In 2015, Kali Uchis released her debut EP Por Vida. The nine tracks featured producer credits from two legends in R&B: Tyler, the Creator and Kaytranada, both of whom managed to capture a nostalgia for a time and place I’ve never experienced. With Kali’s pillowy voice, listening to the EP is sure to place any listener into a dreamlike serenity. Kali has stated that Por Vida is an autobiographical work stemming from a past relationship. With no reference for the following other than the lyrics themselves, I hope to do justice in translating the story Kali has managed to convey to me. 

My first exposure was to the opening track, “Sycamore Tree,” which was featured in a trailer for Season 6 of American Horror Story. Coupled with my anecdote and the song’s a cappella version, “Sycamore Tree” always felt like the eerie, standalone song that served as a hook to capture the audience's attention. 

“Sycamore Tree” opens with the repeated chorus, “What you want me for?” Perhaps Kali Uchis feels insecure when dealing with a crush. “Why would you want me?” Then, her crush woos her with the romantic cliché, “I’ve never met a girl like you,” without explicitly reciprocating the attraction. The chorus is repeated after he asks for a compromise. Although still saying “What you want me for?”, it sounds like Kali is confused by the mixed signals she is being sent. It sounds more like “What are your intentions with me?” 

With the next track, “Call Me,” Tyler, the Creator’s influence on the project is evident. Kali Uchis frames herself as a fleeting beauty, warning her suitor that she won’t be available forever. This is when her fantasies begin, as she envisions an escape with her suitor. From this point, her dreams blur the lines of reality, and she falls in love with the figment of a person. 

The third track, “Melting,” is sung by a narrator who finds herself in a crush, better classified as an infatuation. It explores a liking that takes a turn into obsession and devotion. She expresses her admiration through childlike metaphors that represent an immature conception of love, which is mimicked in the physical leaflets that come with the album; lyrics are handwritten in sparkly pen on ruled paper. That being said, I experienced limerence far too often, and I have the feeling Kali does too.

This relationship had Kali acting with a naive perception of love. The fourth track, “Lottery,” is a plea to put her current issues to bed in order to continue her relationship with her lover. Rather than confronting and healing from the spat, it is being shoved under the rug. These unhealthy habits are hinted at with the pleasures and pains of gambling, as the title suggests. 

In the fifth track, Kali has managed to admit the effects unrequited love has had on her. She is looking forward to new opportunities, whether that be in her romantic life or just focusing on herself. She sings, “One door opens as the other door closes,” but she has trouble leaving him for good. The key to the door is useless; she is left to return to her old habits, but she validates her actions as the title, “I Know What I Want,” suggests. She won’t get hurt this time because she won’t get emotionally attached. Kali still has so much to learn. 

The music video for the sixth track, “Rush,” is one of the last remaining artifacts of this artistic era. The frames are edited with color palettes of pastels, which underscore these skating Barbie-esque figures with a blonde Latina leader. It’s the only song that contains Spanish. I understood the song as representing the high brought on by her unhealthy love addiction, as the title indicates. We see the same patterns unfold as she describes her relationship in unstable, drug-like terms such as “time stands still” and “nothing is real.” 

In the seventh track, Kali Uchis finds herself free from the vicious cycle of this unhealthy attachment style. We know she’s healed because she doesn’t need closure to know he didn’t like her back. She has come to terms with this on her own. Also, guys are all the same, and they make it really obvious when they’re into you. If you find yourself on the fence right now over some boy, odds are, if the feeling were reciprocated, you wouldn’t have to question it. Nobody belongs in a relationship where their love isn’t returned equally. “Riding Around” is the anthem for being single in an EP centered around love. 

The intro to the eighth track, “Speed,” has such a unique and satisfying sound that it has become my favorite from the project. Kali Uchis finds herself with a new love interest or an evolved version of the person she used to know. She explains that relationships need time in order to truly blossom into something beautiful. She says, “You better hit your brakes before you crash, boy,” with the crash indicative of the end of their romantic endeavor. She has insecurities about him leaving and thus repeating the cycle, while still holding hope that he is “the one.” After getting a taste, she is sent into a frenzy and wants him to speed through in order for her to obtain the high that the love addiction causes. 

In the final track, “Loner,” Kali shares how sadly her fears were confirmed. She refers to inanimate objects she doesn’t want to be seen as, hinting that she doesn’t want to be objectified. Her lover most likely disappointed her with an attraction that was superficial. He never had any intention of getting to know Kali. She is left hurt and wants to retreat to her hermit habits. She is left scarred from this relationship. 

Overall, the album gives me pride for the Latin influence that persists in R&B and soul. Every song felt purposeful, both in its conceptual storytelling and sound design. Without a doubt, Kali has been influenced by Latino romance. These pressures are echoed within Spanish soap operas, media, and most importantly, within Por Vida. 

Por Vida translates to “for life” in Spanish, possibly an allusion to her dreams of finding the one to spend the rest of her life with. Funnily enough, Kali Uchis has abandoned the aesthetic of the music persona that existed during Por Vida’s initial release. She’s changed album covers, deleted music videos, and altered her overall look. Still, Por Vida serves as a testament to the “Telepatía” singer’s artistry early in her career. 

Even if you know all of Kali’s deep cuts or just her most viral songs, check out these playlists of what I consider to be her essentials for both Apple Music and Spotify. 

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/kali-uchis/pl.u-mJy88RrTNbpNMk8 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/31cu6zgx4LryDSQcDgDB9k?si=RTpTPTrmSwqt NJBb0vUEnA&pi=u-GHTyk0_JRa2D

Photo Credits:

"Kali, UMusic, 2017" by Alice.Umusic is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/?ref=openverse.