At the beginning of this year, Kali Uchis became a sensation with her latest album “Orquídeas”. Once again, we are covering the Colombian-American musician who recently released her long-awaited single, “Never Be Yours”.

The first mention of this single dates back to 2014, on an episode of the “Kinda Neat” podcast, where she sang this song for the first time, causing listener traffic to skyrocket. Since then, there has been no official release of this single, until now.

This reissue is covered with glitter and confetti, dressed in old-school R&B with elements of synth-pop. It's somewhat psychedelic in its finish and feels velvety to the ear.

It harkens back to her debut era when she composed everything on her portable computer, wherever she went. With its loose bass and caramel guitars, topped with syrupy vocals, this era earned her multiple Grammys and collaborations with legends like Damon Albarn and Gorillaz.

It's fascinating to compare the original version from ten years ago with its recent counterpart. The rhythm, motifs, and sections remain the same, but it's captivating to see how good audio engineering, production, and additional layers of synths can completely change the feel of a song, without losing the nostalgic essence this song carries.

Clearly, this release is geared towards loyal fans who have followed the artist for more than 10 years. However, I must say, this song is perfect as an entry point into Kali Uchis’s intriguing world and a modernized glimpse into the artist’s origins.

One comment on Youtube said:

the way shes swaying reminds me so much of the original version 🥹. she’s grown so much throughout her career and i’m in shambles.

Author: Martín Cacho

Martín is a video game composer, producer and writer from Sonora, México.