In 1994, Karly-Marina Loaiza, known as Kali Uchis, was born in Virginia to Colombian parents. The singer spent time between Virginia and Colombia growing up, and it heavily influenced her career path.
Uchis learned to play piano and the saxophone during her teenage years in Virginia. She also gravitated toward the visual arts, experimenting with the platform before launching her career.
In 2012, Uchis released a mixtape called “Drunken Babble.” While it was hard to find on streaming services then and now, Uchis didn’t let the lack of momentum stop her. Two years later, she dropped the singles “Know What I Want” and “Lottery” in 2015.
Releasing two more singles that year, titled “Loner” and “Ridin Round,” Uchis then dropped her debut album, “Por Vida.” Acting as an independent release, the singer included her previous singles mixed with new ones that would later act as stepping stones for future releases. It caught the attention of artists like Diplo, Kaytranada, and Tyler, The Creator, who eventually produced a free digital download EP of the album.
With the noteworthiness that came with her first record, Uchis was signed to Virgin EMI. Following her label deal in 2016, she dropped “Only Girl” alongside Steve Lacy and Vince Staples, produced by Kaytranada. She also earned a feature on Daniel Caesar’s “Get You.”
Yet, 2017 and 2018 were arguably Uchis’ breakout years, especially with the release of singles such as “Tyrant (feat. Jorja Smith),” “After The Storm (feat. Tyler, The Creator & Bootsy Collins),” and her sophomore album, “Isolation.” The singer gained acclaim rapidly, earning a Grammy Award nomination for “Best R&B Performance” for “Get You” and for her hit lead single from “Isolation,” called “Dead To Me.”
Along with stunning visuals for the tracks, Uchis also saw her second album reach No. 32 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart in 2018, proving to listeners that her range went beyond pop songs. She then hit the road across North America to support “Isolation,” selling out venues instantly.
Coming back from a whirlwind year, Uchis continued to create with more artists like Mac Miller and Free Nationals on “Time” and released original content like “Solita” and “10%” with Kaytranada. Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the singer didn’t slow down, releasing her “TO FEEL ALIVE EP” and her first Spanish-language album, “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios.”
Once the height of the pandemic ended, Uchis began touring again and working on her next album, which would later become this year’s “Red Moon In Venus.” With stellar collaborations with Omar Apollo on “Worth the Wait” and Summer Walker on “Deserve Me,” the album received rave reviews, with many critics predicting it will be a contender at next year’s Grammy Awards.
Following its release in March, Uchis returned to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as a major act, performing past and present hits after many music festivals were canceled throughout 2020, 2021 and 2022. With her skillful choreography, visuals, costumes and vocals, many were surprised to see how much the singer had grown since her previous era.
Since “Red Moon In Venus,” Uchis has still kept herself present in the music industry, coming up with more hits like “I Wish you Roses,” “Moonlight,” and “Muñekita (feat. El Alfa & JT).” She also recently announced and released the lead single off her upcoming Spanish-language album, titled “Te Mata.”
Uchis’ new album “Orquídeas,” named after Colombia’s national flower, will drop on Jan. 12. In an interview with Pitchfork, Uchis said, “I always felt distinctly intrigued and magnetized by the flower. This album is inspired by the timeless, eerie, mystic, striking, graceful and sensual allure of the orchid. With this vast scope of fresh energy, I wish to re-define the way we look at Latinas in music.”
Kali Uchis has a drive many singers cannot compete with; she is always evolving and pushing her sound in new directions for a diverse audience. It will be exciting to see what the singer has up her sleeve next year, and there’s no doubt it will be bigger and better than before.
