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A blend of house, reggeaton, indie, and Latin pop music shows Kali Uchis' diversity and creational genius in creating new albums and not being afraid to venture into new genres. Karly Marina Loaiza, better known by her stage name Kali Uchis, is not new to the music scene, with her first EP, Drunken Babble, being released in 2012. Still, as a Colombian-American artist, this is only her second album, featuring mainly Latin songs. To the Latin American music industry, she's still a fairly new artist. Her new album, titled Orquideas, which translates directly to Orchids, was announced in October after her "Red Moon in Venus Tour" concluded (named after her album released in May of 2023). This sparked excitement among fans, as her album Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) had been her first Latin album and also a fan favorite.
With fans eagerly waiting for the album release and a couple of singles dropping here and there, such as "Te Mata" and...
..."Labios Mordidos," which featured La Bichota Karol G, a fellow Colombian artist.
The diversity on this album was going to be worth the wait. The tracklist was dropped by Kali, and it sparked even more anticipation with artists like Rauw Alejandro and Peso Pluma being featured on the album.
As I waited for the album to drop last Friday, I saw the "play now" button on my phone and instantly clicked it.
The first track was "Como Asi" is an upbeat house song that begins with the listeners hearing Kali laugh and giggle and a techno beat. It makes the listener feel like they want to dance and just vibe to the song—a very different song compared to Kali's main music catalog. Next on the tracklist is "Me Pongo Loca," which is another house upbeat talking about being so in love and passionate about someone, even though they're bad for you, that they drive you crazy. The repetitive and catchy "Me pongo locaaaa" gets stuck in your head so easily.
One of the fan favorites has been "Igual Que un Angel," which features Peso Pluma. This disco-sounding song features Peso in a style he's never heard before. Personally, this has been one of my top songs from the album, with the lyrics being so personal. One of my favorite lines from the song is "Uh, con esa actitud nadie la merece El que la quiera, que rece, Porque ella es luz, ay, nada que ver, No está a tu alcance, la nena es un ángel," which shows Kali's growth as a person and how much she values herself and knows her worth.
The album continues with "Pensamientos Intrusivos," which talks about Kali not being afraid to fall in love and letting the intrusive thoughts of her lover take over even though she might get hurt.
"Diosa" is up next, once again a song mentioning her self-worth and value, knowing how her partner would do anything to make her happy, and how she is treated like a goddess that is backed by the universe.
"Te Mata" is a song Kali wrote about letting yourself grow and knowing your value by leaving toxicity behind. "Perdiste" talks about how an ex has lost Kali as their partner and how it must hurt, but she'll never come back. "Young Rich & In Love" is a love letter to Don Toliver and how connected they feel together—a true song filled with passion and romance. "Tu Corazon es Mio" is a Latin ballad speaking on her relationship with Don Toliver, but more on the sweeter and cutesy romance side of things. With a catchy rhythm, this song is my favorite off the album since it is just so personal and I felt a really strong connection to it. It makes me emotional every time I listen to it.
The cover of this music video and this song were also used in Kali's pregnancy announcement on Instagram. She was pregnant on the 2nd leg of her tour for Red Moon in Venus, but until last week did she confirm and announce it. This is a really important moment for fans since Kali is a really private person who shares very little.
"Muñekita" is next, with features from Dembow artist El Alfa and rapper JT. This upbeat reggaeton/perreo song has multiple beat switches and is overall a very hyped and exciting song. It's followed by "Labios Mordidos," which features Karol G, and it's another reggaeton hit that was previewed on her Red Moon in Venus Tour but finally released with the album. This song was created in 2021, but due to its LGBT+ nature, both artists felt like the Latin music industry wasn't ready for it until now. "No Hay Ley Part 2" is another upbeat hit that includes Rauw Alejandro is a revival of the original No Hay Ley, which was released before, but now it features more layers and a more reggaeton rhythm, along with the help of Rauw's verse and vocals. It's followed by "Heladito," a more slow-beat song that reminds me of Kali's early music, something that'd be on her debut album Por Vida, but the song is very nice and mellow, talking about being spoiled and treated like a princess—another love song. The album ends with a merengue, "Dame Beso/Muevete," a double feature with two very fun and upbeat songs to end the album. She also closes it off by saying, "I appreciate it, until next time, muah," hinting at her upcoming album later this year. The closing merengue just shows the diversity this album shows and all the different varieties of music Kali can make.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this album, and it has been on repeat since its release. I'm so excited for her next projects and so happy for her new addition to her family, and I wish her the best. Let me know what you think of the album! Go follow my Instagram page by clicking the button below.