Kali Uchis, my favorite singer at the moment, just recently had her Sincerely, Tour, and I had the honor of attending one of her concerts in September. Right here in San Jose, she sang a plethora of her old and new Latin mixes plus her famous collabs, without the collaborators unfortunately. But it was still great, and I was happy to see this talented singer in person for the first time. I learned quite a lot about her heritage and her life story, but today the reader is going to learn how picky I am. I am ranking, not rating this time.
Okay, perhaps a few collaborations, but mainly self-standing songs.
#10: “Heaven Is A Home”
It has that classic Kali twang to it, but her vocals aren’t expressed fully enough in the recording and she relies more on reverberation. It is also one of her more sluggish songs, as well as the album being a little laggy and similar, but she is lyrically talented nonetheless and I appreciate hearing new works from her.
#9: “Melting”
When I listen to this song, I feel like I am about to drift off. Not in a bad way, but in a calming lullaby tone. I like her rhyming a lot in this song and she definitely knows what she is doing by stretching her pitch automation after each syllable. However, it is not enough to get me in a good mood.
#8: “Never Be Yours”
Somehow it is as indolent as the previous, but better. I have to give her applause firstly for her making of this song, which she crafted at the age of 18. That was the original, but this one is most notably the re-recorded version. The beat is catchy and she stylishly weaves in slight waves in her voice. From here on out, it only gets more positive.
#7: “Endlessly”
I realize now that this isn’t the best representation (image-wise) of her . . . but this song derives from my second favorite album of hers, Red Moon On Venus. It has a very upbeat vibe and I love how she is able to raise her pitch after every sentence. It can be a simple soundtrack, and maybe it resembles other songs closely, but this one is perfectly carefree and best to listen to while low on energy.
#6: “Dead To Me”
Okay, I am a bit upset. This is my favorite of her songs from my favorite album (besides collaborations because “See You Again” is a banger), but unfortunately I cannot speak for everyone. It can be very repetitive, seeing as she says it over twenty times.
#5: “Moonlight”
Everybody will most likely recognize this song on beginning impact. It is a certified bop and she represents Latino culture while also appealing to American audiences. If there was a story titled Best Edit Songs in the music section of The Shield, this would show up in at least 5th place . . . possibly.
#4: “Igual Que Un Ángel (with Peso Pluma)”
Love, love, love this. It is so uplifting, beneficial to the soul, and literally angelic. The message is extremely optimistic and I love the positive tones, despite the hardships that the woman being referred to in the song has been through. It is a staple for female strength and I feel ten times buffer while jamming out to this on an autumn gym morning.
#3: “I Wish You Roses”
Also such a beautiful piece/take on forgiveness and acceptance of rejection. Her lyrics hit the hardest in this song and I bet that someone could find a brilliant quote to work as a tattoo from this song. Fun fact: did you know that Kali uses the same pen every time she writes lyrics?
#2: “telepatía”
This is the first song of hers that I heard, and I don’t regret hearing it! However popular it was during quarantine and previously, it helped me learn some fascinating Spanish words (and maybe some I should not know or combine ever), but it didn’t matter to people whether they understood the language or not. The musical genius combined with her lovely delivery is what carries this masterpiece.
#1: “Just A Stranger (with Steve Lacy)”
Don’t argue with me! This song is very good, alright? Not only is this collab crazy, but it does not overshadow her vocals. She gets an opportunity to fully express the length of her voice, not to mention the harmony mixes well with the tempo. The ambience is overall relaxing, but the backing track keeps you hooked and awake enough for any activity. I only wish it was wayyyy longer, but there is a loop button on YouTube for a reason. Also, cash is cool. Kali needs those dollar bills and we should strive to get those too.
Honorable Mentions:
“Your Teeth In My Neck”
Woah. Name much? Anyway, this song describes the greedy nature of wealthy companies feeding off of the workforce, and I’m all for that . . . but I mainly pay attention to the jams. It’s good.
“After The Storm”
Amazing! But this is simply about Kali as the lead vocalist. We can’t have too many interruptions (sorry Tyler don’t sue me).
“See You Again”
Again, (see what I did there?) this song is led by Tyler, The Creator. However, Kali’s voice in this song is off the chain and nobody is going to forget the melody. Best song with her involved? Debatable, but it is gorgeous.
And now at the request of Mr. Evans, least favorite . . .
#11: “Body Language – Intro”
I desperately enjoy the R&B plus Bossa Nova intro, and her voice equally shines throughout most of her songs in this album, but it is very different from what I am used to when it comes to her music. That isn’t to say it is a bad thing, but it doesn’t come close to competing with others since it is lyrically challenged.
Thanks for reading about my rant. I hope you give these a decent listen because she is a very talented and influential artist in this era. Another fun fact: did you know that she was married to Don Toliver? Give him a listen as well. Ciao, bye.
