Red Moon in Venus: Kali uchis’ personal planet of love

By Jiyun Guo Staf Writer

Known for her mellow tributes to self-love and female empowerment, Colombian American singer Karly-Marina Loaiza, professionally known as Kali Uchis, released her dreamy third studio album, Red Moon In Venus, on March 3. A velvety mashup of lo- , R&B, and experimental pop, the album stays true to Uchis’ signature style while channeling love in all its forms.

roughout the 15 tracks of Red Moon In Venus, Uchis sings with a breathy, languid voice, creating an overarching tone of lighthearted love. In “Endlessly,” Uchis teases a potential love interest with smug, self-congratulatory lyrics: “I’m the rst girl that got you gettin’ romantic / ‘Cause once you had this, always gotta have it.” She knows she has her lover in the palm of her hand, crooning to laid-back R&B that “it’s not too late to admit you love me” in “Not Too Late (interlude).” Once the album enters the honeymoon phase with “All Mine,” Uchis saturates her songs with soft lo- chords and electronic warbles to convey a sense of giddy immersion in her new relationship.

Yet Red Moon In Venus explores all aspects of love — the album wouldn’t be complete without its progression through heartbreak and regeneration. On top of the album’s strong harmonic cohesion, Uchis develops a multifaceted outlook with nuances in lyrics and production. Just three tracks after “Endlessly,” Uchis mourns an ex with “Blue,”

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SMOKIE PLAYLIST: a sorrowful take on her now splintering relationship. Frequent harmonic modulations parallel Uchis’ uncertainty as she contends with the possibility of a breakup, and a saxophone solo simulates her moody inner dialogue. Similarly, “Como Te Quiero Yo” opens with eerie Psycho-like strings as Uchis reaches out to her former lover, resolving into a soothing major chord when she asks to bridge their quarrel. In the moststreamed track of the album, “I Wish you Roses,” Uchis speaks to universal rejection as she grapples with the pain of breaking o a relationship. Rather than hold onto bitterness and resentment, Uchis releases with love — she wishes someone no longer in her life “roses and roses and roses and roses.

Despite Uchis’ wide range of themes, the album’s mellow tone can come o as repetitive. In “Moonlight,” she sings the same few verses six times, and in “Deserve Me (with

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Summer Walker),” her relaxed R&B feels at odds with the song’s vengeful lyrics. However, Uchis’ collaborations with Omar Apollo, Don Toliver, and Summer Walker tend to make up for the album’s sonic conformity, as each artist brings a distinctive spin to their featured tracks. For example, in “Deserve Me (with Summer Walker),” Walker’s pulsing chord undertones bring needed rhythmic variety, and Don Toliver’s rich tenor provides a refreshing contrast to Uchis’ higher register in “Fantasy (feat. Don Toliver).”

Red Moon In Venus channels Uchis’ classic laid-back con dence as she navigates a love life riddled with obstacles. No matter what comes in her way, Uchis knows she holds the power to craft a ful lling relationship; in the end, she’ll be the one to “take the stars out the sky / Make them all align just for us.”

Grade: A-

March 2023 MSJ Faves

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