On Jan. 12, 2024, Latin pop star Kali Uchis released her fourth studio album and second Spanish-language album, “Orquídeas.” As a fan of Uchis since the release of her 2015 album, “Por Vida,” I was ecstatic about the release of this album. I’ve seen Uchis twice — opening for Tyler, the Creator in April 2022 and headlining her own tour in May 2023—and she performed unreleased songs from “Orquídeas” at both.
A follow-up to Uchis’ second Spanish-language album, “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios),” “Orquídeas” is written mostly in Spanish and features numerous Latin artists, including Peso Pluma, El Alfa, JT, KAROL G and Rauw Alejandro, making for a highly anticipated tracklist.
The album’s lead single, “Muñekita,” released in August 2023, scared me for the rest of the album. The El Alfa and JT features on the song were just not my vibe, and the song was honestly one of the worst I’ve heard Uchis put out. It’s not often I skip a Kali Uchis track, but Muñekita is an absolute “no” for me. However, upon releasing the second single in October 2023, “Te Mata,” I breathed a sigh of relief to hear the angelic and ethereal sounds of Uchis return. And the third single, “Labios Mordidos” with KAROL G, confirmed that “Muñekita” was a one-time flop.
In January 2024, when “Orquídeas” was finally released, I sat in my bed with my AirPods on full volume, taking in the beautiful motifs, vocals and instrumentals accompanying the voices of Uchis and her featured artists. However, my favorite tracks were 2, 3, 4 and 14, so I’ll break those down.
Track 2: Me Pongo Loca
“Me Pongo Loca,” which translates to “I go crazy,” was written entirely by Uchis. Complemented by upbeat drums and Uchis’ beautiful voice, it’s easy to miss the song’s point. In the chorus, Uchis says, “I get a little crazy, pero no es mi culpa, Me pongo loca, me pongo loca, Es que soy apasionada, baby, no es mi culpa, Me pongo loca, me pongo loca,” basically meaning that she’s going crazy over the person she loves but it’s just because she’s passionate. She repeats throughout the song that she doesn’t do “frenemies” because the person she loves won’t commit to her, so she won’t commit to them, and it’s just a vicious cycle.
Track 3: Igual Que Un Ángel (with Peso Pluma)
“Igual Que Un Ángel” translates to “Just like an angel,” and Uchis’ voice sounds igual que un ángel in this track. The introduction of the track is very similar to that of her song with Don Toliver, “Drugs N Hella Melodies,” which was likely intentional given that Toliver is Uchis’ current partner. A likely tribute to her partner, Uchis sings about how the subject of the song was sent from heaven to Earth and was created by God just for her in the chorus: “La favorita de Dios, la favorita de Dios, and it shows / Sent from Heaven down to Earth.” When Peso Pluma comes in, he sings with Uchis, “Todos quieren plata, otros quieren fama / Un amor superficial (Ah) / Pero ella quiere calma, no dañar su alma (Ah) / Nunca se olvida de lo real,” talking about how the woman (Uchis) doesn’t want a superficial love, but wants a real, calm love in the crazy world she lives in.
Track 4: Pensamientos Intrusivos
Translated to “Intrusive Thoughts,” “Pensamientos Intrusivos” begins with synthy strings and callbacks to Uchis’ collaboration with Gorillaz on “She’s My Collar” in 2017 and her song “la luz (fín)” in 2020. However, the most essential part of this song is the continuity between Uchis’ albums. Her first Spanish-language album has the critical distinction that Uchis is empowered by her sexuality but not about love. But in “Pensamientos Intrusivos,” Uchis finally says, “La voz de mi mente te extraña / Siempre habla de ti, cómo te amo,” admitting that love is a core theme of “Orquídeas” and that her intrusive thoughts in this song are her love for her partner.
Track 14: Dame Beso // Muévete
“Dame Beso // Muévete,” which translates to “Give me a kiss // move,” is the album’s final track. Although not one that I find incredibly profound in its lyrics, I love the music Uchis pulled from her Colombian background. It sounds traditionally Latin and like a song you just want to dance and move to. It includes so many instruments, sounds, and beats, and so many people worked on the music that you just have to appreciate the artistry of it. She finishes the song, and thus the album, with “Y hasta la próxima, muah,” indicating that her next project will be coming out soon, which she confirmed in a Grammy’s interview.
