Kali Uchis

A little over a year ago, a friend of mine introduced me to this new artist. I guess, to some people she wasn’t entirely new, but she only had an EP Por Vida to her name, but what seemed like years of experience. I was excited to know more about this artist because the person who told me was a very trustworthy friend—like this person knew of my music taste pretty well because we basically listened to the same things, with the tiniest of exceptions. So, I was obviously willing to listen. This artist was Kali Uchis. I don’t remember exactly how she was described to me. I feel like I was just told that she was really good and that I’d like her. That was enough for me. I caught myself up on her music by listening through her first EP Por Vida. I enjoyed it, especially songs like “Know What I Want” and “Ridin’ Round,” and these songs were enough to get me interested to listen to more. And I’m glad for that. I was absolutely blown away by her official debut album Isolation. This was the first major release from this artist, and listening to it made me think that this artist had years in her arsenal to perfect her craft because it was a near flawless effort. With the help of production partners like The Gorillaz and high-profile features with Tyler, The Creator and Jorja Smith, she seemed like an unstoppable new force. The album includes a welcoming bossa-nova inspired intro “Body Language” as well as a couple of interludes that both seem to fit perfectly into the aesthetic of this beautifully crafted record.

Kali Uchis’ debut album Isolation has been praised by critics for its distinct sound, and for its ability to bend through genres seamlessly. It has consistently been ranked as one of the best albums of 2018. The Colombian American singer was exposed to the likes of jazz, RnB, and Doo wop early on in her life. In school, she learnt to play the piano and the saxophone, and was even a part of her school’s jazz band. Soon after graduating, she debuted with her mixtape Drunken Babble which incorporated the sounds of early 2000s RnB as well as reggae. Kali then collaborated with Tyler, The Creator, Kaytranada, and BADBADNOTGOOD on her dreamy debut EP Por Vida which is one of her more underrated works. She further dons on her list a Grammy nomination for her collaboration with the critically acclaimed Daniel Caesar on the song “Get You”. On Isolation, she further refines her seductive and wispy sound, and partners up with some of the most well known names in the industry such as Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Steve Lacy, as well as the Gorillaz, which are enough to draw listeners to the songs. However, despite these big names, Kali Uchis retains her authenticity, and doesn’t let them overshadow her style. The influence of reggae, dream pop, jazz, soul, bossa nova and doo wop is clear. It is this very genre defying quality of her music which has led this album to receive the much deserved raving reviews. She claims to have been inspired by Ella Fitzgerald as well as Billie Holiday, and her voice has often been compared with that of the latter. However, despite the fact that most of her music derives inspiration from such vintage sounds, what Kali finally delivers is something fresh which has a distinct hallmark of its own. It is nostalgic, dreamy, and deeply personal all at the same time. Each song on it sounds different from the previous one, and she manages to effortlessly glide through it in style. While she may not fall within the traditional confines of a pop star, she definitely challenges these boundaries with her diverse music.

Imagine an extensive and rich garden. With thousands of plant species, of different sizes and shapes, providing great wealth to the land. Big and leafy perennial and deciduous trees offer shade and stand as the kings of the landscape. Fruit trees and palms provide a warm and tasty touch, while a floor of plants with striking and innumerable flowers gives color and life to our eyes. Let's search among these. There are millions, each one is different from the previous one, each one has something that makes it different from the rest. They are beautiful but fragile, one-day flowers that will soon die; others are less striking, but fleshier, some are found in large quantities ... But we are looking for one in particular. Finally, we found it. Next to a small oasis, there it is: a delicate flower, slightly eccentric and original. Exuberant and of extreme beauty, with large petals of pastel pink color, with satiny glitters that evolve gradually to a passionate red. It has attractive stamens, rich in pollen, to produce honey, and long stems with thorns that end in large and tender dark green leaves. A mixture between a hibiscus and a rose, something tropical and romantic, something so beautiful that it hurts. Indeed, this garden is nothing more than the rich musical world that we enjoy today, with its thousands of different artists playing the role of plants, flowers and trees. The unique flower we have focused on could not be other than Kali Uchis. Named by herself as 'La Única' (The Only One), this Colombian singer knows very well that she possesses a singular vision and style, which she has exploited with great skill and risk, which was perfectly captured in her album Isolation, published on the 6th of April 2018.