"Telepatía" (stylized in all lowercase; transl. "Telepathy") is a song by American singer Kali Uchis. Originally released on November 18, 2020 as part of her second studio album Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), it became the album's third single on February 26, 2021, after gaining prominence on the social media platform TikTok.[1][2] Uchis drew inspiration from telepathy and being able to spiritually communicate with someone whom she could not be with.[3]

"Telepatía"
Cover art for the official acoustic version of "Telepatía": Kali Uchis on the beach, posing on top of a white horse.
Acoustic version artwork
Single by Kali Uchis
from the album Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)
Language
  • Spanish
  • English
ReleasedFebruary 26, 2021
Recorded2020
Genre
Length2:40
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Kali Uchis singles chronology
"La Luz (Fín)"
(2020)
"Telepatía"
(2021)
"Drugs N Hella Melodies"
(2021)
Music video
"Telepatía" on YouTube

Unlike her debut studio album, Isolation (2018), Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) initially failed to enter any national charts. However, the viral success of "Telepatía" helped launch the album onto the Billboard 200 for the first time.[4] The song went on to win Favorite Latin Song at the 2021 American Music Awards.

The song was sent to contemporary hit radio in the United States on April 6, 2021.[5]

Composition

edit

"Telepatía" is an R&B[6] and Latin pop song[7] with a laid-back, steady rhythm, and a dreamy, relaxing feeling due to its simple production and “twinkling” instrumentation. Lyrically, the song is about a long-distance relationship that sees Uchis singing (in both Spanish and English) about making love to her partner telepathically while they are apart.[8]

Critical reception

edit

"Telepatía" ranked as the fifth best song of 2021 by Billboard, stating that "not only essential for its addictive groove and inspired lyrical content, the pop gem also put a spotlight on truly bilingual songs having chart potential."[9] The song won Top Latin Song at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.[10]

Music video

edit

On March 18, 2021, the music video for "Telepatía" was released.[11] It was directed by Uchis herself and filmed in her hometown of Pereira, Colombia. The singer said she wanted "Nothing overproduced, just the beautiful natural magic of the country I have had the honor of also calling home my entire life, Colombia."[8] Uchis announced through her social media that the video had to be uploaded three times due to an error with the audio synchronization.[12]

The video features Uchis walking through the streets of Pereira in a dreamy state, wearing several different outfits. At points she is seen riding a bicycle in a miniskirt, revealing a thong she’s wearing underneath. She eventually ends up walking past a young man working on his car, though it’s not implied they are together in the video; he stares at her longingly, eventually running uphill to find her swinging on a playground. The two never touch or physically connect, which harkens back to the lyrical theme of a long-distance, telepathic connection.

Live performances

edit

Uchis performed "Telepatía" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on April 8, 2021.[13] She also sang the song at the 2021 MTV Millennial Awards.[14]

Track listing

edit

Telepatía (acoustic) – Single

  • "Telepatía" (acoustic) – 2:58

Charts

edit

Certifications

edit
Certifications for "Telepatía"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[61] Diamond 160,000
France (SNEP)[62] Gold 100,000
Italy (FIMI)[63] Gold 35,000
Mexico (AMPROFON)[64] 5× Diamond 3,500,000
Poland (ZPAV)[65] Gold 25,000
Portugal (AFP)[66] Platinum 10,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[67] Platinum 60,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[68] Silver 200,000
United States (RIAA)[69] 2× Platinum 2,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

edit
Release formats for "Telepatía"
Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
Italy February 26, 2021 Contemporary hit radio Original Universal [70]
United States April 6, 2021 [5]
Rhythmic contemporary radio [71]
Various May 28, 2021 Acoustic
  • Interscope
  • EMI
  • Universal
[72]

See also

edit

Further reading

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Mench, Chris (February 25, 2021). "Kali Uchis Scores A Bilingual Viral Hit With "Telepatía'". Genius. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  2. ^ Cavero, Natalia Puertas (February 25, 2021). "Kali Uchis' 'Telepatía' became a worldwide hit". Al Día. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  3. ^ Bell, Breanna (March 1, 2021). "Kali Uchis Explains 'Telepatia' Inspiration Amid TikTok Success". Popculture.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  4. ^ Pamela, Bustios (March 2, 2021). "Kali Uchis Trusted Her Instincts & Got Her First No. 1 Album: 'A Lot of People Didn't Want Me to Make This Album'". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access Future Releases. Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  6. ^ Villa, Lucas (September 15, 2021). "5 'Telepatía' Covers We Love Because One Isn't Enough". Remezcla. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  7. ^ Amter, Charlie (December 3, 2021). "Kali Uchis on 'Telepatia,' Her Ode to Virtual Lovemaking, and Its Journey to a Global Smash". Variety. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Graves, Wren (March 18, 2021). "Kali Uchis Walks the Streets of Colombia in Self-Directed Video for "telepatía" : Watch". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  9. ^ Flores, Griselda. "The 50 Best Songs of 2021 So Far: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  10. ^ Grein, Paul (April 8, 2022). "The Weeknd & Doja Cat Lead 2022 Billboard Music Awards Finalists: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  11. ^ Hussey, Allison (March 18, 2021). "Watch Kali Uchis' New "telepatía" Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "Kali Uchis estrenó, por fin, su video de 'Telepatía', pero tuvo que subirlo tres veces". Infobae (in Spanish). March 19, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  13. ^ Richards, Will (April 10, 2021). "Watch Kali Uchis bring new single 'Telepatía' to 'Fallon'". NME. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  14. ^ Trejo, Yeseline (May 11, 2021). "MTV MIAW 2021: cuatro mexicanos fueron galardonados con los premios más importantes". AS México (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  15. ^ "Kali Uchis – Chart History (Argentina Hot 100)" Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Singles for Kali Uchis. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  16. ^ "Kali Uchis – Telepatía". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  17. ^ "Kali Uchis – Telepatía" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  18. ^ "Kali Uchis – Telepatía" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  19. ^ "Top 20 Bolivia – General – Del 12 al 18 de Abril, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  20. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  21. ^ "Top 20 Chile – General – Del 21 al 27 de Junio, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  22. ^ "Top 100 Colombia – Semana 15 del 2021 – Del 09/04/2021 al 15/04/2021" (in Spanish). National-Report. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  23. ^ "Top 20 Costa Rica – General – Del 3 al 9 de Mayo, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  24. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 12. týden 2021 in the date selector. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  25. ^ "Top 20 El Salvador – General – Del 17 al 23 de Mayo, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  26. ^ "Kali Uchis – Telepatía" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  27. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  28. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  29. ^ "Classifiche - FIMI".
  30. ^ "2021 11-os SAVAITĖS (kovo 12-18 d.) SINGLŲ TOP100" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  31. ^ "Top 20 Most Streamed International + Domestic song Week 11 (12/03/21 - 18/03/21)". Instagram. March 27, 2021. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  32. ^ "AMPROFON Top Streaming – Semanal (del 5 al 11 de marzo de 2021)" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  33. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Mexico Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  34. ^ "Kali Uchis – Telepatía" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  35. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  36. ^ "Top 20 Panama – General – Del 17 al 23 de Mayo, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  37. ^ "Top 20 Peru – General – Del 10 al 16 de Mayo, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  38. ^ "Kali Uchis – Telepatía". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  39. ^ "Top 20 Puerto Rico – General – Del 3 al 9 de Mayo, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  40. ^ Arvunescu, Victor (May 10, 2021). "Piesa asta o să te prindă şi pe tine!" [Top Airplay 100 – This song will get you too!] (in Romanian). Un site de muzică. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  41. ^ "Top 50 – Radio San Marino RTV – 04/05/2021" (in Italian). San Marino RTV. May 4, 2021. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  42. ^ "RIAS International Top Charts Week 9". RIAS. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  43. ^ "ČNS IFPI". IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 202111 into search. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  44. ^ "Kali Uchis – Telepatía" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  45. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 12". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  46. ^ "Kali Uchis – Telepatía". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  47. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  48. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  49. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  50. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  51. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Latin Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  52. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  53. ^ "Kali Uchis Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  54. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  55. ^ "Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  56. ^ "Top 1000 Singles + EPs Digitais: Semanas 01 a 52 de 2021" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  57. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  58. ^ "Hot Latin Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  59. ^ "Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  60. ^ "Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  61. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Kali Uchis – Telepatía" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  62. ^ "French single certifications – Kali Uchis – Telepatía" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  63. ^ "Italian single certifications – Kali Uchis – Telepatía" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  64. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved October 18, 2023. Type Kali Uchis in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Telepatía in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  65. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  66. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Kali Uchis – Telepatía" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  67. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Kali Uchis – Telepatía". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  68. ^ "British single certifications – Kali Uchis – Telepatía". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  69. ^ "American single certifications – Kali Uchis – Telepatía". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  70. ^ "KALI UCHIS "Telepatìa" | (Radio Date: 26/02/2021)". Radiodate.it. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  71. ^ "YOUR RADIO ADD RECAPS". HITS Daily Double. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  72. ^ "telepatía (acoustic) - Single". Apple Music. Retrieved June 4, 2021.