Kali Uchis
Famous BisKali Uchis, born Karly-Marina Loaiza, is an American singer, songwriter, and visionary artist.
She grew up in a bicultural household, splitting her time between Alexandria, Virginia, and Pereira, Colombia. These vastly different experiences shaped her artistic identity. “I’ve mostly made really chill music because life around me was very chaotic when I was young”, she explained in a 2023 interview with Elle magazine.
As a teenager, she attended Alexandria City High School, where she developed a passion for music and the arts. However, her rebellious nature often led her to skip class and break curfew, resulting in her being kicked out of her home and having to live in a car. At this time, she began writing songs on a keyboard that later became her debut mixtape, Drunken Babble (2012) where she demonstrated her ability to dab into different genres as varied as doo-wop, reggae, and early 2000s R&B.Her musical influences include a host of powerful female voices, including the legendary jazz icons Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.
Kali Uchis gained significant attention with her debut EP, Por Vida (2015), which featured collaborations with prominent artists like Diplo, and Tyler, the Creator. Her unique sound and aesthetic quickly garnered a loyal fanbase. In 2018, she released her debut studio album, Isolation, which received widespread critical acclaim and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200. Singles like “Tyrant” and “After the Storm”, showcased her ability to blend a lush production with deep personal lyrics.
Her second studio album, Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) (2020), marked her first predominantly Spanish-language project. The album’s lead single, “Telepatía”, became a viral sensation on TikTok, and made it to the 25th place of the Billboard Hot 100. In 2021, her collaboration with Kaytranada on “10%” resulted in her first Grammy award for Best Dance Recording, establishing her as a household name.
Red Moon in Venus (2023) was her third major release described by her as a “timeless, burning expression of desire, heartbreak, faith, and honesty, reflecting the divine femininity of the moon and Venus”. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and received praise for its highly polished production style and rich lyricism. In her following project, Orquídeas (2024), Kali returned to her exploration of Latin sounds, blending reggaetón, cumbia, and pop influences. Orquídeas was her first release to reach number two on the Billboard 200, remaining as her highest-charting album to date. In March of 2025, she announced the release of her fifth studio album, named Sincerely.
Kali is openly bi and has been a vocal advocate for LGBT rights, particularly within the Latin community. In a 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she spoke about the importance of her identity and her desire to inspire others to embrace their true selves:
I’ve been bisexual my whole life. People are constantly trying to find something to invalidate. I want more people in the Latin community to feel like they can express themselves freely and not have to confine themselves. That’s why it was so important to me [to make music] — I want to show them what Latin music can be.