“I was already deep on feelings, but becoming a mother has taken that up like seven notches,” says Kali Uchis. “That as an artist allows you to dig deeper.”
The Colombian American singer, songwriter, and producer gave birth to her first child, a son, in early 2024, a period that was also marked by heartbreaking loss with the death of her own mother. “I knew that I was about to become a mom and about to lose my mom,” says Uchis, who helped serve as a caregiver for her mother. “It was a very heavy time; I’m still grieving and processing everything.” The duality of these experiences unlocked new emotional and creative realms for Uchis.
Following the success of last year’s Orquídeas, a dancey Latin-pop album, her latest effort, Sincerely, mines new territory through soulful, introspective tracks that explore motherhood, grief, love, and the importance of living life to its fullest. “It’s the most personal and vulnerable body of work I’ve ever made,” says Uchis, who chose to forgo any collaborations on the project and produced much of it herself. “The majority of the album is about being a dreamer, a lover, a griever, and and overthinker, but at the same time, it’s a reminder to embrace a life of enjoyment despite the world and your circumstances. Romanticize the little things and enjoy everyday life.”
In August, Uchis will head out on tour with her son and partner, the rapper Don Toliver, in tow. “Our son loves seeing the world and he loves music and on my last tour he was in my belly,” shares the artist. “I’m excited for him to see my show. When I perform this album, it’s going to be so different from before. I think I will feel a lot more.”
To prepare herself both physically and mentally for her next tour, Uchis has been listening to a playlist of joyful, nostalgic, high-energy jams, which she shared for Bazaar‘s summer 2025 “discover” issue. The opening track, Magazine 60’s synth-pop single “Pancho Villa (Star de Cantina),” sets the tone with Spanish and French lyrics about a night on the town.“My dad owns clubs in Colombia, where he’s from, and he would always play that song,” says Uchis. “It’s nostalgic for me. This whole playlist reminds me of my mom’s old workout tapes.”
