Omar Apollo and Kali Uchis embrace the melancholy on “Bad Life”
The indie pop singer and R&B songstress reunite for another collaboration.
By Kyle Henderson
As the weather gets colder and the nights get longer, it’s essential to have a playlist full of sad songs to keep you company on those lonely nights. Whatever artists may already have a place on your rotation, make some space for Omar Apollo and Kali Uchis’ new single “Bad Life”
The track, which was released on Wednesday, November 3, is the latest collaboration between the indie-pop singer and the R&B songstress. They previously worked together on “Hey Boy,” a more upbeat love song from Apollo’s 2020 album Apolonio. This time around, though, the pair trade slick flirting for love sickness, as we find them lamenting a one-sided love affair.
Apollo sadly recognizes the mental gymnastics he’s put through in the relationship, opening the track by singing, “You give me nothing / But I still change it to something.” He’s aware of the dynamic in this relationship, but attempts to be ignorant to it, his judgment clouded by a desire to be loved. The song evokes a feeling of yearning, reminiscent of the pain when you realize the person you love doesn’t feel the same. The track is fairly simple, relying mostly on string instruments and Apollo’s vocals as a way to guide listeners on the emotional journey, but the lyrics can hit hard.
Uchis’ features always tread into a dreamlike territory, acting as an angelic addition to any song. “Bad Life” is no different, with Uchis joining in at the tail end of the song to harmonize and commiserate with Apollo over the pain their lovers have left them in. She enters the track as a third person narrator, someone who knows how this will end (“It won’t be much longer / 'Til you see for yourself ('Til you see for yourself) / That's a bad life you live,”). She and Apollo play off of each other beautifully, taking comfort in their shared emotions.
The song finally finds its beat at the end, in its final seconds. Backing vocals act as a send off, and listeners are left feeling a similar heartache to the one described in the song. While it’s a tragic tale that’s all too familiar, one thing remains true: Apollo and Uchis make the “Bad Life” sound like a thing of beauty.