Angels, Pablo Escobar, and Wet Kisses: 'To Feel Alive' EP Review
Kali Uchis is undoubtedly one of the most influential alternative pop girls of the last decade. Although she released her first EP Drunken Babble in 2012, it was not until 2015 that Uchis would start to gain traction. That year, Kali Uchis dropped her seminal project Por Vida. This second EP launched the Colombian-American artist into stardom as she captivated young audiences with her dreamy vocals, romantic lyrics, and nostalgic instrumentals. Much like Lana Del Ray, Kali Uchis was able to cultivate her image through the modernization of the vintage aesthetic. Her conceptualization of the “contemporary 70s babe” made Uchis a popular figure on the once popular blogging website Tumblr. An avid user of the platform in late middle and early high school, I can credit Tumblr to putting me on to Kali Uchis right as her career was truly getting started. Since Por Vida, Kali Uchis has gone on to collaborate with heavy hitters in the rap, R&B, funk, and electronic scenes such as Tyler the Creator, Daniel Casear, Steve Lacy, Vince Staples, Gorillaz, and Bootsy Collins. In 2018 Kali Uchis released her first studio album Isolation to critical acclaim.
Two years later, Kali Uchis posted on her Instagram that she planned to release a new album this year but is waiting until a later date to drop it. In the meantime she wanted to “give her babies Something.” That something was To Feel Alive, a four song EP Uchis says was recorded in her room alone a week prior to its release. In the same post she writes, “nobody needs to listen to it, & i dont want ANYONE to buy it.” Nearly a week later, Kali Uchis officially released To Feel Alive on multiple streaming platforms. The cover art, painted by Instagram user oh_de_laval, features two versions of Uchis eating each other out. On the left is the blonde “Por Vida era” singer on her back with her legs spread. On the right is the black haired “Isolation era” Kali Uchis laying on her stomach eating the pussy of her gal pal. As provocative as this image is, it is actually an accurate representation of the sound the project encompasses. The first two tracks, “honey baby (SPOILED!)” and “angel” are reworks of unreleased songs by Uchis from 2013. The last two tracks, “i want war (BUT I NEED PEACE)” and “TO FEEL ALIVE” are new and take on a more rhythmic and self reflective vibe, something Uchis embraced on Isolation. Sweet, sticky, and endearing, To Feel Alive is a collection of tracks truly meant to satisfy the dedicated Kali Uchis fan. If you are able to immerse yourself within Uchis’ alluring and fantastical world despite a few over exaggerated vocals here and cliche lyrics there, To Feel Alive is the project for you. In this regard, I can say that To Feel Alive is the project for me.
Artwork by oh_de_laval
To Feel Alive opens with the track “honey baby (SPOILED!).” Originally released in 2013 under the title “honey baby,” Uchis adapted the song to be more soft, endearing, and lovely than before. She subs out the booming bass in the first version for bright and airy chimes coupled with chirping birds. Uchis subbed out her rap verses for vocal riffs and ad libs to add a pillowy layer to the song. She changed the concept of “honey baby” entirely, flipping the song from a smooth domineering bad bitch anthem to a dewy love ballad. The instrumental and lyrics are as sappy as can be in the cutest way possible. If there is something Kali Uchis knows how to do well, it is to musically synthesize the essence of romance and give her listeners the warm feeling that comes with being deeply attracted to someone. At certain points on “honey baby (SPOILED)” however, Uchis’ vocal performance falls flat as she moves through keys awkwardly in the first third of the song. She does eventually find her footing, and when she does I am able to give myself more to the music and begin the journey Uchis wants to take me on.
After “honey baby (SPOILED)” is another track adapted from several years prior. Uchis takes the song “Pablo Escobar” and rerecords it with altered vocals and lyrics. Now under the name “angel,” the track maintains its original instrumental, unlike “honey baby (SPOILED).” The psychedelic feel of the original “angel” is a perfect addition to To Feel Alive, further propelling the project into the realm of mysticism and allure. On the new version, Uchis drops the pitch of her voice to be more natural and relaxed. This a welcomed alternation as Uchis’ vocals were high pitched and nasally in the original. She also replaces the second verse in “Pablo Escobar” with an intoxicating bridge in “angel.” The repetition of “How do I feel for you? High, High High High/ How does it feel for you? High, High, High High” is trance inducing. With Kali Uchis working from an already great track, there was little she had to do to make it much better. Yet she was able to elevate the song beyond what I could have imagined when first heard it as a young teenager. Just like me, “angel” has grown up and it is a more developed and mature version of its prior self.
Kali Uchis in the official lyric video for “i want war (BUT I NEED PEACE)”
Next, Uchis features a new track entitled “i want war (BUT I NEED PEACE).” Slower in rhythm and somber in tone, the song sees Uchis in a more grounded place as she grapples with a dysfunctional relationship. He takes and she gives; and she is fed up with it. “I want war (BUT I NEED PEACE)” builds on itself sonically. The song opens simply with piano and Uchis’ voice. Halfway through the verse, the drum machine kicks in and her harmonies begin to play a more prominent part in the soundscape of the track. The narrative of the track transforms from forlorn to “fuck you” as Uchis is able to both lament the loss of what could have been a strong relationship and celebrate the personal growth that came from the experience. Not only did she ultimately find peace, she found a man who not “treats her better than he did,” he also “gets her pussy wetter.” What more can anyone ask for?
To Feel Alive closes with the title track. Just barely skirting the edges of acapella, “TO FEEL ALIVE” is faintly reminiscent of the opening track to Por Vida, “Sycamore Tree.” However, these tracks could not be more different. Accompanied only by an upright bass, Uchis uses the bareness of the instrumental as the canvas to display her emotional turmoil. The song has a stream of consciousness type of flow with Uchis exploring failed relationships, her view of herself as an “outsider,” and her tendency to love despite all odds, perhaps even to her own detriment. Overall, “TO FEEL ALIVE” is soothing and reflective despite it dragging itself out a bit in the last third of the track. With the addition of this song, Kali Uchis ends her EP on an unresolved but not unsatisfactory note. What will it take for Uchis to feel alive? How does she feel about herself now? Has she been able to resolve these issues she feels within herself? Perhaps these questions will be answered with the release of her full length album.
Kali Uchis set out to “give her babies Something” and she delivered. To Feel Alive embraces where Uchis has been and where she is going. She rewards dedicated fans with official releases of the tracks they have loved on Soundcloud and Youtube for years while also providing new songs for them to enjoy until her big release is ready. Until then, I, like many others, will be waiting eagerly to see what Kali Uchis has up her pink glittery satin sleeve next.
Listen to To Feel Alive here:
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