Kali Uchis Knew What We Needed
After announcing two albums coming out in 2023, Kali Uchis released her first album of the year, “Red Moon in Venus”.
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Singer-songwriter Kali Uchis released her third studio album this month, “Red Moon in Venus”, that has debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, becoming the Latina pop stars’ first top 10 album.
She has perfected her hyper feminine-pop aesthetic since 2015 and shows it lavishly in the production of this album. From the hypnotic instrumentals to the sultry sound of her voice, this project is definitely timeless.
Starting off in a similar pattern as her past two albums consisting of harmonized hums layered either singing or adlibs, the Colombian artist uses a voicemail of herself reminding her partner she loves them just in case they forgot. It's a dramatic beginning but sets the tone for the rest of the story. Love is a definite theme within the album, but what makes the 28 year-old vocalist captivating is the way she describes how she loves someone. You can tell she loves and is not afraid to show her passion and prefers to warn her partners that her love is abundant when she's in tune with her lover.
Revealed on the second track “I Wish You Roses”, Uchis exclaimed her love is deep like the ocean, but warns them to not drown on her.
I love when artists show authenticity and her adding her own cultural influences to her music is always appreciated and expected by now. Two out of 15 tracks are in Spanish; ‘Como te Quiero Yo’ which has a dramatic bridge with striking electric guitar chords and ‘Hasta Cuando’ which is groovy and has an intoxicating outro. Both songs were produced by Albert Hype and Manuel Lara who notably produce Uchis’ Spanish songs including her 2020 hit, ‘Telepatia’.
Uchis is aware of her sex appeal and shows it through dominance especially on ‘Deserve Me'. Which is why I thought it was perfect for her to have Summer Walker featured on the track. Both are beautiful singers who touch on lust and use their femininity to their advantages. Although this song moreso implies a failed relationship, the two emphasize their self worth and revive their confidence after leaving their manipulative partners. Refusing to play into the pettiness of an ex, Uchis exclaims that they were lucky to even be around her and she never needed them.
“Fantasy”, featuring her long-term boyfriend Don Toliver, stands out the most among the rest of the tracks as it's infused with afropop beats and is lively enough to have you dancing. I was a fan of her sophomore album ‘Isolation’ which had many upbeat and undeniably catchy songs. I was hoping she’d imitate a similar sound from that era within this album, but the soothing songs satisfy me too.
“Red Moon in Venus” refers to a blood moon within a star sign which is all about self realization and the entirety of her work. She recognizes the terms and conditions of what it's like to be with her in a relationship and describes how much she values the power of love after self reinvention.