R&B/Soul artist Kali Uchis thrives at shifting between singing in English and Spanish,  which is evident in her three award wins and nominations. 

After dropping her first Spanish album, “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞,” in 2020, she returned to her soul roots and released her third album, “Red Moon In Venus,” on March 3. Although I became a fan of hers in early 2020, I anxiously awaited the album and realized it’d been nearly five years since she dropped her first English album, “Isolation,” in 2018, and since then, her success has increased. 

Since touring with Tyler, the Creator for the “Call Me When You Get Lost” tour in late 2021, Uchis has teased snippets of songs that eventually made their way into the album.

In her newsletter, Uchis wrote about the album, “Love is the message. Red Moon in Venus is a timeless, burning expression of desire, heartbreak, faith, and honesty, reflecting the divine femininity of the moon and Venus … and that’s what I felt represented this body of work best.” 

The album starts with “in My Garden …” a 25-second intro that captures nature and Uchis’ soft voice through the phone. 

Her leading single, “I Wish you Roses,” is a delicate soul piece in which Uchis tells us to remember memories as good times and wish the best for a former partner. This song can touch on a spiritual vibe, as Uchis focuses on maturity. Listening to this song made me nostalgic and think of how it has the same soul sound as her first EP, “Por Vida.” 

My favorite tracks off the album are “Fantasy,” “Deserve Me” and “Love Between.”

“Fantasy,” featuring Uchis boyfriend, rapper Don Toliver, touches on their relationship and how Uchis gets the princess treatment. This is an enjoyable song to dance and sing to as it showcases a new sound Uchis has never made before.

“Deserve Me,” which features R&B singer Summer Walker, has “out of sight, out of mind” written all over it. Both songs resemble Uchis’s sleeper hit “Dead to Me” from her album  “Isolation”. I think everyone can relate to the song at some point, whether in a friendship or a relationship; if that person isn’t giving you the same energy as you are, then they aren’t worth it. 

“Love Between…” is a slowed-tempo jazz smooth song that explains how one feels in a relationship. It took me a while to like the song because I’m more into songs with a fast tempo beat, but it’s a good song to play when you want to vibe.

Although love seems to be a theme, Uchis highlights that not every relationship is perfect in the soft, elegant song of “Como Te Quiero Yo.”

Similarly, “Endlessly” is a positive power anthem for relationships that put in the time and energy to make things work.

“Worth the Wait,” featuring indie singer/songwriter Omar Apollo, discusses doing sexual things with her partner. Although she’s down, she wants to let her partner know she isn’t a toy and wants real love and affection. Though the song has a good message, it’s not one that I put on repeat. 

“All Mine,” an R&B incorporated track, speaks on Uchis’ thoughts as the pain caused by her former lover does not faze her anymore. She is strong, mature and will not let anyone take away what she wants. 

“Hasta Cuando” is an upbeat slow song about how Uchis doesn’t care about her former lover since all he can do is lie about her and be obsessed. 

The breakup anthem of “Moral Conscience” leans on the spiritual side as karma comes to those who broke you. Uchis’ former lover has karma like her, and she grows as she realizes she needs to stop blaming herself for his mistakes, which anyone in a relationship can relate to. 

“Not Too Late” is a short interlude that dives into the album’s other side: resilience. I thought there could have been an interlude chosen just cause it doesn’t sound like Uchis or one I would play. 

Uchis covers heartbreak on “Blue” and how it feels like to be drowning in your sorrows. Anyone in a relationship can relate to the feeling and how it’s hard to get out those bad thoughts.

Her second single, “Moonlight,” received widespread acclaim on the social media app TikTok because of the “Kali Uchis effect,” in which people shared how they looked before and after listening to Uchis. The song is also used because of its spiritual vibes toward life. 

The final track, “Happy Now,” is the perfect way to end the track as it wraps up the heartbreak and concludes with finally finding a sense of happiness with her significant other who will treat her right. 

Analyzing each song’s lyrics and listening to the album in order made me understand the messages told through Uchis’ perspective. With most of my favorite songs coming from the album, Red Moon in Venus captures growth in 15 tracks and acknowledges Uchis’ growth as an artist. 

The next time you want to be uplifted or are in a bummy mood, have a listen to “Red Moon in Venus.”