Reviews

Kali Uchis “Red Moon In Venus” Album Review

Red Moon In Venus

Kali Uchis

  • Genre: R&B/Soul
  • Date: 03 Mar, 2023
  • Content: explicit
  • Region: NGA
  • Track(s): 15
  • ℗ 2023 Geffen Records

Kali Uchis’ “Red Moon in Venus,” the most recent in a series of albums addressing love in all its manifestations, does a fantastic job of conveying emotion through music and production in addition to the Colombian-American’s raspy voice. The album does much more than just set the mood; it is a mood in itself. It is packed with tingling, woozy synths with tones that shift lower and lower, melodic bass, and sharp electronic percussion.

Album Cover Art

Kali Uchis &Quot;Red Moon In Venus&Quot; Album Review, Yours Truly, Reviews, March 28, 2024

Kali looks hella dreamy on the album cover for her new project. Her fingers are adorned with moderately long, fancy nails, and with her index finger, she makes to hold up her chin as she poses for the shot. However, the main attraction is not just her nails and how they interact with her glowing skin, it is in her gorgeous makeup and the colorful congregation of butterflies working their magic on her hair.

Tracks and Features

Uchis’ third album sets us off in the gauzy filtered atmosphere of “I Wish You Roses” after a brief scene-setting opening filled with chirping crickets and birdsong. Her vocal performance on this song acts as an additional instrument over the already present tune. Even without regretting the time they spent together, she lets a lover go to find happiness elsewhere. Nevertheless, on the next song, “Worth the Wait,” Omar Apollo enters and sings the sentimental first lyric, “I wanna be around you every day.” Kali Uchis weaves her own rhymes around his to bring her attention back to her own desires.

The song feels like a continuation, opening a new door after letting one close, even if it differs from the previous one and is distinguished by flashing organ keys and a funky bass. The next song, “Love Between,” is a slow dance that continues long after everyone else has left. The beauty in this is the sincerity; there is no sarcasm or double entendres. Uchis claps back at everyone who believes they have a chance of taking her man on “All Mine” and revels in her success. Another standout in “Fantasy,” featuring rapper Don Toliver, comes after that. Toliver begins the song with a warbling croon over out-of-tune piano notes before Uchis joins in for the duet.

They play a couple who are trying to resolve a conflict and end the night together. Two Spanish-language ballads, “Como Te Quiero Yo” (How I Love You) and “Hasta Cuando” (Even When), each lasting two minutes, are found in the middle of the album. Both of these songs are about overcoming obstacles and difficulties from the past in order to find common ground. That shows a more seasoned form of love that isn’t emotionally unstable. The latter song is particularly catchy and quickens the tempo.

“Moral Conscious,” a spacey song where Kali Uchis sings of karma coming for someone who has transgressed, deviates into retribution territory before the record returns to candlelight zone on “Endlessly.” The album’s sonically stronger song, “Deserve Me,” featuring a thudding bass and hip-hop percussion, features Summer Walker as a guest.

Red Moon in Venus’ newest single, the seductive “Moonlight,” comes the closest to having a title track; it also serves as a prelude to the album’s finale, the joyful pop song “Happy Now.” Thematically, it shows Kali Uchis having found contentment—not just with those around her but also with herself. Sonically, it feels like a complete curveball to end an album.

Tracklist

NO

TITLE

ARTIST

TIME

1 in My Garden… Kali Uchis 0:25
2 I Wish you Roses Kali Uchis 3:39
3 Worth the Wait (feat. Omar Apollo) Kali Uchis 2:30
4 Love Between… Kali Uchis 2:35
5 All Mine Kali Uchis 3:29
6 Fantasy (feat. Don Toliver) Kali Uchis 2:58
7 Como Te Quiero Yo Kali Uchis 2:14
8 Hasta Cuando Kali Uchis 2:09
9 Endlessly Kali Uchis 2:35
10 Moral Conscience Kali Uchis 3:32
11 Not Too Late (interlude) Kali Uchis 2:35
12 Blue Kali Uchis 3:12
13 Deserve Me Kali Uchis & Summer Walker 4:25
14 Moonlight Kali Uchis 3:07
15 Happy Now Kali Uchis 3:49

Album Theme

This compilation of 15 songs—many of which are under three minutes long—has been described by the artist as an expression of desire, faith, heartbreak, and honesty. It’s not just romantic love, either. Uchis appears to understand that various forms of love, such as self-love, letting go of a relationship, and the love that stability gives, can all result in a higher level of contentment. The album’s name contributes to the message by evoking femininity with its depictions of Venus and the moon.

Production Credits

Producers on the album include: Aaron Paris, Albert Hype, Al Shux, benny blanco, Cashmere Cat, Chris LaRocca, Clairmont The Second, DJ Khalil, GRADES, Jahaan Sweet, J.LBS, Josh Crocker, Kali Uchis and many more.

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