From living in her car to soaring on the charts, Colombian-American artist Kali Uchis is building her seat at the table and earning No.1’s now with a baby on her hip.
Karly Marina Loaiza, professionally known as Kali Uchis, has racked up several accomplishments, including becoming a mother.
The Colombian-American artist was born in Virginia and spent her early years traveling between the States and her father’s hometown of Pereira, Colombia. Spending the summers with her father and extended family, she soaked up both the American and Colombian cultures.
Uchis’s father worked as a handyman for an apartment complex. Often, ex-tents would leave CDs. In a 2018 BBC interview, she recalls that when he brought her CDs, her collection grew completely at random. Uchis pulled a lot of inspiration from them, as she is known for bending genres and mixing their elements to suit her sound.
At the age of 17, Uchis had repeatedly broken curfew, resulting in getting thrown out of her parents’ home. She spent months living out of a car and sometimes staying with friends.
Uchis began her rebellious streak two years before, often skipping class to make short films, working on music, and writing poetry. She took up a job at the local grocery store to have some money to her name.
In 2012, Uchis released her first mixtape, Drunken Babble, on DatPiff, an online mixtape distribution website. Two years later, she took it down, but the copies had already been made, and fans uploaded the mixtape to YouTube. Uchis doesn’t believe this to be her introduction to the industry. However, bigger artists started taking notice of her potential.
Snoop Dogg featured Uchis in the track “On Edge” from his 2014 mixtape, That’s My Work 3.
The singer-songwriter released her official debut EP, Por Vida, in 2015. This self-released EP was available on all streaming platforms, gaining a large audience. She set herself apart from the trending music, giving the audience a new production path of music.
Tyler, The Creator, a rapper known for genre-boundless music, gave Uchis a stepping stone into the industry. His 2017 album Flower Boy featured Uchis in the track “See You Again.” Since its release, the track has gained over 1.8 billion streams.
Uchis had a standout year in 2018. She toured with Lana Del Rey on her “LA to the Moon Tour” for the album Lust for Life. During her opening performance, the audience was able to hear songs from Por Vida along with new songs. This tour gave Uchis a new level of exposure, being the only opening act in most of the North American leg of the tour.
Touring with Lana Del Rey from mid-January to mid-February, after gaining new listeners Uchis was ready to release her debut album and signed with EMI Records.
The album Isolation gave off a gravitational pull of new fans of all different genres. In April 2018, Uchis released her anticipated debut album featuring Steve Lacy, Jorja Smith, and Tyler, The Creator. Rolling Stone Magazine, “Kali Uchis’ ‘Isolation’ Proves She’s an Exciting Young Talent,” the album peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200.
Isolation is classic Kali, dreamy and wrapped in a luscious light. The 15-track record is buttery with charming vocals singing lyrics with bite. Uchis doesn’t shy away from her roots, incorporating her Colombian influence in “Nuestro Planeta.” The track “Dead To Me” recently went viral on the app TikTok.
Many artists wanted to help produce this record, one being the multi-instrumentalist of Australia, Kevin Parker, professionally known as Tame Impala. Parker brought his psychedelic strength to shift the tones throughout the album, especially in the track “Tomorrow.”
The major hit to come out of Isolation was Tyler, The Creator and Boosty Collins’s featured track, “After The Storm.” Uchis layers her vocals like thin silk linens. Uchis plays with R&B, Pop, and Bossa Nova elements throughout her debut.
Uchis made her Coachella Music Festival debut in April 2018.
The “In Your Dreams” North American tour consisted of 23 dates, starting in Seattle on Sep. 13 through Nov. 10 and ending in Los Angeles.
In June 2019, Uchis collaborated with the R&B group Free Nationals and the rapper Mac Miller on the single “Time.” Miller initially recorded his verse in May 2018 before passing away the following September. This single was Miller’s first posthumous music and gained attention.
Six months later, in December, Uchis worked with Kaytranada for the single “10%”. This groovy project won a Grammy in the Best Dance Recording category.
The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t slow down the artist. In April of 2020, she released a four-track EP, TO FEEL ALIVE. These few tracks focused on a more pop sound.
To stay busy, Uchis was mixing her second album. In November, Uchis struck the world with Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), changing the playing field again with her first Spanish-language album. Heavier on the beats in this Spanish album, Uchis was able to keep her English speakers at her command with her vocals and confidence brought with the record.
American rapper Rico Nasty and PARTYNEXTDOOR are featured artists on the album. The album was well received by the public and released under Interscope Records.
Additionally, Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) was nominated for Best Música Urbana Album at the 64th annual Grammys.
Uchis began dating Rapper Don Toliver in 2021. Uchis appeared in his music videos for the tracks “What You Need” and her featured track “Drugs N Hella Melodies”, which were both shot in Colombia.
Tyler, The Creator, went to tour his album, Call Me If You Get Lost, in 2022. Kali Uchis was the second main act, followed by rapper Vince Staples and Tezzo Touchdown. Uchis managed to stay active by releasing new singles throughout the year.
Uchis returned in 2023 with another English-language album, Red Moon In Venus. By now, the audience knows what to expect from Uchis, but her effortlessly smooth vocals and wavy funk production are well worth the indulgence. The album peaked at number 4 on Billboard 200.
She took over Cochella’s main stage in April 2023; the singer was accompanied by various artists on stage to perform their duets.
Tyler, The Creator, was welcomed on stage to perform “See You Again,” and Omar Apollo sang their track off Red Moon in Venus, “Worth the Weight.” Uchis’s partner performed their song “Fantasy.”
Uchis stayed busy with the “Red Moon in Venus Tour” throughout 2023. The tour ran right after her Coachella performance in April, continuing through the end of May. The popularity of the singer’s performance encouraged a second leg of the tour.
“Red Moon in Venus Tour pt. II” was an additional six shows. Sprinkled around California, with one each in Las Vegas and El Paso. The tour wrapped up in early October.
Not missing a beat, on Oct. 11, Uchis took to Instagram to announce her next album, ORQUÍDEAS, meaning orchids. This album would be the artist’s second Spanish-language album, set for a release date in January 2024.
However, Uchis had a surprise single with popular Colombian artist Karol G. The single was released on Nov. 23 and was the first single off ORQUÍDEAS. These women make major news in the Spanish music scene; Karol G has earned eight No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Latin Song list.
The 30-year-old singer shocked everyone on Jan. 11. Uchis posted a video on Instagram announcing her pregnancy with her boyfriend of four years, American rapper Don Toliver.
The next day, on Jan. 12, ORQUÍDEAS was released, and a list of achievements followed as the record soared on the charts. The record debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums.
Luminate, the main source of data referring to sales of physical media products, announced that ORQUÍDEAS had sold over 31,000 copies in its first week. According to Luminate, this record marked the largest week for a Spanish-language album on vinyl since Luminate began tracking in 1991.
“Kali Uchis Blooms Brighter Than Ever on ‘ORQUÍDEAS’”
Rolling Stone Magazine
“On ‘ORQUÍDEAS’, Kali Uchis Gets All She Wants”
The New York Times
A few weeks after these achievements, on Mar. 11, the couple announced the birth of their baby boy in a joint Instagram post. Since then, Uchis has been enjoying new motherhood and hasn’t been as active on Instagram.
