Kali Uchis dives further into the divine on the genre-bending Orquídeas

Yet Orquídeas arrives on a completely different and evolved music scene. Latin music by artists such as Uchis, Rosalía, Bad Bunny, and Karol G is ruling the charts, proving that music beyond standardized English can be just as marketable.

After her hit 2018 debut album Isolation, sceptics warned her of exploring the Spanish language as that would exclude the larger audience. The protest from many of her fans was almost just as loud. They were partially proved right since her first venture outside of English didn’t get the same global recognition as her earlier work, but Orquídeas will undoubtedly serve as her vindication.

The new album, named after the national flower of Colombia – orchids, showcases an artist far more secure in her expression. Though underappreciated, on Sin Miedo, the bilingual artist was still conforming to her debut album. Now, she fully embraces the inherent rhythm of the language, enabling her voice to take a step back and harmoniously become one with the lush soundscapes, which means that even if you don’t speak the language – the music is naturally more accessible. She still switches over to English fleetingly, which gives the impression of a stream of consciousness most bilingual people surely can relate to.

Already on the first track, the pulsating tempo declares this to be Uchis’ dance album. Still inhabiting her characteristically dreamy sound, the tracks are spiced up using typically Latin rhythms and mix disco and house with genres such as salsa, dembow, merengue, reggaeton, and Latin soul. The seductively catchy “¿Cómo Así?” effectively introduces the listener to this new chapter, with Uchis's soaring falsetto contrasting the surprisingly gloomy and beat-driven production.

Moving us over seamlessly to the next track, Uchis makes it clear that the album is best experienced in full, not as separate songs. Carving out her own space on her own terms, there are far less obvious hits than on her earlier albums. On “Me Pongo Loca” she addresses a former lover as she raises the temperature and drives up the tempo further.

Flirting with disco influences, the kaleidoscopic “Igual Que Un Ángel” explores themes of femininity. Translated, the first verse reads “You should've seen the way she looked, just like an angel / Heaven's her residence, and she won't fall / They just can't reach her, an unreachable princess /Her heart was broken, but she never lost herself”. Here, Uchis seems to be chronicling her past, a sentiment in alignment with the self-assuredness of the whole record. Featuring on the track is Peso Pluma, who feels quite misplaced in contrast to Uchis’s scene-stealing breathy harmonies and vocal stacking.

“Pensamientos Intrusivos” (translates to intrusive thoughts) is a rosy, billowy tribute to love. Uchis sings about not being able to get someone off of her mind, but still, she’s the one in control, asking her suitor to step up to the plate. The fifth track “Diosa” is equally dreamy.

The theatrical “Te Mata” offers a dramatic change of pace; it shows Uchis as we have never heard her before. “Perdiste” once again tackles the topic of leaving someone behind, but is quickly contrasted by the sexually explicit track “Young Rich & In Love”. The heartfelt track “Tu Corazón Es Mío...“ stands out, a tribute to Uchis’ partner and rapper Don Toliver, which was used to announce her pregnancy.

By the tenth track, the album suddenly switches character, recruiting groovy polyrhythms and its most obvious inspirations from traditional Latin music, and invites a long line of features. The joyous “Muñekita”, which features artists El Alfa & JT, leans heavily on dembow and reggaeton. Next up, Uchis is joined by Karol G on “Labios Mordidos”, which continues on with the same genre influences. “No Hay Ley Parte 2” is a new rendition of Uchis's single from 2022, now including Rauw Alejandro – the best collaboration of the record. “Heladito” works as a honey-smooth interlude, but is soon once again overpowered by the fast-paced last track “Dame Beso // Muévete”.

Although refreshing, the many influences of the second half are quite a hard contrast to the first ten tracks, whose productions are meditative and intuitively balanced. Although there are constantly new elements appearing, the crisp tracks never get overcrowded, giving the project a luxurious finish. Uchis is able to be refreshingly soft and tender by using a finely tuned palette, without ever being bland. Instead, the result is truly emotionally intelligent and dazzlingly timeless.