.
“Do you wanna say how much you love me, papi? / Put a pretty ring up on me,” Uchis sings in “Pensamientos Intrusivos,” thoughtfully drawing her boundaries in a relationship.
“I really appreciate how she sings in Spanish but also integrates her distinct American English,” Banda said.
Uchis, La Diosa
The song bleeds effortlessly into “Diosa,” a more notable track from the record. She idolizes herself through the eyes of her lover and the reflection of a mirror.
The production of the second verse turns the song into something fit for the dance floor, as the horns and strings consume the ear — only to disrupt her audience with some heavy-hitting, reggaeton punches.
Uchis, La Reggaetonera
As sweet and lovely as most of the songs are off “Orquídeas,” Uchis still stays true to her passion for reggaeton. “Muñekita,” with El Alfa and JT, is a rambunctious track, perfect for getting ready for a girls’ night out.
“Labios Mordidos,” with Colombian superstar KAROL G is an impressive party anthem that finds the two reggaeton divas asserting their sexiness on the dance floor. It’s a raunchy and thump-heavy song — perfect for the clubs.
On this track, the two own their bisexuality, referring to a woman as their love interest, in a sweaty club as they sing about the feeling of skin on skin. It becomes even more spicy as KAROL G seductively glides into the song with a soft, badass attitude.
The next song, “No Hay Ley Parte 2” with Rauw Alejandro, is a revamp from Uchis’ experimental house-heavy promo single released in 2022. The song is a spacey, reggaeton playground which seems to be Rauw’s signature sound, taking the track to a new height.
“Orquideas” features an impressive arsenal of Latin artists, from Pluma’s corrido-inspired voice, JT’s incomparable baddie attitude, KAROL G’s sultry reggaetonera allure, to Rauw’s eccentrically vivacious flow — making the album as a whole a truly enjoyable display of today’s Latin pop.
“Her decisions with featuring these artists played out well for her,” Jones said.
Album Outro
Uchis impressively ends the album with “Dame beso // muevete,” which is an ode to the cumbia and fast bachata that surely influenced her life and artistry. Her voice is playful and only continues as the song swiftly turns into a cumbia mashup — making the track a perfect Quinceañera starter.
“It is cut up into two songs,” Jones said. “This first song is kind of slow and lovey, and the second song is moving and dancing like you are at a party.”
“Orquídeas” explores a soiree of new sounds for the singer that can connect to anyone. Uchis singing in English and Spanish has further helped her find identity with her Colombian-American background and allowed her to explore these sounds with confidence and swagger.
As the audience hears Uchis evolve in front of them, it is exciting to see where she will teleport her listeners to next, especially as she welcomes the new personal chapter of being a mother.
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Contact Ivan Vicente Manriquez via email: ivan.manriquez@pepperdine.edu
