Grammy-winning singer Kali Uchis didn’t have much time to rest in 2023. In March, she released her third studio album Red Moon In Venus, her first full-length since her 2020 sophomore album Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios). That spring she performed on Coachella’s main stage and embarked on a tour in support of the album, adding a second half later that fall. Heading into the new year with another album on the way, Uchis went through another life-changing personal experience; on the eve of the release of her fourth studio album and second Spanish LP Orquídeas, the singer announced her pregnancy with partner and frequent collaborator Don Toliver.
Orquídeas is out now and represents a new era for Uchis in more ways than one. With motherhood on the horizon and a firm grasp of her craft and her identity, Uchis blooms into a vibrant orchid on the record and shows that she’s a multifaceted artist who’s here to stay. The singles released in the lead-up to the album drop saw Uchis returning to Latin sounds she made her own on Sin Miedo like reggaetón with “Muñekita” and Karol G collab “Labios Mordidos” and bolero with “Te Mata.”Throughout the album’s runtime, Uchis again demonstrates her versatility across Latin genres. She even delves into new sonic territory like merengue with closing track “Dame Beso // Muévete,” which reinvents the beloved songs “Aventurero” by Grupo Rana and “La Dueña del Swing” by Los Hermanos Rosario in her own image.
An orchid is the perfect flower to represent this next chapter of Uchis’ life and career. When speaking with Zane Lowe, the “Telepatía” singer reflected on just what the artistic choice meant to her. “I think it was perfect because for me it has that sense of timelessness,” she said. “It’s also the national flower of Colombia, and this being my second Latin album I feel like it’s always been important for me when I make a body of work in Spanish to pay tribute to a lot of the genres I listened to growing up and my heritage.”
The album was recorded back in 2021, but the choice of orchids for the project ended up being a beautiful coincidence.
“I didn’t actually know at the time, but later I found out it’s actually the flower of fertility,” she recalled. “So then after I found out I was pregnant, I was like, ‘Oh, this is really so perfect,’ because I have been pregnant most of the rollout, so it’s been a very different experience for me.”