With Valentine’s Day approaching, there’s no shortage of artists using the holiday to celebrate or revile against different forms of love. But on Kali Uchis’ new release, ‘I Wish You Roses’, unveiled just in time for the season of love, she takes a different approach.
‘I Wish You Roses’ is Uchis’ first release of 2023, following some scattered releases of singles throughout 2022. It is the lead single of the first of her 2023 album cycles. Uchis announced via Twitter earlier this month that she plans to release two albums this year, one in English and one in Spanish. This new track signals the start of the promotion of her forthcoming English record, named Red Moon in Venus.
On the track, Uchis, recalls the ending of a relationship, but it isn’t filled with hatred and regret. Instead, Uchis wishes love and “roses” on the person she has released from her life. It’s a love song as much as it’s about the joy of moving on from loving someone; giving both you and them the space to love again.
“With pretty flowers can come the bee sting (Ooh, never thought I would be without you)/ But I wish you well, I wish you well”, Uchis calls, whilst surrounded by ethereal floral visuals in the music video for the song. It gives the song a beautiful balance, acknowledging that feelings of stinging and hurt may be felt at first; but that ultimately life will be beautiful again.
“I wanted it to be just an overall encapsulation of that feeling of releasing people with love”, she said of the single in conversation with Zane Lowe. “I always thought it was such a beautiful thing because we hear so many songs about that, the bitterness or the anger or the feeling of wanting revenge or the feeling of wishing things had worked out and not having a resentful attachment to those feelings”.
The different dimensions of love are something the new record seems set to explore further, with the title of Red Moon in Venus, according to a statement released alongside the album announcement:
“The moon and Venus work together to make key aspects of love and domestic life work well. This body of work represents all levels of love – releasing people with love, drawing love into your life and self-love.”
Red Moon In Venus is out on March 3.
Listen to ‘I Wish You Roses’ and watch the stunning video directed by Cho Gi-Soek below:
