Kali Uchis is back and better than ever with her third studio album 

. Sticking to her signature ethereal, yet soulful sound, she doesn’t disappoint. The Colombian-American artist known for her genre-bending tracks and multicultural influence focuses on the intricacies of love. While discussing femininity and romance throughout this project, Uchis gracefully bends through these themes both in English and Spanish. “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,” explained Uchis in her newsletter.

The album felt very cohesive thematically and sonically – most of the tracks fade into one another for seamless transitions. This record best fits in the R&B category, considering her style and features with other artists in this category like Summer Walker, Omar Apollo, and her current boyfriend Don Toliver. However, there is clearly a Latin pop influence as well.

 tells the story of Kali Uchis getting over a relationship and finding new love. There are a lot of internal thoughts from Uchis throughout this record as she contemplates ending a relationship in her song “Blue” and eventually vocalizes that she gets over this fear in “Deserve Me.”

Her singles “I Wish You Roses” and “Moonlight,” released in January and February respectively, were interesting choices to present as snippets of the album being that their meanings oppose each other. Despite both being positive outlooks on love, “I Wish You Roses” focuses on letting go of a relationship “Moonlight” while the other describes the highs of beginning a new relationship. The placement of these songs is worth noting – they are opposite ends of the album yet parallel each other.

Kali Uchis’s vocals on this project feel lush as some parts of the album feature natural elements like birds chirping and rushing water. Many of the songs also have imagery that pertains to flowers and gardens. Her messages are authentic, almost as if she is advising us on how to maintain a healthy and successful relationship. At the beginning of her song “Moral Conscience,” Uchis says, “One thing about karma, that bitch will find you.” This track is the realization that Kali’s ex-lover has made a mistake by breaking up with her and knows that karma will come back to haunt him.

Though most of the album sonically aligns with the rest of Kali Uchis’ discography, the final track “Happy Now” feels slightly out of place. “Happy Now” begins with an upbeat drum and piano riff, which sounds most similar to a bedroom indie pop song from the late 2010s. The piece shifts halfway through to a slower, more serene melody. The track is the perfect ending for the project though because it closes out the narrative of the album. During the song’s transition, Kali speaks about wanting to remember the good of a relationship and not to go too fast, serving as a good reminder for anyone entering a new partnership.

The project itself is an impressive piece of work, considering that Kali plans on releasing another album this year and that she has branched out more in terms of her vocal delivery. We can only hope that this run of quality releases continues.

Kali Uchis teaches us how to love on 'Red Moon in Venus'

Almost three years following her second studio album, 

Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞

, Kali Uchis is back again with some new music. Though she has released some singles prior to her album’s rollout like “Desafinado” for the movie 

 and “No Hay Ley” in September, Kali is finally releasing a full project of her own.

The lead single, “I Wish You Roses,” is the introduction to her new album 

, set to release on March 3. Already, it has fans captivated by her artistry, showcasing a venture into R&B. This seductive track details Uchis expressing the idea that she is leaving someone, but on good terms.

“This song is about being able to release people with love. It could be a friend, a lover, or someone else, but the point is to celebrate releasing people from your life without being resentful or bitter,” said Uchis in a 

. This theme is beautifully demonstrated throughout the song, using the symbolism of flowers and natural elements. For example, she compares herself to a “rose in a garden of weeds” and saying that her love for her person is “as deep as the ocean.” She wishes that this person (whoever it may be) is well and has no intentions of harming them in the future.

As letting someone go is a natural event, the comparisons to nature are cleverly incorporated into the song’s meaning. Though a relationship has ended, Uchis in her lyrics shows that there still is love for this person.

Kali Uchis also showcases her ability to switch between multiple genres of music. The beat throughout the entire song is steady and relaxing, but slows down at the end to create an angelic feeling from the ethereal vocals all around.

Even though “I Wish You Roses” is the only content we have of Kali Uchis’s new musical era, it’s a promising representation of how her sound is evolving with everything she releases.

Kali Uchis wishes you roses

Japanese singer-songwriter Joji (also known as Pink Guy, Filthy Frank, or just George Miller) released his third studio album 

). Though similar to the rest of his Joji-era discography, 

 has the specific vibe of a late-night breakup conversation. This album tackles themes of heartbreak and healing in a graceful way that makes listeners feel like they are experiencing the situation alongside him.

The singles released prior to the album, “Glimpse of Us” and “YUKON (INTERLUDE),” clearly set the tone for the rest of 

. The album is split into two parts: the first consists of somber ballads, and the second of experimental lofi beats.

The album begins with “Glimpse of Us,” a fan favorite when it debuted this summer. The track discusses a past relationship Joji had that he’s not fully over because of memories that continuously resurface in his head. The solo piano instrumental combined with his haunting vocals drive home the sad, hopeful thoughts playing through Joji’s head. The piano is thunderous during the chorus, but steadier when traversing through the two verses.

Other notable ballads in the first portion of the album include “Die For You” and “Dissolve.” The two songs share similar sentiments of holding onto a past relationship and the desire to reconcile it. Like the title suggests, Joji is willing to die for his former lover because he still has feelings for them. He feels that the relationship has felt “almost like we left it all on read” – the breakup has been acknowledged but not fully discussed. This irresolution has caused more heartbreak for Joji and has made it harder for him to move on.

“Dissolve” by far has the most interesting combination of instrumentation and vocals, as it utilizes heavy autotune but is accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Despite the track sounding slightly more upbeat than the rest of the album, the lyrics juxtapose this feeling, since he doesn’t want his memory of a happy relationship to dissolve.

As we reach the second portion of the album, the vibe changes almost completely. The tracks have a heavier electronic, hip-hop, and trap influence, as opposed to the bedroom pop genre that Joji is known for. This is distinctly heard in the sixth song “NIGHT RIDER,” which includes trap synths and meaty drum kicks. The beat of this song is super catchy, and on the groovier side compared to the rest of the album.

 also displays Joji acknowledging that his relationship is over though he does not want it to be. This is very apparent in the final track “1 AM FREESTYLE,” where he explicitly says in the refrain “and I’m tired of this madness, tired of being stranded, I don’t wanna be alone.” Though 

 is very reminiscent of Joji’s past albums 

, this album is a good addition to his discography. It showcased his vocal talent and his versatility across multiple genres. Not every track is a standout, but Joji definitely showed his dedication to being experimental.

Olivia Mintz