Geffen Records
For many ancient cultures, a red moon symbolised impending doom and danger, a mythology that still carries some weight in certain corners of the globe today. Venus, of course, represents beauty and love, a symbol of Roman power. Love is the pervading force of Kali Uchis’s new album, Red Moon in Venus, an overwhelming power that conquers the cosmos, and Uchis creates an album that is seemingly timeless. Celebrating love in all forms, desire, passion, and heartbreak, Uchis embraces the power of her femininity, sizzling with confidence.
Uchis truly announced herself on the global stage with 2018’s brilliant Isolation, a dreamy melting pot of R&B, neo-soul, funk, hip-hop, and reggaeton. A keen photographer and filmmaker at school, Uchis’s storytelling had a cinematic edge, lushly painting her personal narratives. 2020’s San Miedo saw her bring Latin music under the spotlight with enormous success; singing predominantly in Spanish, Uchis created a wonderful cultural crossover. She occasionally dips into Spanish on Red Moon in Venus, showing impressive dexterity, the passion she places in her words transcending linguistic boundaries.
Isolation saw Uchis surrounded by a myriad of guest stars, a veritable who’s who of talent, comprising the likes of Tyler the Creator, Jorja Smith, Steve Lacy, Thundercat, Bootsy Collins, and many more. Red Moon in Venus dials down the collaborations, though there are impressive turns from her boyfriend, Don Toliver, Omar Apollo, and Summer Walker. Fewer features allow Uchis to claim the spotlight in a captivating fashion, her smouldering voice simmering over the luscious production. Uchis described the album as like “laying in the sun listening on my headphones”, an apt description, as she transports you to a dreamy, sun-drenched meadow and showers you in blissful reverie.
In its many guises, love is the record’s central tenet, her goal to “make music that was geared towards love- real love”. The end of the statement is telling, Uchis was kicked out of her home at the age of seventeen, spending a period living out of a car. It’s a theme she briefly touches upon on ‘Worth the Wait’, as she craves a love that goes beyond physical attraction: “If your affection for me’s truly only skin-deep/I don’t wanna end up just another broken family”. She goes deeper on ‘Moral Conscience’, singing, “I guess I was just lookin’ for the love no one showed me in my childhood”. The painful admissions make the celebration of her new love even more powerful and endearing, her happiness and confidence a pleasure to behold.
The whole album flows seamlessly, Uchis dancing in the throes of new love, embracing her inner femme fatale, and casting aside past lovers. But Uchis isn’t bitter; the ethereal ‘I Wish You Roses’ sees her releasing a past lover, wishing them the best but warning them, “With pretty flowers can come the bee sting”. Uchis may not strike them down, but karma will. Control is a crucial aspect of the album, not in a domineering sense, but as a form of empowerment. ‘Worth the Wait’ has her revelling in sexual intimacy (“Deep in my knees I get weak”) but warning that she wants romance and someone who can match her love (“Gotta be careful with my heart because I love deep”).
Uchis then takes us on a sunny, celebratory trip, starting with ‘Love Between’; the song’s languid rhythm makes it feel like Uchis is desperate to savour every moment of her new feelings. ‘All Mine’ and ‘Fantasy’ see her embracing her femininity, revelling in her control, singing, “Every time I see you smile, that’s all me” on the former. The latter is a sensual dance anthem, Uchis joined by Don Toliver, playfully telling him, “Diamonds on my wrist that’s my love language”- she’s a queen and wants to be treated as such. The song ends abruptly, with Uchis saying, “Come on, baby, let’s go home”, demonstrating how their love goes beyond heat of the moment passion.
Uchis occasionally lets her confidence drop; continuing from ‘Fantasy’, she grounds herself on ‘Como Te Quiero Yo’, admitting, “we got issues, everyone does”. Uchis then moves on to casting off a jealous ex on ‘Hasta Cuando’: “it’s sad that you’re still obsessed with me”, taunting him that she could seduce his girlfriend (“At the end of the day, she’d eat my pussy if I let her”). The sultry disco anthem ‘Endlessly’ is another moment of empowerment, warning her lover, “Once you had this, you’ll need it for life”. Uchis subverts the usual lover’s sentiment of promising devotion to their partner, but if they promise to love her, she’ll return it endlessly.
‘Moral Conscience’ sees Uchis grappling with a past relationship before finding closure in the song’s second part: “Yeah, everyone’s replaceable/But not me, though”. The latter part of the album sees Uchis show her vulnerable side, contemplating breaking up a relationship, lamenting, “What’s the point of all the pretty things in the world if I don’t have you” on ‘Blue’. Throughout the record, Uchis is open to love, but she recognises unconditional affection isn’t healthy, telling a previous lover, “You know I never needed you”, as she lets go and moves on. The shimmering wobble of ‘Moonlight’ has her enraptured again in the throes of love, enamoured with her new partner. The final track, ‘Happy Now’ sees her letting go of the past, providing a perfect sense of closure.
Red Moon in Venus captures the full spectrum of love’s power, from the dizzying, transcendent highs to the darker moments of self-doubt and anguish. Uchis rides the rollercoaster but remains in control throughout, exalting the virtues of passion and desire. She may submit wholeheartedly to love, but Uchis isn’t here to be played the fool, and her sense of empowerment is enthralling. Some of Uchis’s bold statements could be misconstrued, but the centre of her desire is around wanting someone who can match the love she can give. Albums centring on love can often be bleak, but Uchis’s confident, velvety delivery combines with lush beats and subtly funky bassline to create an atmosphere of sheer bliss. Love has rarely sounded so good.