Kali Uchis’ ‘Red Moon in Venus’ Reawakens the Divine Feminine
“Red Moon in Venus” (Courtesy of Geffen Records)
March 16, 2023
Kali Uchis’ third and latest studio album “Red Moon in Venus” has received rave reviews since its release on March 3.
‘Yeah … Everybody Hates Me’
Though Kali Uchis has been successful for quite a while, gaining immense popularity from her features on Tyler, the Creator songs such as “See You Again” and “PERFECT,” she has only gotten better and received more recognition since then. Her song “telepatía” from her 2020 album “Sin Miedo” went viral on TikTok, bringing her unique and sultry sound to a much wider audience.
“Red Moon in Venus” feels very much like a culmination of her discography so far, mixing the Latin feel of “Sin Miedo” and the R&B of her 2018 album “Isolation” with her American Horror Story, bedroom pop, “Por Vida” era. There is incredible synergy between each of her albums and EPs, but her music becomes markedly improved with each release. You can tell an Uchis song is an Uchis song, but that’s part of what makes her so consistently enjoyable.
‘I Just Wanna Get High in The Moonlight’
Each song on “Red Moon in Venus” blends beautifully together. Unlike “Sin Miedo,” most of the songs are in English, though the Latin influence remains. With lyrics ranging from sultry to explicitly sexual but never lewd (except, perhaps, briefly in “Hasta Cuando”), songs like “Moonlight” and “Love Between …” remind us why Uchis is the queen of divine feminine sensuality. As she said herself in a statement about the album’s title, “Red Moon in Venus is a timeless, burning expression of desire, heartbreak, faith, and honesty, reflecting the divine femininity of the moon and Venus.”
I’d say “Red Moon in Venus” is best listened to during a late-night drive with close friends, windows down in weather that is just barely turning warm. I think of Kali Uchis as summertime music — her fun lyrics and serene aura make me want to sit out in the warm, early summer moonlight. This album could not have come out at a better time when everyone is sick of the snow (and school) and ready to get outside and dance with friends and lovers.
I’ve had the two singles, “I Wish you Roses” and “Moonlight,” on repeat since she released them in January and February, respectively. But many of the other tracks on the album, such as “Moral Conscience” and “Deserve Me” (featuring Summer Walker), stick out as some of the greatest songs in her entire repertoire.
‘I Wish You Roses’
“Red Moon in Venus” made me nostalgic for 2017 and how simple life felt back then, listening to “Flower Boy” and Uchis’ old EPs, feeling like I had discovered the greatest artist of our generation and none of my friends had ever heard of her (I’ll admit I was a bit stuck up about being an OG Uchis fan when “telepatía” blew up). I remember bawling my eyes out when my mom wouldn’t let me see her live for $25 in 2019. Now, the Red Moon in Venus Tour is selling out quickly with scalped tickets selling for hundreds of dollars.
Uchis has worked hard to establish herself as a major player both in the American and Latin music scene, and with the quality of music seen in this latest masterpiece, she’s only going up from here.
