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As I had previously mentioned in my Red Moon in Venus review (which you can read here), there was going to be two new albums from Colombian-American R&B and neo-soul singer-songwriter Kali Uchis this year, but I had no idea one of them would drop so soon after my review. Orquídeas (which means Orchids in English) is Kali’s fourth studio album, and her second primarily Spanish studio album.

At this point in her career, Kali has yet to make any kind of artistic misstep (at least in my eyes) critically-speaking, and Orquídeas solidifies Kali’s legacy so far as one of the most consistent artists in the game as well as achieving the famed four-album run, made all the more impressive by Kali’s willingness to experiment with her sound throughout her discography. For me though, Kali’s appeal has always stemmed from her vocal charisma and the hyper-feminine, otherworldly smooth quality of her voice, which is an immediate tone-setter for her works.

A large part of Kali’s success comes from her ability to play to her strengths, and Orquídeas is further evidence of this as Kali continues to deliver more heavenly vocals and nails down the otherworldly, sensual musical elements she displayed on in Red Moon in Venus, as well as a further influence on traditional latin music elements.

Right from the opener ¿Cómo Así?, which is a rhythmic, breezy track that embodies the watery, psychedelic aesthetic of the album cover, Orquídeas feels a lot lighter and fresher, fitting with the whole idea of fresh flowers, though on the overall it is still a continuation of what Kali was trying to achieve on Red Moon though perhaps with more collaborations sprinkled through the album. If Red Moon feels like being submerged in red wine, Orquídeas feels like being submerged in a floral spring strewn with petals.

However, even if you didn’t enjoy the sound of Red Moon, Orquídeas offers some more groovy, reggaeton or latin-pop focused tracks like Labios Mordidos” (with Karol G) and No Hay Ley Parte 2 (with Rauw Alejandro). Unfortunately, not all of the collaborations clicked with me, but I can see most other people enjoying these tracks.

I personally enjoyed Orquídeas the most when it leans more into traditional latin musical stylings, like the dramatic Te Mata and the more folksy Dame Beso/Muévete, and even when Kali tries out different vocal quirks and stylings, she never feel overly eager to please. But, even lighter, more commercial dance-pop focused tracks like Que Un Ángel (with Peso Pluma) and Pensamientos Intrusivos still delight with their catchiness and airy vocals.

There is always a personal difficulty with Spanish-speaking music, which is the fact that I know about 10 words in Spanish all pertaining to the first couple of words Duolingo teaches you in the Spanish course, so I really cannot comment on the songwriting, but it is a testament to Kali’s ability to deliver mood and charisma beyond the language barrier.

I would love to conclude this review by saying I’m looking forward to hearing more from Kali, but it looks like she recently announced a pregnancy, so naturally the music thing will probably put on pause for a bit. But if Kali does return to music soon, I do wonder if she will return to the more neo-R&B sound of her Isolation album. Anyhow, Orquídeas is another welcome addition to Kali’s discography, and congrats to her newfound motherhood.

Best Track(s): “Igual Que Un Ángel (with Peso Pluma)”, “Pensamientos Intrusivos”, “Te Mata”, “Dame Beso/Muévete”

Rating: 7.0/10