The beautiful Kali Uchis felt the need to put out a work of art that would showcase her true inner thoughts to millions of fans. Uchis additionally wanted to incorporate the genres of reggaeton, funk, hip-hop, garage, and R&B to it in order to significantly increase her musical versatility. Because of that, she released a debut album that would soon put her on the top of the music charts.
Having earnest love for her fans, 23-year-old Columbian-American singer Kali Uchis decided to thoroughly discuss her deep inner thoughts leading to personal inner growth in her recent album "Isolation", which was released on April 6, 2018. Specifically, Uchis touches on the topics of struggle, longing, and pain as well as finding ways to eradicate these difficulties. In this particular album, she collaborates with artists BIA, Steve Lacy, Jorja Smith, Reykon, Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins. In addition, she had the help and support of various producers, including the Gorillaz and Thundercat.
Uchis initiated the album with a sweet, bird-like, mysterious and teased jazz song entitled as “Body Language”, where she briefly sings “Didn’t wanna have to do it, didn’t wanna be the one to say, never wanted to go through it, I think about it almost every day, now I’m packing all my bags, and I am leaving it behind, there’s no tracking where I’m going, there’s no me for them to find.” These powerful lyrics touch on her utter desire of escapism and liberation.
She sends a “forget you” letter to her haters, as she collaborates with The Internet member Steve Lacy in "Just a Stranger”. Particularly, she strongly asserts, “Go on and say what you want, you’re just a stranger watching from the bleachers ‘cause you can’t take the danger.”, justifying that she could care less about what criticizers have to negatively say about her because she has self-worth and self-confidence.
She further touches on the tough realities of working extra hard to enter into the music industry as well as economic inequality in her preceding upbeat dance song “Your Teeth in My Neck”, as she asserts the facts of “We’re all shaking a dice. Now, if you roll ‘em hard enough, could change on my own. I came to fight.” Followed by “Rich men keeps getting richer, taking from the poor.”
Uchis resonates with those who have been emotionally manipulated by their loved ones, as she collaborates with British singer Jorja Smith in “Tyrant”. The chorus of the song states “All around we go, your lovin’ is like a kaleidoscope. I don’t wanna come down. Keep spinnin’ me ‘round and ‘round and ‘round and ‘round and ‘round’.” She further hears that he is cheating on her with other women in addition to referring to one of her main influences, Brigette Bardot.
Getting extremely tired of the pain, manipulation, and sorrow that she underwent with her so-called “Tyrant”, she next sings a farewell song to him entitled “Dead to Me” in which the lyrical content is self-explanatory.
In her last few songs, she briefly promotes on the importance of going out of your way to get what you want in life, taking the time to be you and doing what your heart tells you to do and escaping from reality in her songs “Gotta Get Up (Interlude)”, “Tomorrow” and “Coming Home (Interlude)”.
To be specific, she emotionally sings a song that would change the minds of those who are a state of depression, sadness and self-doubt, which is entitled as “After the Storm” and is the first song that she released prior to the album. In this bright, sunny and joyous record, she collaborates with longtime friend Tyler, The Creator and the legendary Bootsy Collins.
Uchis finalizes the album with an ironic “Killer”, which reflects on the difficult impediments of living out of a car but slowly yet surely overcoming it.
Throughout this particular album, Kali Uchis tells a thought-provoking story, completely showcasing her true individuality to her fans through her emotions, pain, and sorrow. This surely demonstrates that she was willing to give her personal all to her loving fans musically, thus, is the main reason as to why I truly admire her immensely.
With that being said, feel free to also show your admiration to her by buying this life-changing album in stores near you or listening to it on iTunes and Spotify.
I guarantee you will not regret it.
