My mom used to call me muñeca. When I hear Kali Uchis sing, “Veo una muñeca cuando miro en el espejo kiss kiss,” what comes instantly to mind is the love I have for myself, summoned through this enchantment.
Yes, Kali is the first Latin female artist to reach a billion streams. But it’s the attunement to love’s power that we connect with through Kali’s artistry. And the joy we witness through the integrity of her self-expression.
More from TIME
[video id=QxIk3IJu autostart="viewable"]Label executives told Kali that reaching both English and Spanish audiences with her songs would be hard. But she wrote the music that spoke to her, and she won over those audiences nonetheless. She represents so much of what many of us feel but haven’t been able to express. Her layered talents—lyricism, production, performance, filmmaking—demand our attention. Yet her work is never forced.
Kali Uchis is not of this world. She just parked her spaceship here, and all we did was wake up lucky enough to have her.
Guerrero is an actor