Grammy award-winning R&B star Kali Uchis has gifted both our eyes and ears with the music video for her latest single ‘I Wish You Roses’. Not only has she released the perfect sad-girl bop just in time for Valentine’s Day, but she did so in her usual impeccable style.
The song is a beautiful ode to past love and the ability to wish them well, Kali shares “This song is about being able to release people with love”.
“It could be a friend, a lover, or someone else, but the point is to celebrate releasing people from your life without being resentful or bitter.”
Kali Uchis on ‘I Wish You Roses’
The release comes shortly after Kali was announced as a performer at Coachella this April, where she will take to the stage ahead of Rosalia and Bjork on the festival’s closing night.
The music video, directed by Cho Gi-Seok, is romantic and ethereal. The floral-inspired video has both a natural and fantastical feel to it as we see Kali both surrounded by and encompassing nature. It shows Kali lying in fields of roses, being rained on by petals and imitating flowers with her makeup looks. One thing to be noted about this music video, which is visually outstanding, is that the styling is impeccable. Kali Uchis is always doing something interesting with her style and we can always rely on her serve a look on every occasion, and this music video is no exception.
Let’s just start with the cover art for the single. This vibrant image features one of the looks from the music video for which Kali was painted by makeup artist Oh Seong Seok. The merging of Kali’s body paint with the projection of a rose accurately depicts the delicate nature of humanity, a theme that is particularly prominent in this song and through the music video’s styling.
The music video opens with some of the most intricately detailed beauty looks you can imagine, from orchid inspired lipstick to petals used as false eyelashes, the nature-inspired makeup looks were imaginative and captivating. The floral inspired vision was perfectly executed by makeup artist Ivan Núñez who utilised vibrant colours and a variety of textures, including jewels and that resembled drops of dew, to achieve the finished looks.
We are then transported to a field of roses where we find Kali lying amongst the petals and thorns in a custom mawar dress from Veldon Salim. This look yet again ties in with the theme of delicacy that is prominent throughout the music video. The fine fabric of the dress juxtaposes the thorns surrounding it, emphasising the beauty of fragility, while the romantic silhouette recentres one of the most delicate of human emotions, love.
Potentially the best look in the music video was the flamboyant red dress that was made from a structured mesh in order to replicate the shape of a rose. The star of this look is the delicate floral headpiece by Gabe Sin which frames the face with layers of vibrant red flowers. There was not a stone in this look left unturned with absolutely everything you can think of being considered and accounted for; the look even featured a vine-inspired detail wrapping around Kali’s legs as if they were the roots of a plant, a detail that truly speaks to how much thought has gone into these looks.
The video closes with Kali falling asleep in closing flower wearing a sparkling floral busier and short set. This brings a beautiful end to the floral themed outfits with a romantic and delicate look that emphasises the beauty in vulnerability that the song speaks of.
Words By: Amelia Gregory
