Kali Uchis unveils a stirring new chapter with “ILYSMIH,” the second single from her forthcoming fifth studio album Sincerely.
The song marks a bold emotional turn for the Colombian-American artist, who finds herself grounded not just in sound but in spirit. “ILYSMIH”—an abbreviation for I Love You So Much It Hurts—is less a title than a confession, a whispered truth offered with open hands.
At its core, the track is a luminous ballad shaped by the transformative experience of motherhood. Composed shortly after the birth of her child, it captures Uchis in one of her most exposed creative states. The tenderness of the moment doesn’t dilute her artistry—it intensifies it. Her voice, often described as celestial, feels more grounded here. She sings not to impress, but to express.
The production is understated, favoring soft piano lines and ambient textures that allow her vocal to remain front and center. She navigates motherhood’s emotional terrain with quiet strength.
Joy radiates through every verse, but so does vulnerability, fear, and awe. In three and a half minutes, she distills the disorientation and devotion of becoming someone new—for someone else.
“ILYSMIH” doesn’t merely document a milestone. It rewrites the tone of Uchis’ musical identity. The lyrics trade fantasy for raw presence.
She’s not crafting worlds this time. She’s revealing her own. As she sings of love so vast it aches, there’s no theatricality—just truth wrapped in melody. The track feels like a lullaby, but it also aches like a prayer.
It’s meant to reach the soul, not the charts. Uchis is no longer just curating aesthetics. She’s chronicling her evolution. “ILYSMIH” proves that intimacy can be as compelling as innovation—and that vulnerability, when rooted in love, can move mountains.
“ILYSMIH” - Kali Uchis
Quotable Lyrics
I love my baby, nothing else compares
It's something 'bout those brown eyes that leaves me full of tears, crying
All the world is crazy, but you're here
My baby made me realize that nothing else even matters
