I stumbled upon Kali Uchis when I was watching the show Euphoria during my junior year of high school; a song of hers was featured in a scene. After doing a deep dive to discover the name of the song, I wanted to listen to more of her music. Over those next few months, some of her other songs started to go viral on different social media platforms. What stood out to me was the sound of her music. It felt like I was dreaming in a way. It was the kind of music that I could play in my bedroom at night and just lie down.
Her music is an overall blend of R&B and pop. As well, she can be incredibly versatile with the sound she produces. She has music that can calm you down, as well as music that I have sung in the car with my best friends. That is one of the most interesting parts about her is that she her music does not fit into one category specifically.
Kali Uchis made the decision to dig into her Hispanic heritage roots through her song “TelapatĂa.” This song has elements of Spanish and English lyrics. Not only was this an incredible succesful song from her, it allowed her to reach a larger demographic and connect back to her heritage. I stumbled upon this song more recently, and it helped me understand her more deeply as a singer. When an artist highlights different parts of their individuality through their music, it allows you to feel more connected to them and their music.
I want to highlight three songs of hers that I would highly recommend for you to listen to. The first one is the song “Loner.” This was the first song I heard of hers when I was watching the season one finale of Euphoria. This song feels like dreaming in a way. Overall, it represents peace over everything, which is something I try to live by.
Another song is “Melting.” This song is about being so obsessed with someone that you are surrendering to them. These two songs are featured on my nighttime relaxation playlist.
The last song of hers I want to recommend is one that one of my best friends in high school introduced me to, called “Moonlight.” This has the same chill vibe as the others, but it is easier to groove to.
For Hispanic Heritage Month, I love highlighting Hispanic musicians who have places on my playlist. Kali Uchis is an incredible musician who pays homage to her roots, which is culturally incredibly important.