Kali Uchis has become a prominent voice in both the R&B and latin scene, releasing consistently from as early as 2012 with her debut mixtape “Drunken Babble.” With each new installment in her discography comes a new extension of Uchis’ world. From the neo-soul and synthpop inspired “Isolation” to wearing her reggaeton influences on her sleeve on the sultry “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios),” Uchis’ music contains an assortment of musical styles, all seamless melding into one another. On her latest project “ORQUÍDEAS,” her sonic palette only becomes more varied, exploring Latin dance and electronic music throughout.
“¿Como Asi?” dives straight into a UK house beat after a short, yet ethereal introduction of mesmerizing chords and synths. The sounds of dance music percolate throughout the project, serving as a backdrop to Uchis’ layers of passionate vocals. An element that has tied and connected all of her work together are her lyrical themes of heartbreak, self love and infatuation. “ORQUÍDEAS” continues this narrative, with songs like “Diosa,” where she compares herself to a goddess, or “Pensamientos Intrusivos,” which translates to “Intrusive Thoughts,” tying into the song’s theme of being obsessed with a lover.
The latter half of the project delves more into reggaeton, with previously released single “Muñekita.” Unlike the majority of “ORQUÍDEAS,” “Muñekita” is a fast-paced perreo (a club-inspired subgenre of reggaeton), with tempo switch-ups and animated features from El Alfa and JT of the rap duo City Girls. “Labios Mordidos” follows to slow down the pace, including a vocal appearance from Karol G, fitting well and creating a musical chemistry with Uchis’ we never knew we needed.
To close out the project in flying colors, Uchis’ performs a passionate merengue akin to Elvis Crespo which speeds up into a dance fest filled with accordions in a style similar to 90s merengue bands like Fulanito or Oro Solido. The final product is cohesive, sweet, and only supports the case of Uchis’ being one of the most forward thinking Latin R&B artists in the present day.
