Kali Uchis - ORQUIDEAS: Review
I've been a big fan of Kali Uchis for quite a while and reviewed all her major projects on the blog. I showed out plenty of love for her 2018 album Isolation. Since then, it's been a lot of 6's and 7's for her work as she's continued to put out quality music but not quite reach the same peaks. In early 2023 she promised two new albums, one in English and Spanish. A few months later she shared her English album Red Moon In Venus, which I thought was solid though unspectacular outside of its smash hit Moonlight. And now less than a year later, she's delivering on her promise to share a second Spanish album.
ORQUIDEAS led off with a trio of singles that I like quite a bit. Munekita came first and it's the most obvious banger imaginable.It sports dynamic features from El Alfa and a killer appearance in particular from JT of City Girls. It set the tone for some great collaborations on the album which was followed by the third single Labios Mordidos. I'm enjoying Karol G more and more with every outing and she fits perfectly with Kali on the track. It's their sheer swagger and confidence that puts it over the top and the absolute earworm hook doesn't hurt either.
The middle single Te Mata didn't quite blow me away in the same way at first. But since then it's grown on me quite a bit. Letting Kali start off the song in this sonically isolated space is great and shows off how captivating of a performer she is. The way it swells and expands as the song goes on is incredibly satisfying. In contrast, the album opener Como Asi doesn't feature Kali nearly as prominently but has a slick beat and a whirlwind of wonderful short refrains in both the foreground and background that work great.
One thing I was hoping to hear on this album was an expanded scope of different styles of Spanish and Latin music from Kali and that's exactly what she delivered. Tu Corazon Es Mio gets off to a slow start but the chorus is absolutely spectacular. I love the backing vocals and the way the glittery instrumental rises at the absolute perfect place to support Kali's vocals there's just so much great songwriting going on here. I also love the finale Dame Beso // Muevete which ends the album off on a soaring high note with a tight beat and bouncy horns. Kali herself just overtakes the entire thing with her vocals once again and it's a great way to end the record off.
The album has a number of synthetic beat choices that I wasn't expecting to hear the best of which comes on Perdiste. Even if the song stands out from some of the more lush moments the refrains are just so good and I love Kali's girlish delivery. My favorite song on the album is Igual Que Un Angel which I had a feeling I would like even before I heard the infectious dance beat. The song is a perfect blend of Latin flavors with irresistible dance pop. Peso Pluma pops up on the second half of the track and keeps his hot streak going as he and Kali split the chorus perfectly.
On the other hand there's No Hay Ley Parte 2 with Rauw Alejandro. It's the only feature on the album that let me down, not because the song is a disaster or anything. But Rauw has just produced so many fun jams in the past few years that I wanted the song to really soar and I think instead it settles for something that is still catchy but ultimately just fine. That settling does pop up at other points in particular on the first half of the album. Me Pongo Loca is one of the album's lyrical highlights but ultimately it has a really forgettable melody and instrumental attached. Similarly, Pensamientos Intrusivos is pleasant to hear but never really does anything with it's dancy, dreamy vibe.
The only song on the record I outright dislike is Young, Rich & In Love. It has this very stiff and painfully slow unfolding track beat with refrains that never really build up any momentum or impact. Other tracks on the record like Diosa and Heladito mostly just come off as forgettable.
While this may not be Kali Uchis' best work yet ultimately I think it's a strong record. I suspect it will grow on me in a similar way as Red Moon In Venus and I'm already comfortable saying I like it more than Kali's last indulgence into Spanish music. Despite being rough around the edges at points the album has a strong core built around Kali's effortless swagger and personality alongside an array of compelling musical influences. 7/10
For more Kali Uchis check out my reviews of Red Moon In Venus or Sin Miedo
