Orquídeas became her highest charting album on the US Billboard 200 upon its release, debuting at number two with 69,000 units.[4]
Background
On April 21, 2022, Uchis revealed to Billboard that she had two albums ready, one in English and one in Spanish.[5]
In July 2023, Uchis announced a "new era" for her music, along with a new single titled "Muñekita", with Dominican rapper El Alfa and American rapper JT from City Girls, as the first single for her upcoming album.[6] The single was released on August 4, 2023.[7][8][9][10] On October 11, 2023, Uchis announced her fourth studio album, titled Orquídeas, would be released on January 12, 2024, alongside the album's cover art.[11][12][13] On October 16, 2023, she announced the album's second single "Te Mata", which was released on October 20, 2023, alongside a music video.[14][15] The album's third single "Labios Mordidos", with Colombian singer Karol G, was released on November 24, 2023, alongside a music video.[16][17] On February 1, 2024, "Igual que un Ángel", with Mexican singer Peso Pluma, was sent to Italian radio as the album's fourth single.[18] Its music video was released on January 17, 2024.[19]
Orquídeas received widespread acclaim by critics upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 88, based on 14 reviews, indicating universal acclaim.[31] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[21]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Thom Jurek concluded that "Uchis remains true to herself by restlessly expanding her music's stylistic reach, embracing the past as instructor to the present. It is as aesthetically appealing as it is musically adventurous.[22]PopMatters' review described the album as having "killer style, playful energy, impeccable production, incredible performances, and some very important representation."[29] Lucy Fitzgerald's review for The Skinny wrote that Orquídeas was "an entire album of sweet spots."[30] Writing for Paste, Elizabeth Braaten wrote that the album was thematically "refreshingly rose-tinted."[28] On the album's production, Isabelia Herrera of Pitchfork wrote that much of the album was "luxuriating in background harmonies and synth arpeggios that feel like they’re enveloped in charmeuse fabrics."[2] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Emma Thimgren wrote that the album was "emotionally intelligent and dazzlingly timeless."[32] Verónica Bastardo of The Quietus wrote that the album "perfectly delivered" a mix of "niche Latin American genres" with "dreamy chillhop."[33] Jasper Willems of Beats Per Minute wrote that Uchis hits a "sweet spot between a luxurious facade and a candid authenticity" on the album.[34] Julyssa Lopez of Rolling Stone described the album as "loaded with sexual agency and bad-bitch energy."[35] Writing for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis described the album as "dreamy and fuzzy but sharp, witty and danceable."[25]Clash's review by Jay Fullarton wrote that "stylistic switch ups and layered production make Kali’s Latin pop experiments feel almost as creative as Rosalía’s Motomami."[23] Writing for The Arts Desk, Thomas Green wrote that the album's songs were "syrupy, dreamy, smooth, emanating slink rather than bounce."[36] David Smyth of Evening Standard wrote that the album had a lot more energy than Uchis' previous album, Red Moon in Venus.[24] Lucas Villa's review for NME praised the album's "anthems for the LGBTQ+ community."[26]Kitty Empire of The Observer wrote that the album "showcases the singer’s musical versatility and assured bicultural chops."[27]
Orquídeas Parte 2 is a reissue of Orquídeas, released on August 9, 2024, by Capitol Records, nearly 7 months after the original album.[47] Uchis expressed interest in potentially creating a deluxe version of the album using leftover demos in an interview with KRRL in April 2024.[citation needed] In August 2024, Uchis revealed she would be re-releasing the album with 3 songs that didn't make the original album as well as a remix for the song "Young, Rich & In Love" with the assistance of Kaytranada.[48][49]
