The stylistic range of left-field pop artist Kali Uchis is reflected in the variety of her collaborators – an extensive genre-crossing list that includes Tyler, the Creator, Gorillaz, Daniel Caesar, Juanes, and BadBadNotGood. A singer, songwriter, and producer, as well as a video director, Uchis truly arrived on her own with the self-released Por Vida (2015), an EP that led to a deal with Virgin EMI. By the time Uchis released her lively debut full-length, the Top Five Billboard R&B/hip-hop hit Isolation (2018), she had already been nominated for Grammy awards through her featured appearances on Daniel Caesar's "Get You" and Juanes' "El Ratico."
Kali Uchis experienced the majority of her upbringing in Virginia and also spent time in her parents' native Colombia. As a teenager growing up in Alexandria, just south of Washington, D.C., she learned to play piano and saxophone and also developed a deep interest in visual arts. Her recorded debut was made in 2012 with the self-released mixtape Drunken Babble. Within three years, she had several singles to her credit, including "Know What I Want" and "Lottery," typically promoted with videos she directed, as well as collaborations with Snoop Dogg, GoldLink, Tyler, the Creator, and Major Lazer. Following the 2015 independent release of Por Vida, a free digital-download EP with tracks produced by Diplo, Kaytranada, and Tyler, Uchis started releasing her material through major-label Virgin EMI. A DJ Dahi-tweaked version of Por Vida's "Ridin Round," issued that November after a move to Los Angeles, was the artist's first single for the major label. "Only Girl," a relaxed Kaytranada production featuring Vince Staples and the Internet's Steve Lacy, followed in April 2016. She was also featured that year on Daniel Caesar's "Get You."
Throughout 2017, Uchis added to her discography of featured appearances via tracks by Juanes, Gorillaz, Tyler, Bootsy Collins, and Miguel, and she previewed her debut album with the singles "Tyrant" (featuring Jorja Smith) and "Nuestro Planeta" (featuring Reykon). By the end of the year, "Get You" had been nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Performance, and Juanes' "El Ratico" made Uchis a Latin Grammy nominee when it was up for Record of the Year. January 2018 saw the release of the BadBadNotGood-produced single "After the Storm" (featuring Tyler and Bootsy). Uchis released her debut album, Isolation, three months later. It debuted at number 32 on the Billboard 200 and entered the R&B/hip-hop chart at number four.
http://kaliuchis.com
What They Say
Kali Uchis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It ain't real
We can do it all our own way, baby
We can deal
And they poundin' their fists on my door
Say that they're gonna take us to court
And they say we should take their advice
You don't gotta listen to what they say
(You don't gotta listen
You don't gotta listen no no no)
It ain't real (You don't gotta listen
You don't gotta listen no no no)
We can do it all our own way, baby
We can deal
And they're pounding they fists on my door
And they say that they'll take us to court
(just don't believe it)
And that we should take their advice
(just don't believe it)
And that it'll cost us our lives, but
You don't gotta listen, you don't
Gotta listen no, no, no
You don't gotta listen, you don't
Gotta listen no, no, no
You don't gotta listen, you don't
Gotta listen no, no, no
In Kali Uchis's song "What They Say," the lyrics explore the theme of defiance and non-conformity. The song encourages listeners to not pay attention to the opinions and judgments of others. It asserts that the external voices trying to dictate one's choices and paths are not real, and that individuals have the power to pave their own way.
The opening lines, "You don't gotta listen to what they say, It ain't real, We can do it all our own way, baby, We can deal," convey a sense of independence and self-reliance. The singer refuses to be influenced by the pressures and expectations imposed by society. Despite the threats and the pounding fists on the door, symbolizing the external forces trying to control them, the singer maintains a steadfast belief in the ability to navigate life on their own terms.
The repetition of the phrase "You don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no, no, no" further emphasizes the rebellious spirit and the refusal to conform. It is a reminder to stay true to oneself and not allow external influences to dictate personal decisions and choices.
The lyrics of "What They Say" by Kali Uchis convey a empowering message about self-determination, independence, and resilience in the face of societal pressures.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't gotta listen to what they say
You have the freedom to ignore the opinions and advice of others
It ain't real
Their words and claims lack authenticity and truth
We can do it all our own way, baby
We have the ability to follow our own path and make our own decisions
We can deal
We are capable of handling any challenges or obstacles that come our way
And they poundin' their fists on my door
They are aggressively demanding our attention and cooperation
Say that they're gonna take us to court
They threaten legal action as a way to intimidate us
And they say we should take their advice
They insist on us following their suggestions and guidance
Or it would cost us, our lives, but
They claim that not complying with them will have severe consequences for us
You don't gotta listen, you don't
You are not obligated to pay attention or heed what they say
Gotta listen no, no, no
You have the choice to disregard their words completely
Lyrics © HEYDAY MEDIA GROUP LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brenton Woods, Karly Marina Loaiza, Wayne Kaliff Gordon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ang
What They Say Lyrics////
You don't gotta listen to what they say
You don't need to
We can do it our own way, baby
We can doAnd they poundin’ their fists on the door
Say that they gonna take us to court
And they say we should take their advice
Or it would cost us, our lives, butYou don't gotta listen to what they say
(You don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no no no)
You don't need
(You don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no no no)
We can do it our own way, baby
We can do
And they're pounding they fists on our door
And they say that they'll take us to court (just don't believe it)
And that we should take their advice (just don't believe it)
And that it'll cost us our lives, butYou don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no no no
You don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no no no
You don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no no noNo, no no
Iñaki Salinas
Lirycs:
You don't gotta listen to what they say
You don't need to
We can do it our own way, baby
We can do
And they poundin’ their fists on the door
Say that they gonna take us to court
And they say we should take their advice
Or it would cost us, our lives, but
You don't gotta listen to what they say
(You don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no no no)
You don't need
(You don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no no no)
We can do it our own way, baby
We can do
And they're pounding they fists on our door
And they say that they'll take us to court (just don't believe it)
And that we should take their advice (just don't believe it)
And that it'll cost us our lives, but
You don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no no no
You don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no no no
You don't gotta listen, you don't gotta listen no no no
No, no no
Magnolia Music
who else is happy she's finally gettin the recognition she deserves
jwill
me
NPG Lamb
I am but at the same time I wish she would still do music and visual like this
jwill
Jazzy 🌸🎀💖 fax
jwill
Jazzy 🌸🎀💖 love that "table for two" vid on your channel btw
NPG Lamb
jwill thank you
Danya Rezvani
I love when modern artists can make old school music come to life again. It's a sort of nostalgic feeling that you don't find in this day and age. I rlly hope this girl gets big and reminds the industry what real music is.
hermione
Yess i agree
DeAngelo Cherry
Leon Bridges is an example.
Zoe
love her so much