Kali Uchis

Kali Uchis
Karly-Marina Loaiza (born July 17, 1994), better known as Kali Uchis, is a Colombian-American singer and songwriter. After releasing her debut mixtape Drunken Babble (2012), she released her debut EP Por Vida (2015). She released her debut studio album Isolation (2018) to widespread acclaim. Her second studio album and first Spanish-language project Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) (2021) spawned the single "Telepatía", which became her first solo charting hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Her third studio album Red Moon in Venus (2023) became her first to debut within the top 5 on the Billboard 200.
Uchis was featured on Kaytranada's 2019 single "10%", which won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. Her other accolades include an American Music Award, two Billboard Music Awards, and a nomination for a Latin Grammy Award.
Early life
Uchis was born Karly-Marina Loaiza in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 17, 1994, the daughter of an American mother from Virginia and a Colombian father from Pereira. Her parents met during the late 1980s, and her father moved back to Colombia when Uchis was in high school. She subsequently spent summers in Colombia with her father, uncles, and aunts. During the school year, she lived with her mother and older siblings. In high school, she learned to play the piano and saxophone. She participated in a jazz band, and graduated from Alexandria City High School (then called T. C. Williams High School). She often skipped class to spend time at the photo lab, making experimental short films. Her interest in photography led to her creating mixtape cover art. Skipping class and breaking the curfew set by her parents led to her being kicked out of her home. During this time, she lived in her car and wrote songs on her keyboard which would later appear on her debut mixtape Drunken Babble (2012). She also wrote poetry and did not initially intend to sing, being more interested in directing films than being in the spotlight. She was given the nickname "Kali Uchis" by her father and adopted it as her stage name.
Career
2012–2016: Drunken Babble and Por Vida
Shortly after graduating, Uchis released her debut mixtape, Drunken Babble, on August 1, 2012. The mixtape was described as "genre-defying", noted for its influences from doo-wop, reggae and early 2000s R&B. In 2014, she collaborated with rapper Snoop Dogg on the song "On Edge" for his mixtape, That's My Work 3.
In February 2015, Uchis released her debut EP Por Vida for free download on her official website, and later on iTunes. The project featured production from various musicians, including Diplo, Tyler, the Creator, Kaytranada and BadBadNotGood. She embarked on her first tour during October 2015 with Leon Bridges, touring through the United States and parts of Canada.
2017–2018: Breakthrough with Isolation
In April 2017 the 5th studio album by Gorillaz, Humanz, was released and included songs featuring Uchis — namely "She's My Collar"; "Ticker Tape" – a bonus track from the album's Deluxe Edition; and "She's My Collar (Kali Uchis Spanish Special)" – a bonus track from the album's Super Deluxe Edition. The following month, Uchis released "Tyrant", featuring English singer Jorja Smith, to serve as the lead single from her then-upcoming debut studio album. In June 2017, she announced her first headlining tour, specifically a North American tour in support of the album. The tour took place from August to October 2017, starting at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco, with a stop at the Pop Montreal music festival. Uchis then released "Nuestro Planeta", featuring Reykon, as the second single from the album, on August 25, 2017. In October 2017, Uchis was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "El Ratico", her collaboration with Colombian musician Juanes. She was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards for "Get You", her collaboration with Canadian singer Daniel Caesar.
Uchis supported Lana Del Rey on select North American arena dates of her world tour, the LA to the Moon Tour, from January 15 to February 16, 2018. "After the Storm", a track featuring Tyler, the Creator and Bootsy Collins, was issued as the third single in January 2018, followed by the announcement of Isolation, in March 2018, which took place during Uchis' appearance on The Tonight Show. Isolation was officially released worldwide on April 6, 2018. It received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 87, based on 17 reviews. The album's fourth and final single, "Just a Stranger", featuring Steve Lacy, was released on October 29, 2018.
2019–2021: To Feel Alive and Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)
In June 2019, Uchis collaborated with American R&B band Free Nationals and American rapper Mac Miller on the single "Time", which was the first official posthumous release by Miller since his death on September 7, 2018. In December 2019, Uchis released "Solita", originally planned to be the lead single of her upcoming second studio album, it was later excluded from the final tracklist. However, the song would be included as a bonus track on the vinyl release of the album. On December 9, 2019, Kali Uchis was featured on the single "10%" by Canadian producer Kaytranada, which was taken from his album Bubba. The song would go onto win a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Later on, Uchis was featured on Little Dragon's 6th studio album, New Me, Same Us for a remix of the song, "Are You Feeling Sad?". April 24, 2020, Uchis released an extended play titled To Feel Alive. The EP was recorded entirely in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On August 7, 2020, Uchis released the song "Aquí Yo Mando" alongside American rapper Rico Nasty. The song was previously previewed in an episode of the HBO series Insecure. "Aquí Yo Mando" serves as the lead single from Uchis' second studio album, Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), which is her first project predominantly sung in Spanish. "La Luz" with Jhay Cortez was released as the album's second single on October 1, 2020. Later that month, a music video for the song was released on October 26. On November 6, the album's pre order was released, with the track list later being revealed on November 13. On November 17, "Te Pongo Mal (Préndelo)" with Jowell & Randy, was released as the album's sole promotional single. The album was released on November 18, 2020, and would peak at number 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums Chart.
Following a lip-sync challenge on the platform TikTok, "Telepatía" from Uchis' second studio album saw a surge in popularity in early 2021. Before being issued as a single, the song debuted inside the top 10 of Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart and later reached the summit of the chart on the week of May 22, 2021. The song also reached number three on Spotify's US Top 50 and number two on the service's Global Top 50. "Telepatía" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following the resurgence of the song, the success garnered Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 52. On June 18, 2021, her boyfriend Don Toliver released a collaboration with Uchis titled "Drugs N Hella Melodies", which was issued as the second single from Toliver's second studio album, Life of a Don. On September 29, 2021, Uchis released the single "Fue Mejor" with SZA. The song is featured as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios).
2022–present: Red Moon in Venus and Orquídeas
On April 21, 2022, Uchis announced on the red carpet of the Latin American Music Awards that she has completed her third and fourth studio albums, with one in Spanish and one in English. On August 15, 2022, she shared a snippet of a house-influenced song titled "No Hay Ley" on her social media, which was released as a single on September 2, 2022.
On January 19, 2023, Uchis released the song "I Wish You Roses", alongside a music video, as the first single for her upcoming album. On January 23, 2023, Uchis announced her third studio album Red Moon in Venus, which was released on March 3, 2023, with an accompanying tour featuring special guest RAYE. The tour began on April 25, 2023, in Austin, Texas and concluded on May 30, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. On February 15, 2023, Uchis' boyfriend Don Toliver released a collaboration with her titled "4 Me", a single for Toliver's studio album Love Sick. On February 24, 2023, Uchis released the song "Moonlight" as the second single for Red Moon in Venus, featuring production credits from Benny Blanco, Cashmere Cat, and Leon Michels. Red Moon in Venus was released on March 3, 2023, featuring guest appearances from Omar Apollo, Toliver, and Summer Walker.
In July 2023, Uchis announced a "new era" for her music, along with a new single titled "Muñekita", with Dominican rapper El Alfa and American rapper JT from City Girls, as the first single for her upcoming album. The single was released on August 4, 2023. On October 11, 2023, Uchis announced her fourth studio album, titled Orquídeas, would be released on January 12, 2024, alongside the album's cover art. On October 16, 2023, Uchis announced the second single, titled "Te Mata”, for her upcoming fourth album, released on October 20, 2023, alongside a music video.
Artistry
Influences
Uchis stated that she is influenced by music of the 1960s, with its mix of early soul, R&B and doo-wop, saying: "Musically and aesthetically, the culture of it just inspires me." She also mentioned that she enjoys jazz, stating during her career beginnings that she draws musical inspiration from Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Other musicians she cited as influences on her sound are Curtis Mayfield, Loose Ends, Ralfi Pagan, and Irma Thomas. She also takes influences from Celia Cruz, Salma Hayek, La Lupe, Selena, Shakira and Ivy Queen. Uchis also admires singer Mariah Carey.
Personal life
Uchis has been in a relationship with American rapper Don Toliver since 2020. She is openly bisexual, something she has often reflected in her music and public image.
Discography
Studio albums
Isolation (2018)
Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) (2020)
Red Moon in Venus (2023)
Orquídeas (2024)
Accolades
References
External links
1994 births
Living people
21st-century American women singers
American contemporary R&B singers
American LGBT singers
American neo soul singers
American people of Colombian descent
American people of Spanish descent
American women hip hop singers
American women pop singers
American women singer-songwriters
Bisexual singers
Bisexual songwriters
Bisexual women musicians
Geffen Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Interscope Records artists
LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people
LGBT people in Latin music
LGBT people from Virginia
Musicians from Alexandria, Virginia
Singer-songwriters from Virginia
Spanish-language singers of the United States
T. C. Williams High School alumni
Virgin EMI Records artists
Women in Latin music