BY: JAEQWON SUAREZ/ DEPUTY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Kali Uchis came back and released a new 14-track album for 2024 following her recent one last year, Red Moon In Venus. Orquideas follows up with many genres being introduced in her songs, such as house music, pop, alt R&B, and many more.
While it follows the same vibe that Red Moon in Venus had, Orquídeas specifically is all Spanish. Kali Uchis’s lead single, Muñekita, was a shock and it became clear that this album is going to give listeners music to dance to.
We’re going to dive right back into Kali Uchis’s mind as we talk about self-love, self-worth, and holding yourself to the best standard you can because, as we will soon discover, loving yourself first should come before anything else.
Cómo Así is the opener for the album and gives listeners house music with a funky bass and strings that’ll make you get up dancing. The message is also great in this song as well, as she brags about herself and never lowers her standards for anyone, which goes into the pre-chorus:
“I make 'em beg for it, yeah
Make 'em pretty please”
This was a great opener to start off the album. She has this incredible ability to mix her airy, elegant voice with the instruments in Cómo Así, which is very different from her usual music but somehow she caters to her style. This will be added to the dance playlist.
We then get a smooth transition into Me Pongo Loca, and if these first two songs don’t have you dancing then I don’t know what will.
Continuing from Cómo Así, the song is still Kali Uchis bragging about herself but tells the person she is talking to that they can’t blame her if she gets a little crazy.
We all can at least think of one person that we would go to war and fight for, and that’s exactly what Me Pongo Loca is all about. The funky afro-beats complete the song in my opinion and will have you bopping your head from side to side.
Me Pongo Loca has just the right amount of craziness and I love that Kali is diving more into afro-beats.
Next up is another hit, and it’s called Igual Que Un Ángel featuring Peso Pluma. This is one of my favorites in her album, landing its spot at five.
The bass in this song really gets groovy and you will start to feel like you’re melting into time itself. Igual Que Un Ángel feels like you’re walking in the sky and Kali Uchis made sure to let Peso Pluma shine.
His verse fits perfectly with the beat, and then when he joins in on the chorus, it just gets better. There is nothing wrong with the song; the strings, piano, and even the drums were perfect in every way possible.
The next song is the first one to be in my top three, Pensamientos Intrusivos. This song describes talks about missing someone and wanting them to come back, with the title translating to “intrusive thoughts”.
The chorus is so catchy in my opinion, and I love the subtle bass in the background. I also find the chorus interesting, as it feels like she’s talking to herself and slowly the thoughts begin to flood her mind in the second half of the chorus.
I also love how she references the song before Igual Que Un Ángel with these lyrics:
“Me llama su ángel, pero juega con mis demonios
Do you wanna say how much you love me, papi?”
The story is slowly unfolding and I think this song is supposed to represent the angel’s side. The previous song praises this angel persona as she is so pure and rare to find, yet in this song, we see how she references that even the purest have their demons once you get to know them.
We then get another seamless transition into Diosa. Paying attention to the lyrics, we notice that she is reclaiming her power and transforming into a Goddess. Kali does a great job explaining this concept of godhood during the song because the harmonies sound elegant and powerful, just like the woman she has become.
Her use of different instruments and afro beats in her album is one of the things that I feel makes it such a dance album. There has yet to be a song where you’ll be sitting down, and Diosa fits right up there when it comes to dancing and replay.
Diosa is empowering and fills you with confidence. Just like in the song she talks about how everyone stays mad at her for being this guy’s queen or diva, she wants us as listeners to feel that energy so that we can also walk around confidently not caring what people think or say.
We then take an abrupt switch and Kali takes us back to more Latin music. Te Mata was the second single released, and it quickly became a fan favorite.
This song tells a story where Kali is painted as the villain, and she accepts it. Just like in the chorus, she doesn’t mind being the villain of his story because at least she is now with someone who makes her happy and loves her for who she is.
This song reminds me of Telenovelas, in which the main character’s life dramatized extremely. The music video is also set up like one as well, which is very clever as you get the sense she is telling this story to someone.
The next song starts with what sounds like a tape being taken out before the beat kicks in. Perdiste is my top one from this album, and Kali’s vocal in this song just matches so well with the simplistic vibe of the song.
The synth and drums are the main players in the song, and I think it’s because Kali has nothing left to say about the situation that happened in Te Mata.
It’s very clear that she has moved on, and even though sometimes she regrets it, she still admits that she will never go back out of respect for herself and her happiness.
I especially love the ending when the piano comes in and she begins to belt. That part always gives me goosebumps as the song ends.
After that comes Young Rich & In Love, and I like how fun it is. It feels like the part of the movie where the two love interests finally get together, and I like how even in songs like this one she is still able to highlight her power over the guy.
Young Rich & In Love is the definition of young love. It’s fun and playful, something that you can play in the car and vibe to as you ride into the sunset.
The next song is very soulful and follows up with the same concept of the young couple's love, called “Tu Corazón Mio…”. This one gives soft tropical vibes, with the guitar softly playing in the background while background vocals hum angelically as Kali sings.
The chorus is also very catchy, and you’ll find yourself swaying from side to side as Kali sings about her lover’s heart being hers and only hers.
We have now reached the lead single, Muñekita featuring JT and El Alfa. When it comes to dance songs from this album, this is tied with first place with another song.
I love how catchy it is and this being the first Reggatón mixed with Dembow song from the album is crazy to me. Both JT and El Alfa verses were fun, and I like how you can feel the vibes of the trio through this song.
The next one is also another song where you can be free and get loose. Labios Mordidos featuring Karol G is one of my favorites to dance to. Hitting us with another reggatón song, you will have no choice but to get up and dance.
I like the strings in the chorus and I love the breakdown that Kali puts in the song, which takes it to another level. Karol G was the perfect fit for a song such as this one with Kali. They mesh well together and both their styles shine throughout the song.
No Hay Ley Parte 2 featuring Rauw Alejandro is a remix of a song she made two years ago called No Hay Ley.
Both the remix and the original are good on their own, but I do like what she did with the remix by adding Rauw.
Rauw is known for many of his reggatón pop songs, so the fact that both he and Kali dominate this so well and were to elevate No Hay Ley Parte 2 to another level amazes me.
Rounding off with the second to last song, Heladito takes us to alt R&B. She brings back the bass and adds some strings throughout the song.
This song is very sweet, just like the title indicates and one thing I found interesting is the very first lyric of the song:
“Ángel o demonio, tú
This ties back to earlier in the album when she describes herself as an angel with demons, but now it seems she has let go of this facade and tells her man that whether she is an angel or demon, he is going to have to choose how he acts and treats her when they are together.
Finally, Kali surprises us with merengue which is the perfect to finish this Latin dance album. It is two songs fused called Dame Beso // Muévete.
The first half has Kali talking about kisses and how her person knows just what she wants. Then toward the end of Dame Beso, it starts to speed up and transition into Muévete, and that's when the song becomes wild and crazy.
Dame Beso // Muévete is the second song that ties with Muñekita when it comes to dancing. Overall, it ended off the album with a good note that’ll leave listeners and fans in the best mood.
The album started with dance music and then ended with music, which is very different from Kali Uchi’s last few albums. She succeeded with her mission of providing her fans with music that we can heal to, but also have fun while listening to it.
Orquídeas has many songs that can appeal to almost everyone, and I think that’s what makes it so special. Kali has already started 2024 with a great album to start the year on a high note.