If you’ve ever written a letter to your future self, Kali Uchis went full album with it. We’re catching up with her, as she talks about music, motherhood and why her latest project may just make you cry in the best way possible.
Kali Uchis is writing to her future self with a pen dipped in feels. Her new album “Sincerely” is packed with raw and real emotions.
Kali Uchis: “I wanted to make a body of work that fully showed that vulnerability and that actually really dug deep into my heart in a way that my other albums never had.”
It started as letters to friends and family. Then life turned those letters into a soundtrack for grief, growth and giving birth.
Kali Uchis: “It just so happened that, shortly after working on the album, I became pregnant, which was such a big part of being able to feel deeper than I ever have. The album is actually dedicated to my mom, my mom later ended up getting diagnosed and she’s no longer here.”
The album’s opening track “Sunshine & Rain” even features her mother’s voice, not just as a sample, but as a way to honor her.
Kali Uchis: “I think that’s something she really would have liked, and probably would have been really happy to know that she was part of the album. She loved music. She was a huge music nerd.”
And when she said this music was personal, she meant: on a hospital bed with her newborn, kind of personal.
Kali Uchis: “I was just recovering from labor, my son was sleeping next to me, I was still in my hospital bed, when I got this idea for this song, started recording it on my phone, started writing some lyrics down.”
Kali’s latest is less of an album and more of a hug from the universe. But don’t get it twisted, this isn’t a sad record. It’s a healing one.
Kali Uchis: “A lot of times, I feel, especially with this album in particular, I feel like I really made music, that my future self would need. I hope after listening to the album, they will feel more connected with themselves, more in touch with themselves emotionally, that emotional intelligence would have risen.”
Whether you’re crying in the club or journaling in a coffee shop, Kali understood the assignment.
“Sincerely” is out now, and it’s basically your new emotional support album. Go stream it, and hydrate while you’re at it.