You may have heard her singing in “See You Again” and “The Storm” with Tyler the Creator. Kali Uchis is a Columbian-American singer and songwriter who has just released her new album “Sincerely” on May 9th through Capitol Records. The album’s release was supported by 3 singles: “Sunshine & Rain”, “ILYSMIH” and “All I Can Say”.
“Yeah, it took some time but this moment / Was worth all the pain / He’s living proof that dreams do come true,” are lyrics drawn from Uchis’ “ILYSMIH” about her experiences with motherhood. She also covers themes of love and spirituality over a dreamy neo-soul and R&B sound, lush with instrumentation featuring swelling strings, soft drums, and synth-pop accents. But her album also crosses over into vintage soul, doo-wop and even hazy alternative rock through the genre-bending artist.
Uchis is bilingual and sings in both English and Spanish. Even if you don’t understand the Spanish, her voice is so angelic and soulful that you still feel every note. A favorite song for this critic is “For: You”. The song’s lyrics offer a heartfelt and intimate message for a loved one expressing deep admiration and a declaration of unwavering loyalty: “Love is a gun, I’ll bite the bullet / Wasn’t that enough for you? I’d do it again / Somehow it’s good for the soul / Yeah, if I could. I’d bite the bullet / What would I do? It’s all for you.”
When I find love and admiration for that special someone, I want to embrace this kind of loyalty and care for another. That feeling where you’ll risk everything just to let someone know you love them. And it’s something of what I feel for Kali Uchis’ music. 5 STAR RATING!