Sin Miedo is the second studio album released by Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis and is her first album in mostly Spanish. The title of the album, Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), is a call back to a collection of short stories named El Amor y Otros Demonios by Colombian literary giant Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez. The new age R&B singer has always had a music style which is hard to fit into one genre. Kali Uchis (born Karly-Marina Loaiza) often straddles multiple genres, from Latin pop, R&B, hip-hop and others.
Sin Miedo contains some of the same dreamy elements that her first album Isolation had, but is considerably more ethereal in sound and in aesthetic. This album is sexy, the first song "La luna enamorada" is a short sweet ballad which features Loaiza's signature swoon and does a great job of displaying her lower register. "La luna enarmorada" is not an original song by Kali but is actually a cover of a 1960's bolero originally sang by Los Zafiros, and features simple acoustic guitar and percussion. The theme of love, domination, and lust permeates the album and is delivered in a soft and sultry way that only Kali Uchis can deliver.
The album also features two singles that were released before the album: "La Luz" and "Aqui Yo Mando". "La Luz", which features rising reggaeton singer Jhay Chortez, faced some controversy after the release of its music video. The video depicted Loaiza and an actress kissing passionately, while Cortez looks on through a peep-hole. This caused criticisms to arise about the video's depiction of lesbian love for the male gaze. Loaiza has yet to respond to these critiques. The section single on the album, "Aqui Yo Mando" is a club song about being a boss b*tch. The song features afro-punk rapper and singer, Rico Nasty, her rough, impactful voice accompanied by Loaiza's soft crooning is unmatched.
Finally a personal favorite of mine is "Vaya con Dios", another soft ballad which talks about the departing of a lover (vaya con Dios means "go with God", a definite farewell). While Kali sings that there's always going to be another lover waiting to replace the last, she really means that she's her own lover, championing that self-love is the most important kind of love.
Ultimately, Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) might be one of Kali Uchis' best and boldest albums yet. The vibes and sound are sexy and empowering, accompanied by lyrics that are both nostalgic and new age. I recommend a listen (even if you don't speak Spanish).
