Though 2024 just started, I already have my album of the year: Kali Uchis’s Orquiedas.
Orquideas is Kali Uchis’s 4th studio album, and her second album that is entirely in Spanish since “Sin Miedo” in 2020.
What makes this album particularly unique, and the reason why I believe it deserves all the praise, is the way Kali Uchis incorporates so many different genres of music into one album: reggaeton, merengue, boleros, salsa, synthpop, RnB, soul, and jazz. Despite the wide range of genres on the album, though, no song on Orquideas feels misplaced; it almost feels like the album is like a puzzle with each song a piece that leads to one beautiful giant picture finally being formed after one listen through.
Additionally, I love when Kali is experimenting with so many different sounds— she is always adding her signature flair to each track on the album. More specifically, I love how she is always incorporating her iconic whistle tones as often as she can regardless of what genre she’s singing in or how she keeps in outside sounds from her studio, such as her rabbits purring. Even when she is trying something new, it would be difficult to imagine them as songs sung by anyone else.
However, the other reason I consider this album my album of the year is because of the album’s good vibes. On this album, there are many fun tracks, such as “Munkequita,” “Labidos Mordidos,” “Dame Beso/Muévete,” and “No Hay Ley Parte 2,” all of which lyrically encourage women everywhere to let go of social inhibitions and to just have fun and enjoy themselves. On the other hand, we have tracks like “Igual Que Un Angel,” “Tu Corazon es Mio,” “Heladito,” “Pensamientos Intrusivos,” and “Young Rich and in Love,” which I don’t know how to describe other than calling them “lover girl” tracks; they are lush, beautiful to listen to, and remind me of two very important messages: to make sure to see the beauty in life when things hard but to also to protect my peace and don’t let others use and take advantage of my kindness. Basically, this album encompasses all the feelings I want to take into 2024 and apply into my life.
Overall, if you are looking for an album that’s both upbeat, fun, and will take you on a musical journey, definitely give Orquideas a stream from the top to the bottom; you will definitely not regret it.