Kali Uchis, “Orquídeas.”

Kali Uchis gifts listeners an eclectic bouquet of moods and genres on Orquídeas. The Spanish-language album (the title means “orchids”) is a coherent and bold musical statement from the Colombian American. Featuring a variety of collaborators, most of whom are Latin American, the album should still satisfy listeners who got to know her en Inglés.

It’s apropos that the singer-songwriter chose orchids, the national flower of Colombia, as the title of her most genre-shifting album. Revered across the world in its many colors and permeations, it symbolizes the multicultural sounds that comprise these 14 tracks.

Orquídeas finds her working with several of the same producers as on 2023’s Red Moon in Venus. At times she plays a sultry 1960s crooner, delivering platitudes and recriminations in equal measure. At others, she has a 2000s R&B sound beneath a plush, fuzzy synthetic-sounding production.

Uchis at her best when she weaves in bouncing dembow and reggaeton beats into her sonic scape. In the latter third of the album she enlists dembow heavyweight rapper El Alfa and JT from American hip-hip duo City Girls on the fun and sexy “Muñekita” (“Little Doll”). She snarls over staggered beats on the track, which has nostalgic flair and a moderately fast tempo. This track samples the chorus from Panamanian rapper Lorna’s 2003 smash-hit “Papi Chulo.” But while she borrows nearly the same refrain, she makes it entirely her own. JT spits out a Spanish children’s rhyme that sounds more like a threat than an incantation for curing all ills. It could have included more compatible English verses by JT, but it’s still a successful collaboration.

Peso Pluma and Rauw Alejandro also make appearances on “Igual Que Un Angel” (“Just Like An Angel”) and “No Hay Ley Parte 2” (“There Is No Law Part 2”). The former is particularly dialed in. The latter evokes summer nights with its smatterings of trap beats, and Alejandro’s high tenor meshes well with Uchis’ falsetto. Then there’s “Tu Corazon Es Mio” (“Your Heart Is Mine”), a sweet song.

Romantics will probably enjoy “Heladito” (“Ice Cream”), about going to grab ice cream and being spoiled much like a queen. Uchis’ slower delivery is alluring, especially when she cheekily sings lyrics like “Those who adore me/ Bore me/ To love is to never stop.” The chorus is overlaid with sparkly textured effects. The production technique immediately evokes images of glittering diamonds or crystal droplets.

One of the best and most danceable songs on the album is the sultry “Labios Mordidos” (“Bitten Lips”) with Colombian Karol G. The two artists vibe; their voices drip like honey as Kali Uchis sings with fierce attitudes about pleasure and pain.

“Perdiste” (“You Lost”) and “Young, Rich, & In Love” are decidedly R&B-flavored. These sonically sparser tracks and repetitive verses slow it all down. They’re more safe and less technically interesting than the other tracks but still solid.

The album closer, “Dame Beso / Muévete” (“Kiss Me / Move”), is a tribute to the kind of raucous music you’d hear at large gatherings in Latin America. Uchis even gives a few shoutouts to Shakira! It’s fast, fun and made for the dance floor. She thanks everybody for coming and signs off for the night.

Where Red Moon in Venus was mystical, Orquídeas is more grounded. That’s not to say Kali Uchis has moved away from mysticism. There are plenty of call-outs to supernatural beings like angels, devils and goddesses. But this album pulls from a long line of musical influences, and for the most part it’s a modern take on old-school sounds. It can get erratic at times, but her risks pay off.

For example, “Te Mata” (“It Kills You”) wouldn’t be out of place on my Mexican grandmother’s record player. Uchis’ full vocal range is on display. The melodrama sounds familiar, but her take sounds fresh.