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Written by: Joanne Haner / Photos by: Amaury Nessaibia / February 18, 2024
In her second Latin album and fourth studio album, ORQUÍDEAS, singer-songwriter Kali
Uchis embraces her sensuality and Colombian roots to create a beautifully produced,
no-skips piece.
While many bilingual and English-speaking artists have tried their hand at the vast world
of Latin genres, Uchis is one of the few who can effortlessly blend her sultry style with
the Spanish language and music from across the Spanish diaspora. The three-time
Grammy nominee won the 2022 Grammy award for Best Música Urbana Album for her
previous Latin album, Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios). With features from
Rauw Alejandro, Peso Pluma and Karol G scattered across the album’s 14-song
tracklist, she takes from well-known stars of the reggaeton genre to further build the
passion inherent to her sound.
Although still keeping true to her seductive, feminine sound, her previous Latin album
was more bilingual than ORQUÍDEAS — where Uchis finds herself singing in solely
Spanish for a majority of the album. As an English-speaking artist who has slowly
moved into the Latin music space over the last three years, she has also paved the way
for non-Latin listeners to get interested in a new genre.
In the past, Uchis has spoken on her producing role in her projects. Knowing that she
has a key role in producing her own music adds another level of authenticity and
personality to her music. This hands-on approach to musicianship has likely also helped
Uchis keep her unique sound consistent across her projects. Like her previous English
and Spanish albums, ORQUÍDEAS is a tale of a femme fatale and her confidence.
From the glittery soft sounds of “¿Cómo Asi?” which opens the album to the
tango-inspired bolero pace of “Te Mata” and the bopping remix of her already popular
single “No Hay Lay,” Uchis encapsulates all shades of the female baddie experience,
owning her beauty and power every step of the way.
Maybe it’s because of the seamlessly blended features and the unique voice of Mexican
artist Peso Pluma, but ORQUÍDEAS fits perfectly with the Latin-American language
experience. With the exception of “Te Mata,” most of the album has more of a reggaeton
focus, but the final track to the album, “Dame Beso // Muévete,” is two separate songs
that flow into each other. While “Dame Beso” focuses more on a salsa beat, “Muévete”
utilizes a traditional merengue beat. Both sections of the song evoke a feeling of
nostalgia that can only be described as the traditional house-cleaning music of an early
Sunday morning in a Latino household. It’s the music our generation will be listening to
when our grandkids find us sweeping the house during the early hours of the weekend.
Throughout her career, Uchis has reclaimed what it means to be a confident and sexy
Latina woman. As she paves the way for the next generation of Latinos to embrace their
bilinguality and leads by example with her divine femininity, Uchis creates a
well-rounded masterpiece of an album that leaves the listener wondering what comes
next.
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