Perhaps it's every artist’s greatest fear to find themselves artistically devoid, stagnant and, worst of all, predictable. This is clearly no exception for Kali Uchis and her sumptuous blend of modern R&B along with the home comforts of reggaeton - which we’ve come to expect since her noteworthy debut of 2018. However, conjured from the dormancy of lockdown just a few months ago, Uchis vibrantly affirmed some rejuvenated sounds - releasing ‘Aquí Yo Mando’ backed by the effervescent Rico Nasty as her willing sidekick. Oozing with colourful hooks, intricate vocal licks, as well as a dexterous handling of both English and Spanish throughout, Uchis sought after a vociferous redefinition.
Whilst her confident rhetoric of “Y si no gusta, ya otro está llamando” (‘And if you don’t like it, another is calling”) rang defiantly clear, the follow-up single of ‘La Luz (Fín)’ signalled a reversion back to her sensual R&B facade. Along with her delicately intimate vocal delivery, this exemplified a popularised spooning of modern R&B which has happily fed the Western masses through recent years, namely from Jorja Smith, Rihanna, SZA, and Ariana Grande.
And beyond her contemporaries, the first of half of this sophomore project attempts to reveal a new layer in the wait. The warming, acoustic welcome of opener ‘La Luz’ transcends into the Arabic-style vocal inflections within ‘Aguardiente y Limón’, abruptly arriving at a Portishead-esque comedown within ‘Vaya Con Dios’. It’s this experimentation which proves to be the most enticing facet of the LP’s first half - more so than the featured artists peppered throughout.
As we delve into the ground this storyline is built upon, however, the LP’s cracks widen. What begins as a flirtatious love affair between Uchis and a significant other, thereafter ‘Fue Mejor’ and ‘Quiero Sentirme Bien’ enact a variety of romantic pining from our subject who somewhat stagnates as the LP progresses. The storyline’s cracks fracture deeper in between the clichéd ‘No Eres Tu (Soy Yo)’ and the juxtaposing closer of ‘Ángel Sin Cielo’, exuding an ill-formed romantic storyline compared with the likes of Tyler, The Creator’s ‘Igor’ or Ariana Grande’s ‘thank u, next’.
Amidst Uchis’ rushed romantic proceedings, the newly-founded linguistic nature of this Spanish-forged project gives space to another sort of prowess. The dexterity by which she flitters between both English and Spanish, particularly shown through ‘Aquí Yo Mando’ and ‘Quiero Sentirme Bien’, accentuates the growing popularity of the latter’s language in today’s mainstream. Away from the past generation of Shakira and Enrique Iglesias, we’re witnessing a greater crossover between these two worlds a-la The Weeknd, Cardi B, and Rosalía, to name a few. Enwrapped in a one-dimensional linguistic nature to much of today’s popular music, I can only commend Uchis’ inherent need to shed light on a language which seemingly cuts much deeper than any articulation in English ever could.
During this writing process pressed underneath the tribulations of this pandemic, Uchis acclaimed herself as “liberated” eliciting “a whole new me” - which, to a certain extent, has been reflected in her latest body of work. Whilst many patches of Uchis' romantic garden fail to blossom, the moments of musical experimentation proves greater than the sum of its parts. Uchis’ affirmation against predictability certainly rings true here, even against the lauded impressions on her debut LP of 2018 - with Sin Miedo showcasing a vocal and linguistic prowess which will vehemently uproot the West's English-driven love affair.
6.5/10
Kali Uchis' latest LP, Sin Miedo (Del Amor y Otros Demonios) is out now and can be found here.
This review was made possible by Gigwise whose work can be found here.
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