Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)

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Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)
A blonde woman with pink, purple wings and cyber-like gloves against a pink background. She is surrounded by the words "Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)", which are placed in a circular shape.
Standard digital cover[a]
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 18, 2020 (2020-11-18)
Recorded2018–2019
Genre
Length34:41
Language
  • Spanish
  • English
Label
Producer
Kali Uchis chronology
To Feel Alive
(2020)
Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)
(2020)
Red Moon in Venus
(2023)
Singles from Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)
  1. "Aquí Yo Mando"
    Released: August 7, 2020
  2. "La Luz"
    Released: October 1, 2020
  3. "Telepatía"
    Released: February 26, 2021
Deluxe edition cover
Singles from Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) [Deluxe Edition]
  1. "Solita"
    Released: December 4, 2019
  2. "Fue Mejor"
    Released: September 29, 2021

Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) (stylized as Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞; transl.Fearless (of Love and Other Demons)) is the second studio album and first Spanish album by American singer Kali Uchis, released on November 18, 2020, through Interscope Records, EMI Records and Universal Music Group.[5] The album, which is Uchis' first record predominantly sung in Spanish, was supported by three singles, "Aquí Yo Mando" with Rico Nasty, "La Luz" with Jhay Cortez, and "Telepatía". The album was also preceded by the promotional single "Te Pongo Mal (Préndelo)" with Jowell & Randy.[5] The album features guest appearances from PartyNextDoor, Rico Nasty, Cortez, and Jowell & Randy.[6] The album peaked at number 52 on the Billboard 200.

The album was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, as well as Favorite Latin Album at the American Music Awards of 2021.

An acoustic EP of Sin Miedo was released on June 4, 2021.[7][8] Uchis officially announced the end of the Sin Miedo era on October 4, 2021, through an Instagram post, the caption was the following: "end of sin miedo era felt cute gracias a dios fue mejor with SZA out nowww".

Background[edit]

In December 2019, Uchis released the intended lead single from the album, "Solita", which would later be demoted to a stand-alone single. In April 2020, the EP, To Feel Alive, was released as Uchis was not able to issue her second studio album. The EP was recorded entirely in isolation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Uchis announced the album through her social media, alongside its cover art, title, and guest appearances on November 5, 2020.[6]

Uchis compared the creation of Sin Miedo to that of her previous album. "I traveled the world to make both [...] I started production in Miami, then I came to Los Angeles, and then I refined most of the finishes in London."[9] She also had to convince her label about the album, since her contract only allowed her to release music in English.[10]

The title of the album is a reference to the 1994 novel Of Love and Other Demons by the Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez.[11]

Singles[edit]

"Aquí Yo Mando" with Rico Nasty was released on August 7, 2020, with a music video following on August 10. "La Luz" with Jhay Cortez was released on October 1, 2020.[12] A music video was released on October 27.[13] Following viral success on the social media platform TikTok, "Telepatía" was released as the third single from the album. The song impacted Italian and American contemporary hit radio on February 26, 2021, and April 6, 2021, respectively. A music video was released on March 18, 2021, directed by Uchis herself and taking place in Colombia.[14] In promotion for the song, Uchis performed "Telepatía" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on April 8, 2021.[15] The song later peaked at number one on the US Hot Latin Songs Chart and number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.[16] On September 29, 2021, a remix of "Fue Mejor" featuring SZA instead of PartyNextDoor was released as a single, alongside its music video.[17][18]

Promotional singles[edit]

"Te Pongo Mal (Préndelo)" with Jowell & Randy was released on November 17, 2020, as the album's sole promotional single.[19]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.7/10[20]
Metacritic78/100[21]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[22]
Evening Standard[23]
Gigwise[1]
Loud and Quiet7/10[24]
NME[25]
The Observer[26]
Pitchfork7.8/10[2]

Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) received generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on four reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Thom Jurek declared that, "Uchis is fearless in stretching her sound past funky breaks, slippery R&B, and spaced-out jazz tropes to offer bracing evolutionary conceptions of reggaeton, cumbia, and boleros, seamlessly juxtaposing them with her own brand of Latin pop, jazz, and soul."[22] Rhian Daly of NME wrote that Uchis "oozes effortless confidence as she follows her songs down an eclectic map of trails. Language barrier or not, it’s a divine second album".[25] Jenzia Burgos of Pitchfork wrote that the album "instead of only containing the funky breaks and trippy jazz stylings that Anglo-market listeners have come to recognize her music for, Uchis sharpens the spotlight on her bilingual, binational Latinx repertoire".[2]

Oliver Corrigan of Gigwise said that "Whilst many patches of Uchis' romantic garden fail to blossom, moments of musical experimentation prove greater than the sum of their parts. Uchis' affirmation against predictability certainly rings true here, even against the lauded impressions on her debut LP of 2018."[1] Rachel Aroesti of The Observer was a bit more reserved in her praise, adding that the album "doesn't feel much like Uchis's artistic step-up, her Norman Fucking Rockwell or El Mal Querer, but more like a suck-it-and-see step on – a hastily released album that suggests her best is yet to come."[26] David Smyth was also ambivilent with regards to the album, declaring "It sends a beautiful atmosphere out into a room, her voice breathy and unshowy, the bass an appealing throb, ticking Latin beats causing heads to nod without moving the feet excessively," and concluded that, "Overall this is a pleasant place to be. That breakout moment will come another time."[23]

The album placed on Los Angeles Times and Variety's lists of the best albums of 2020, at number nine and number seven respectively.[27][3]

Track listing[edit]

Standard edition
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."La Luna Enamorada" (transl. "The Moon in Love")Luis ChaniveckyKali UchisJosh Crocker1:50
2."Fue Mejor" (transl. "It Was Better") (with PartyNextDoor)
  • Jahaan Sweet
  • Ray Nelson
  • Sweet
  • Nelson
  • Crocker
3:48
3."Aguardiente y Limón" (transl. "Brandy and Lime")Uchis
2:41
4."Vaya con Dios" (transl. "Go with God")UchisCrockerCrocker2:55
5."Que Te Pedí" (transl. "What I Asked You")
  • Fernando Lopez Mulens
  • Gabriel Luna de la Fuente
UchisCrocker1:44
6."Quiero Sentirme Bien" (transl. "I Want to Feel Good")Uchis
  • McKenzie
  • Bodin
3:42
7."Telepatía" (transl. "Telepathy")
  • Uchis
  • Cristina Chiluiza
  • Servando Primera
2:40
8."De Nadie" (transl. "Of No One")
  • Uchis
  • Chiluiza
2:59
9."No Eres Tú (Soy Yo)" (transl. "It's Not You (It's Me)")
  • Uchis
  • Chiluiza
  • Luis Figueroa Roig
  • Leone
  • Lara
  • Masis
  • Lara
  • Leone
  • Tainy
2:01
10."Aquí Yo Mando" (transl. "Here I Command") (with Rico Nasty)
  • Primera
  • Masis
  • Leone
  • RVNES
  • Melendez
  • Albert Hype
  • Leone
  • RVNES
  • Tainy
2:21
11."Te Pongo Mal (Préndelo)" (transl. "I Make You Ill (Turn It On)") (with Jowell & Randy)
  • Lara
  • Masis
  • Miguel Ángel Durán, Jr.
  • Tainy
  • Lara
2:52
12."La Luz (Fín)" (transl. "The Light (End)") (with Jhay Cortez))
  • Uchis
  • Jhay Cortez
MasisTainy2:59
13."Ángel sin Cielo" (transl. "Heavenless Angel")UchisUchisUchis2:03
Total length:34:36
Vinyl edition bonus track
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
14."Solita" (transl. "Alone")
  • Uchis
  • Anthony Clemons, Jr.
2:58
Total length:37:34
Deluxe edition bonus track
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
15."Fue Mejor" (with SZA)
  • Jahaan Sweet
  • Ray Nelson
  • Sweet
  • Nelson
  • Crocker
3:51
Total length:41:25
Sin Miedo (acoustic)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Telepatía" (acoustic)
  • Uchis
  • Chiluiza
  • Primera
  • Lara
  • Melendez
  • Masis
Uchis2:58
2."Fue Mejor" (acoustic)
  • Uchis
  • Sweet
  • Brathwaite
  • Mangiamarchi
  • Nelson
Uchis3:09
3."Vaya con Dios" (acoustic)
  • Uchis
  • Crocker
Uchis2:41
Total length:8:48

Notes

  • ^[a] indicates an additional producer.
  • All tracks are stylized in all lowercase.
  • "Aguardiente y Limón" is stylized as "//aguardiente y limón %ᵕ‿‿ᵕ%".
  • "Que Te Pedí" is stylized as "que te pedí//".
  • "Aquí Yo Mando" was track four on the initial track listing of the album but it ended up being the 10th track in the final version.
  • "La Luna Enamorada" is a cover of "La Luna En Tu Mirada" by Luis Chanivecky.

Personnel[edit]

Musicians[edit]

  • Kali Uchis – vocals
  • PartyNextDoor – vocals (track 2)
  • Josh Crocker – piano (track 2), flute (track 2), harp (track 2), bass (tracks 5–6), drums (track 5), guitar (track 5), keyboards (track 5), percussion (tracks 5–6), strings (track 5), vibraphone (track 6)
  • Rico Nasty – vocals (track 4)
  • Flikka – additional vocals (track 6)
  • Joe Harris – guitar (track 6)
  • Tom Henry – keyboards (track 6)
  • Hailey Niswanger – saxophone (track 6)
  • Ariel Shrum – trombone (track 6), trumpet (track 6)
  • Jowell & Randy – vocals (track 11)
  • Jhay Cortez – vocals (track 12)
  • Mauricio Guerrero – guitar (track 13)

Technical[edit]

  • Prash "Engine-Earz" Mistry – mixer (tracks 1–2, 4–6, 8–13), mastering engineer (tracks 4, 12)
  • Austen Jux-Chandler – recording engineer (tracks 1–3, 5–9, 11, 12), vocal producer (tracks 2–13), engineer (tracks 10, 13)
  • Liz Robson – recording engineer (tracks 2, 3, 7)
  • Ethan Shumaker – recording engineer (track 3)
  • Yakob – recording engineer (track 6)
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer (tracks 1–3, 5–11, 13)
  • Will Quinnell – mastering engineer (track 11), assistant mastering engineer (tracks 2–3, 5–10, 13)

Artwork[edit]

  • Jora Frantzis – photography
  • Iggy Rosales – hair styling
  • Aleali – hair styling
  • Priscilla Ono – make-up artist

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Mexico (AMPROFON)[37] 2× Platinum+Gold 350,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release dates and formats for Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)
Region Date Format Version Label References
Various November 18, 2020 Standard [5]
United States May 14, 2021 [38]
Various June 4, 2021
  • Digital download
  • streaming
Acoustic EP
  • Interscope
  • EMI
[39]
September 30, 2021 Deluxe
  • Interscope
  • EMI
  • Universal
United States November 26, 2021
  • LP
[40]
December 3, 2021 [41]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Standard vinyl stars a nude Uchis with pink wings and the words "Kali Uchis Presents Sin Miedo Deluxe".

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Corrigan, Oliver. "Album Review: Kali Uchis - Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios) ∞". Gigwise. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Burgos, Jenzia (November 25, 2020). "Kali Uchis: Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Aswad, Jem; Barker, Andrew; Willman, Chris (December 14, 2020). "Year in Review: The Best Albums of 2020". Variety. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  4. ^ Grech, Seb (November 25, 2020). "ALBUM REVIEW: KALI UCHIS – SIN MIEDO (DEL AMOR Y OTROS DEMONIOS) ∞". Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d "Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ by Kali Uchis". Apple Music. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "@kaliuchis on Instagram: "SIN MIEDO (del Amor y Otros Demonios) 11.18.20"". Retrieved November 5, 2020 – via Instagram.
  7. ^ "Kali Uchis on Instagram". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021.
  8. ^ Schube, Will (May 20, 2021). "Kali Uchis Lands First No.1 On Latin Songs Chart, Announces New Acoustic EP". uDiscover Music.
  9. ^ Malik, Peay (December 21, 2020). "Kali Uchis Makes Music Without Fear". W Magazine.
  10. ^ Guzman, Ivan (April 22, 2021). "Kali Uchis: I Always Die When I Wake Up". Office.
  11. ^ Disturbios, Don (November 29, 2020). "Kali Uchis, crítica de su Sin miedo (Del amor y otros demonios) (2020)". Mondo Sonoro (in Spanish). Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  12. ^ "Kali Uchis anticipates the moment on new song "La Luz"". The Fader. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  13. ^ Reed, Ryan (October 27, 2020). "Watch Kali Uchis Cruise Through Clouds in 'La Luz' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  14. ^ "Kali Uchis shares "telepatía" video". The Fader. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  15. ^ "Watch Kali Uchis' Mystical Performance of 'Telepatia' on 'Fallon'". Rolling Stone. April 9, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  16. ^ Schube, Will (May 20, 2021). "Kali Uchis Lands No.1 On Latin Songs Chart, Announces New Acoustic EP". uDiscover Music. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  17. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (September 27, 2021). "Kali Uchis confirms new version of "fue mejor" with SZA will arrive this week". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  18. ^ Mamo, Heran (September 29, 2021). "SZA Sings in Spanish With Kali Uchis for Their Sexy 'Fue Mejor' Video". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  19. ^ Moore, Sam (November 17, 2020). "Listen to Kali Uchis team up with Jowell & Randy on 'Te Pongo Mal (Prendelo)'". NME. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  20. ^ "Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) by Kali Uchis reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  21. ^ a b "SIN MIEDO (DEL AMOR Y OTROS DEMONIOS) ∞ by Kali Uchis Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  22. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "Kali Uchis - Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  23. ^ a b Smyth, David (November 19, 2020). "Kali Uchis – Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ review: Beautiful atmosphere lacks that breakout moment". Evening Standard. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  24. ^ Goggins, Joe (November 19, 2020). "Kali Uchis – Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  25. ^ a b Daly, Rhian (November 18, 2020). "Kali Uchis – Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ review: a divine, boundary busting second album". NME. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  26. ^ a b Aroesti, Rachel (November 22, 2020). "Kali Uchis: Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ review – her best is yet to come". The Observer. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  27. ^ Wood, Mikael (December 9, 2020). "The 10 best albums of 2020: Taylor Swift, Fiona Apple, more". The LA Times. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  28. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  29. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kali Uchis – Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  30. ^ "Savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. February 18, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  31. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Kali Uchis – Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  32. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  33. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Latin Pop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  34. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Latin Rhythm Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  35. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Top Latin Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  36. ^ "Top Latin Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  37. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021. Type Kali Uchis in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  38. ^ "Kali Uchis - Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)". Rough Trade. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  39. ^ "sin miedo (acoustic) - single by Kali Uchis". Apple Music. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  40. ^ "Kali Uchis - Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)". Rough Trade. Retrieved October 27, 2021.[permanent dead link]
  41. ^ "Kali Uchis - Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) (EXPLICIT LYRICS) (CD)". Target. Retrieved October 27, 2021.