Red Moon in Venus Album Review

Lying upon a bed of luscious pink flower petals is a nearly-naked Kali Uchis. The lighting is dim and the music playing is none other than the lead single “I Wish You Roses” off Uchis’ third album titled Red Moon in Venus.

Upon first watching the music video for “I Wish You Roses,” viewers immediately understand the vision for Uchis’ album. Red Moon in Venus is an ode to the harmonious blend of love, life, and loss. It moves through these phases swiftly through the divine fifteen-song tracklist, starting with loss. In “I Wish You Roses,” Uchis bids a past lover goodbye, but without the bitter sentiments that other artists usually highlight in their work. She wishes her lover well and lets them go with peace and conviction. However, on tracks such as “Deserve Me” with special guest Summer Walker, the singer remembers her worth, telling her ex to “wise up” because he just lost something valuable. Blends of songs like these show the duality of both Uchis and the album, finding a healthy balance between knowing one’s worth in a relationship, but not wishing negative things upon others.

Sonically, the album uses lucious instrumentals and sparkling vocals to make the listener feel as if they have stepped into Uchis’ own sacred garden. On track “Fantasy” with long-time collaborator and boyfriend, Don Toliver, the two weave in and out of the lush, rhythmic instrumentals that sound like a crossover between Kaytranada and Uchis’ famed track “10%” and Jamaican rhythms. On other songs such as “Mortal Conscience”, listeners can hear instrumentals that sound like they could have been pulled from a Tame Impala project, with flowing synths and psychedelic drums. Uchis’ vocals on this song reach astounding heights at 1:24, as she almost whistles over the instrumental.

The journey taken throughout the album whisks listeners away to the world of Kali Uchis: from inner meditations to nearly delusional fantasies, all of it adds up to the divine feminine experience of Red Moon in Venus. After conjuring a dedicated fan base and the public’s attention with hits like “Telepatía” and “Dead to Me”, Uchis’ third studio album is sure to turn heads with the silky sounding tracklist and relatable meanings.