Colombian-American R&B artist Kali Uchis’s new masterpiece “Orquídeas” packs in innovative sounds, relatable lyrics and engaging instrumentation, making for an instant classic in her discography.

On Friday, Uchis released her fourth solo studio project and second full-length Spanish album. It came sooner than some may have expected, given the release of her popular album “Red Moon In Venus” just last year.

The LP starts ambitiously with laughter and a smooth baseline in the opening track “¿Cómo Así?” The track feels ethereal, blending electronic vocal hits, floating synths and jungle music drums reminiscent of those on PinkPantheress’ “Heaven knows.”

Unlike the soft vocals and fuzzy instrumentals present on “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)” and “Red Moon in Venus,” Uchis explores a new sound on “Orquídeas.”

The second track, “Me Pongo Loca,” gives listeners a deeper look into Uchis’s musical exploration, combining percussion and synth hits similar to those of the first track with Uchis’ signature subdued vocal style.

“Me Pongo Loca” transitions effortlessly to the third track, “Igual Que Un Ángel,” which features Mexican singer Peso Pluma.

Silky electronic leads and heavy bass ralong with layered, angelic vocals make for a beautiful song. The most memorable line is, “La favorita de Dios, la favorita de Dios, and she knows / Sent from Heaven down to Earth,” as it speaks on a unique theme of divine favor that Uchis doesn’t normally explore in her discography.

Uchis and Pluma’s luscious harmonizing in the delivery of this line makes it one of the best moments on the record.

On tracks like “Pensamientos Intrusivos,” “Diosa” and “Perdiste,” Uchis displays her impressive vocal range by varying between low and high-pitched deliveries.

“Te Mata” is the best song on the project, as Uchis completely deviates from the techno themes of the first half of the record and pays homage to her Latin roots. The deviant track offers vibrant violin, horn and guitar samples as well as powerful vocals that you might hear in the opening of a classic novella.

“Muñekita,” an Urbano track featuring Dominican rapper El Alfa and Miami rapper JT, creates further contrast from the electronic themes of the first half of the project

While “Muñekita” was an excellent way to diversify the tracklist, its only issue is its outdated sound. It’s reminiscent of “Baile de Favela” by MC João, which was released in 2016. “Muñekita” sounds like it belongs to that era. 

“Labios Mordidos,” builds on the classic Uchis sound fans have come to know through her aforementioned tracks. It takes her usual sonic appeal and modernizes it with panning and synth bridges. Colombian vocalist KAROL G is featured on the track and closes the song with an energetic performance.

Bringing a new sound and floating techno tracks, “Orquídeas” is a beautiful installation in Uchis’s discography. It’s an eight out of 10.

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Twitter: @FrancescoThorik

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