Kali Uchis
Red Moon in Venus
GEFFEN
Kali Uchis presents a timeless, genre-bending sound on her newest album, Red Moon in Venus. The neo-soul artist’s third LP provides a range of emotions that anyone can relate to, as she explores a variety of themes surrounding love: lust, heartbreak, jealousy, passion, and, ultimately, getting over it all—or at least pretending that you are.
She starts with the feeling of letting go of the relationship in a healthy way with her single “I Wish You Roses,” but then she immediately backtracks to being in the relationship with her Omar Apollo collaboration “Worth the Wait.” In “All Mine,” she exhibits a possessiveness over her partner before album highlight “Fantasy” arrives, feeling like the climax to the relationship—passionate, fun, and full of love.
Meanwhile, in “Hasta Cuando,” it feels like Uchis has had time away from the relationship and has grown from it, but maybe there’s still some bitterness: “Paint me as the villain if that makes you feel better,” she sings. This powerful line exhibits the point in her healing journey of being confident in herself and not worrying about what others think of her. Her song with Summer Walker, “Deserve Me,” has a similar energy in that both vocalists seem to be taking their power back after heartbreak.
Uchis brings in a variety of features on the album that really accentuate the piece. Each guest adds something valuable to the song: Omar Apollo’s flare on “Worth the Wait” gives a great taste of who he is as an artist while seamlessly blending with Uchis’ unique sound, while Don Toliver’s low baritone creates a flow that juxtaposes with Uchis’ angelic melodies to create depth to the song. Walker and Uchis, on the other hand, together ooze raw femininity in all of its glory and power. This duo really complements each other with their harmonies in addition to the fact that they both have a passionate story to tell.
On Red Moon in Venus, Kali Uchis plays with themes of love and heartache that aren’t necessarily new, but she makes them feel new by stringing them altogether in a non-chronological way. It makes for a relatable whole, as most listeners are likely experiencing one of those feelings, even if not in a romantic sense. In another way, it captures what healing looks like for so many people—both the ups and downs. One day you’ll be feeling like your best self, and then the next you’re more broken than ever. Healing isn’t linear and neither is Red Moon in Venus, which makes it feel all the more human.
