Latest news with #Orquídeas
Los Angeles Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Kali Uchis' new album ‘Sincerely,' is a love letter to mothers everywhere
To celebrate her latest album release, Kali Uchis hosted a tea party in Hollywood. It was by no means a modest affair. Scores of glamorous women draped in lace, silks and pearls descended upon the event space Citizen News last Friday night to ring in the arrival of the singer-songwriter's fifth studio album, 'Sincerely,' released May 9 on Capitol Records. A collection of spectral R&B-pop songs sung in the key of life, Uchis' new record echoed through the halls of the venue as the star herself — dressed in frilly white chiffon with a Rococo-style corset and pink satin platform boots — snapped photos with fans and friends. Special guests included rapper Saweetie and drag superstar Valentina, with whom Uchis judged a ballroom competition between the formidable vogue dancers from the House of FUBU and the rivaling House of Telfar. The judges liberally doled out scores of 10 to the performers, who swanned deftly across the parquet flooring in colorful, 'Alice in Wonderland'-inspired costumes. The tea party was a unique, if not rare, public appearance for the Grammy-winning artist, who these days much prefers to stay at home in Los Angeles with family and a select few confidantes. (So much so that she even named her skincare line 'Homebody.') Yet the collective spirit of the event — an exaltation of the feminine in its many expressions — felt authentic to Uchis' work as an artist. And in the making of 'Sincerely,' which beholds her most revealing lyrics yet, authenticity was key. 'My main intention with the album was to make it autobiographical,' Uchis told De Los a few days before her album release, inside her hotel room at the Hollywood Roosevelt. 'Each song was a letter — to my homegirl, to my man, to my baby, to the world. I felt that with all my albums, like 'Orquídeas,' I was just having fun. I never made an album where I just talked about my life story — instead of a general, 'Ooh, I look cute, I look good, my p— good' type of music.' For her previous album 'Orquídeas,' a collection of dance floor-ready, Spanish-language songs released in 2024, Uchis recruited guest vocalists from across Latin America — from Karol G to Peso Pluma — to join her in girly-pop revelry. Yet that was all before last March, when the artist gave birth to her son, whom she shares with her partner, Houston-born rapper Don Toliver. It was also around then that Uchis, now 30, began an intense process of reconciling with her once-estranged mother, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. After a series of healing heart-to-heart conversations, Uchis' mom worked for her daughters' forgiveness — and spent ample time with her grandson before she tragically died in April. It's in part why Uchis dedicated 'Sincerely,' released the Friday before Mother's Day, to her late mom. 'I tried to go out and do stuff while not telling anyone [she died],' said Uchis. 'It just felt disrespectful to her life and her legacy … Because it's the first thing that's on [my] mind as soon as [I] wake up and as soon as [I] go to sleep. My mom was really proud, and dedicating the album to her felt like the right thing to do.' Uchis sampled her mother's voice from a home movie in 'Sunshine & Rain…,' the album's sanguine lead single. 'Good morning, sunshine!' chirps her mother in lo-fi, as a sitar shrugs along, giving the soul ballad a psychedelic touch. Born Karly-Marina Loaiza in Alexandria, Va., Uchis was the youngest of five children in a Colombian American family, which split time between the U.S. and her father's hometown in Pereira, Colombia. She had a fraught relationship with her parents, who put their children to work on construction in the apartment building her father managed. Uchis was a sensitive child who would rather write poetry and play saxophone in a jazz band with her classmates; she was still in high school when she left home. It was while living on her own that she recorded and produced what eventually became her buzzy 2012 mixtape, an R&B experiment she uploaded to the internet called 'Drunken Babble.' 'I had a lot of odds stacked against me,' she said, reflecting on her early days. 'I didn't come from money ... I never got any vocal training. The main thing that people used to say when I was starting was just, 'Well, your voice is very unique.' I didn't know if that was a dig, but I said, 'You know what? I'm going to lean on that. Because it's true.'' Uchis built rapports with a number of artists over the years, including eccentric L.A. rapper Tyler, the Creator, as well as producers like BadBadNotGood and Kaytranada, who all appeared on her 2015 EP, 'Por Vida.' In 2017, Uchis racked up collaborations with Gorillaz and Juanes; the following year she opened for Lana Del Rey on tour, signed a record deal with Virgin EMI (under Universal Music Group) and released her debut album, 'Isolation.' Her star rose even brighter in late 2020, when she released her first Spanish-language album, 'Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)' — from which the single 'Telepatía' climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Songs chart and No. 25 on the Hot 100 in 2021. Her next albums, 2023's 'Red Moon in Venus' and 'Orquídeas,' would inch up the Billboard 200 charts to No. 4 and No. 2, respectively. Her first album since Capitol Records merged with Interscope in March, 'Sincerely,' had been in the works for two years before its release. Uchis wrote the opening track, 'Heaven Is a Home,' in 2023, just after she discovered she was pregnant. And, as the gravitas of motherhood had started to weigh on her, she decided to set forth her intentions in the song — to undo the generational trauma she'd incurred through her immigrant family and create what she calls her own 'bubble of protection and light.' Creating life, as it would turn out, stimulated the same part of her brain that created art. She began writing the ballad 'ILYSMIH (I Love You So Much It Hurts)' at the hospital, on the very day her baby boy was born. Uchis later decided to sample her son's bubbly laughter for the song, which would then qualify him for a song credit: He's listed on Spotify as 'Pooks.' 'I want him to have his moment — and to have publishing [rights],' she explained. 'After he started talking, I was like, 'Oh — I have to get a voice note of him!'' she recalled with a laugh. 'But it wasn't until a few months ago that he really started talking, like a lot. I wanted to get him to say 'mama' for [the song], so it's very recent.' Even before she became a mother, Uchis was happiest working remotely with collaborators. After spending her 20s tirelessly hopping from studio to studio to build her portfolio, she now insists on writing, recording and producing at home. 'I started in the shower, I finished it in the car,' she said, using 'ILYSMIH' as an example. 'Existing in my life, working off of my phone and taking inspiration as it [comes] to me, is a lot more honest and intuitive than sitting in a studio and trying to come up with something.' Recorded primarily in English, Uchis retains her 1960s soul and doo-wop roots in 'Sincerely,' — namely in sparkling cuts like 'All I Can Say' and 'Daggers!' Yet she detours into alt territory in the second half of 'Lose My Cool' and the next track, 'It's Just Us.' Adrift in a 1990s-esque dream-pop reverie, Uchis coasts through a tunnel of love, her ethereal voice cradled by reverberations of electric guitars. 'There was like a full week where I was just trying to make something bar-for-bar inspired by Cocteau Twins,' she said, which gave way to this romantic sequence. Uchis has a laundry list of foremothers for every album; her past muses have ranged from La Lupe to Nancy Sinatra. 'I've been very inspired by women who have a little bit more depth to their writing, like Fiona Apple, Sade, Amy [Winehouse] ... the Cranberries and Brenda Lee as well,' she said of her latest record. She wrote and executive produced the entirety of 'Sincerely,' — a necessity for the artist, for whom multigenre exploration, at risk of alienating fans, has always been the utmost priority. It's how Uchis has excelled in what so many pop artists struggle with: She remains the main celestial body for the sounds she experiments with to orbit, and not the other way around. 'It's been so many times where fans have been mad, or the label has been mad, or whatever,' she said with a shrug. 'Not everybody has that experience of growing up in two cultures and having the influences I have. The main thing I want young artists to take from me is to lean on what makes them different. I never compromised on who I am or tried to make myself fit into one box.' Other artists can't help but show their admiration; British hyperpop queen Charli XCX recently paid tribute to the singer by projecting the words 'Kali Uchis Summer' onscreen during her set at this year's Coachella. Uchis indeed has big plans for this summer, including a North American arena tour, which kicks off Aug. 14 in Portland, Ore. and includes an Aug. 20 stop at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. It would be her first tour as a mother; and as with her music, it's just one more experiment she's ready to take on. 'I was already an emotional person, [but] since my pregnancy I've been able to feel a lot deeper,' she said. 'We all see mothers and know that they exist, but you don't really understand until you are one. When your child is born, you're reborn in a lot of ways. It's a death and a rebirth of yourself. But I think a lot of joy and hope comes with that.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kali Uchis on Being an Industry Outcast and How Her Mother's Death — and Son's Birth — Shaped Her New Album
Kali Uchis was raised to be self-reliant. Her stoic yet effervescent spirit — captured on projects from her raw debut 2012 mixtape 'Drunken Babble' to the celestial melodies of 'Sincerely,' her latest album — isn't just the backbone of her anthems of female empowerment; it's been her shield. But in person, nothing about her seems impenetrable. She radiates softness; her voice barely rises above a breath, as if she's letting you in on a secret. More from Variety Music Industry Moves: Eslabon Armado's Pedro Tovar Inks Global Deal With Kobalt; ATC Group Ups Ric Salmon Anitta, Kali Uchis, Becky G, Pitbull and More to Perform at the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards Ariana Grande Tops Songs Chart, 21 Savage Album Goes No. 1 and Kali Uchis Logs Career Best With 'Orquídeas' 'When I was young, and especially when I was just starting out in this industry, I was more open to share personal details because I was naive, and I didn't realize the more people knew about me, the more they had the opportunity to hurt me,' Uchis tells Variety. And although she has a lot to share on 'Sincerely,' her new album, she does so 'without giving away too much, and while still keeping certain things sacred.' Just two months after the January 2024 release of 'Orquídeas' — her fourth and highest-charting album, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in January 2024 — Uchis and her partner, rapper Don Toliver, welcomed their first child in March. Like most new parents, the pair nested at home, and Uchis basked in motherhood, writing and recording songs about 'doing anything to keep my baby safe.' 'Sincerely,' — the comma is part of the title, like the closing of a letter — was completed shortly before the holidays and was mostly written by Uchis in solitude; she would send her songs to collaborators, who range from Rosalía/ Miguel producer Dylan Wiggins to electronic-music artist-producer Vegyn. Its mood is reflected in titles like 'Heaven Knows' and 'Angels All Around Me,' the latter of which includes the lyric 'Let us pray/ The stars in your eyes will never fade/ And I pray/ For your happiness every day.' But such idyllic thoughts abruptly came to a halt when Uchis' mother (whose name she declines to reveal) died of lung cancer shortly after the album was finished. Her mother wasn't a smoker and lived a relatively healthy lifestyle; Uchis was stunned. 'I wrote the song 'Heaven Knows' maybe a month after I found out I was pregnant,' Uchis says. 'That was the first song that I wrote, and somehow in it, I wrote [the lyric], 'Look into the clouds, see a smiling face, and it gives me hope.' It's almost like I wrote the music that I needed to heal before I even knew what would transpire.' Indeed, when Uchis turned to music to find solace after her mother's death, her usual favorites did little to soothe the pain. But when listening to songs from the new album, she says, 'I felt a sense of comfort on a new level, because it was me. Sometimes I write stuff, and I might not even consciously know what exactly I'm talking about. With 'Angels All Around Me,' I recorded all of it on a microphone with no music — I just started singing it.' Uchis, 30, drops hints about her past and family history across 'Sincerely,' particularly on the song 'It's Just Us,' which is about being so in love that virtually nothing else seems to matter ('It's Don's favorite,' she says gleefully). But between the lines Uchis drops hints of the life she left behind — she sings about being kicked out of her home as a teenager, 'I did all my time/ For a crime that wasn't mine.' What crime? 'In my mind as a kid, I used to think, 'How can I succeed, coming from what I come from?',' she says. 'I used to feel that I was cursed because of my family — their generational trauma became heavy to carry,' she continues, without specifying. 'And I used to feel that I had a huge responsibility to break this curse. It sounds fucked up to admit this, but I often wished I had a different family… I felt that I was being punished in my life for things that didn't have to do with me.' The sentiment has carried over to her public life, from online commentary about her relationship with Toliver to her unusual place betwixt and between the Latin and Anglo markets. 'As a woman, I'm constantly feeling that I'm being blamed for things that are beyond me, but I'm in a better place with that now, but that's because I decide how I want to tell my story,' she continues, stressing the personal pronouns. Her story has been bicultural from the very beginning. Born Karly-Marina Loaiza in Alexandria, Virginia, Uchis began to recording music in the early 2010s. Raised in both Virginia and Colombia, she'd developed a deep connection to the Latin music she heard at home, as well as genres ranging from R&B to doo-wop. Her debut album was an English-language set dubbed 'Isolation,' and she's alternated between English and Spanish with every album since. With the release of her first fully Spanish-language album 'Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)' in 2020, Uchis began a rare reverse crossover — historically, Spanish-speaking artists have had to work hard to gain traction in English-speaking markets. 'Sin Miedo' earned a nomination for best música urbana at the Grammy Awards, but was notably overlooked by the Latin Grammys. However, the follow-up, 'Orquídeas,' which saw her flitting between the two languages, received a Grammy nomination for best Latin pop album and secured four Latin Grammy nominations, including record of the year. (Mixing genres even more, she won a best dance recording Grammy in 2021 for her guest vocal on the song '10%' by Kaytranada.) 'I think it's hard for people to wrap their head around the music I make,' she says. ' Most of my time in this industry has felt like an uphill battle, and it would be a lot easier for me to just be agreeable and do what I have to do to become more mainstream and marketable.' Instead, Uchis is taking 'the harder, longer route,' as she describes it. 'I don't mind it. My idea of success is to be able to say that I'm doing something no one else is doing and nobody else can do. And I love to be able to inspire other artists who are also bicultural to express themselves freely, without feeling the need to over-explain themselves.' Admittedly, following the success of 'Orquídeas' is a challenge. Along with the emotions involved in the album itself, there are more eyes and ears on her — Charli xcx even declared it will be a 'Kali Uchis Summer' at Coachella. 'I thought my friend was trolling me when they sent it me,' Uchis says. 'It was so cute, and I love her for that.' But as for herself, 'I'm still on a healing journey,' she sighs. 'I'm still grieving, I'm still mourning. It's all very recent, and I'm trying to feel everything that I need to feel, and I don't have all the answers. 'I think putting this [album] out into the world will also open a chapter for me, personally,' she concludes. 'To be able to share it with the world will hopefully bring me a new sense of peace.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Forbes
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Kali Uchis Writes Love Letters On New Album ‘Sincerely'
Kali Uchis Grammy-winning singer Kali Uchis has undergone quite a personal journey over the past year. She became a mom last year following the release of her Spanish album Orquídeas, and in recent months in the lead-up to her new album Sincerely, the Colombian-American singer lost her own mother. On her fifth studio album, out now, Uchis opens her heart and bares her soul as she shares some of the most intimate parts of her world today, namely her son and her family. While her previous English album, 2023's Red Moon in Venus, featured a mix of sounds and rhythms, Sincerely is largely driven by ballads and heartfelt emotional tracks, first signaled by singles 'Sunshine & Rain…' and 'ILYSMIH' and later on songs like 'Heaven Is a Home…,' 'For: You,' and 'Daggers!' After releasing three albums three years in a row, Uchis confessed to Angie Martinez on her IRL podcast that she's deciding how to spend her time moving forward. 'I'm in a place where I'm trying to figure out what am I going to dedicate myself to after this besides my son,' she said, groaning at "the whole idea of just having to sell and promote something.' 'I'm just really excited that I finally wrapped this album. I'm finally able to close this chapter of my life and kind of move forward into whatever is the next [thing].' Still, she noted that she isn't falling out of love with what introduced her to millions around the globe. 'I love making music. I love making art. I love creating,' she said, explaining that she doesn't care for the public aspects of being a musician. 'That's my outlet. I just naturally, when I'm [going through] whatever I go through, I feel like it's part of what I am to use my art and whatever it is that I make to kind of get through whatever it is that I'm going through, and make some type of beauty or whatever pain or whatever stresses. It's my relief." When people asked Uchis how she had time to finish Sincerely while balancing new motherhood and personal grief, she noted that making music is 'second nature' to her. 'That's part of who I am," she stated plainly. "It's like breathing to me.'
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Kali Uchis Kicks Off ‘Sincerely' Era With ‘Sunshine & Rain'
Kali Uchis FilmMagic The past two years have arguably been the most eventful in Kali Uchis' life and career. The Grammy-winning singer returned in 2023 with her third studio album Red Moon in Venus, and she kicked off 2024 in a big way with her fourth album Orquídeas and the birth of her first child two months later. Now, Uchis is laying the groundwork for her next album Sincerely, marking a third straight year where the 'Telepatía' singer will be releasing a full-length project. To give fans a taste of the upcoming LP, she's released 'Sunshine & Rain…' as the lead single from the album. The song is a tender ode to a loved one in her life, presumably a lover like her partner Don Toliver, though her love has also been overflowing for her baby son over the past year. The heartfelt track opens with a home video audio snippet of Uchis' mother wishing her a good morning as the Colombian crooner serenades someone close to her in her life. 'Through sunshine and rain, as seasons change / We all need somebody that makes the Earth feel heavenly / Maybe I'll be that somebody 'cause you're that someone to me,' she sings on the chorus. With Sincerely being her first album as a mother and her debut with Capitol Records, the project in many ways marks the beginning of a new chapter for Uchis. 'I have boundless gratitude for my silent ascent throughout the years and am very much looking forward to what's next," she remarked of the label move earlier this month, per Stereogum. She went on to hint at the album's focus on her personal world and home life in a social media video announcing the album's release. 'I dream of a home that even time will lie down and be still for; a place where everything works out the way it should,' she mused. Sincerely is set for release May 9.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Music Industry Moves: Kali Uchis Inks With Capitol Records, Reveals New Album Title
Kali Uchis has signed with Capitol Records ahead of the release of her fifth studio album, 'Sincerely.' Uchis revealed the title of her upcoming project on Monday with a video teaser posted to social media, simultaneously announcing her new partnership with Tom March, chairman and CEO of Capitol Records. They will work in tandem under the new banner of Interscope Capitol Labels Group, allowing Uchis to continue her long-standing relationship with Matt Morris, executive vice president of A&R at Interscope Geffen A&M. More from Variety Music Industry Moves: Noah Cyrus Signs to Range Music for Management; Frankie Grande Inks With Republic Records Music Industry Moves: Bad Bunny's Label Rimas Entertainment Acquires Stake in Dale Play Records Music Industry Moves: Hardy and Big Loud Rock Launch Crow Records Label 'Kali Uchis is not only a true artist with a unique vision and an incredible amount of talent — she's also a culture-shifting force of nature,' said March. 'Her music transcends boundaries and borders, and it's an honor and a privilege to continue to head into this new era together.' Uchis released 'Orquídeas,' her highest-charting album to date (debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200), last year. The set was nominated for best Latin pop album at the Grammy awards and best pop vocal album at the Latin Grammys. 'Thank you all for the well-intentioned wishes on this journey, and thank you to my team! I have boundless gratitude for my silent ascent throughout the years and am very much looking forward to what's next,' said Uchis. + Sony Music Publishing has signed Sevdaliza to a worldwide publishing agreement. This announcement follows the reveal of her upcoming show dates — a series of performances in São Paulo, Mexico City, Los Angeles and Brooklyn. Known for her innovative artistry and genre-transcending sound, Iranian-Dutch singer, songwriter, and producer Sevdaliza earned widespread acclaim over the past year with her groundbreaking single 'Alibi' ft. Pabllo Vittar and Yseult, which ranked as TikTok's No. 3 global song of 2024, spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Global 200 and scored her first-ever placement on the Billboard Hot 100. 'I am excited to expand my creative work in songwriting and composing on a global scale with the world's leading music publisher, and look forward to collaborating with their incredible roster of talent,' shared Sevdaliza. 'Sevdaliza is a one of one artist and songwriter who has forged a path for herself unlike anyone else,' added Adam Ikner, Sony Music Publishing senior manager, creative A&R. 'Sevda's relentless pursuit of creative excellence in every aspect is unmatched, and we are honored to be part of her team as she enters this exciting stage in her career!' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
