Matt Leeks
Audio By Carbonatix
A sea of purple floods a karaoke room inside a Carrollton bar. This Friday evening in November, it’s not only Kali Ah Yuen’s 28th birthday – it’s also the night of the release of her new single, “I Might (Fuccgirl Szn).” The singer, who performs under the name Kali Flower, has been teasing her “fuccgirl” era over the course of the past year, and upon her big kickoff, her friends and family are joining her to celebrate the milestone, all dressed in her favorite color.
When we last caught up with Kali, she was gearing up for the release of her 88 Killa collab, “Passenger Seat,” a breezy cuffing season anthem reminiscent of ’90s R&B. With “I Might,” Kali turns up the heat by way of hedonism, tapping into modern trap and b-wave.
Kali says the character of the “fuccgirl” was born during a time in her life when she was acting “oblivious” amid heartache.
“I was just having fun,” Kali says. “I wasn’t really thinking of or aware of the consequences of certain actions. I leaned on a lot of vices to deal with reality, to almost create this better reality.”
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In the song, Kali lays down the law and plays by the rules of her own game. In this chapter, she’s not living by the expectations of any man, but plotting her world takeover with her girls by her side.
“I might / Pull up on you if you worth this piece / I might / Spend it like it’s an emergency / Yeah, I might / Keep a man like an accessory / I might / Change your mind if there’s uncertainty,” she sings on the song’s chorus.
While Kali emphasizes that “fuccgirl” behavior is fun, there are always consequences. She teases that the story will continue to unfold as she drops more music throughout the year.
Kali grew up in Hawaii, to the sounds of 2000s R&B. She had young parents, and Ashanti and Destiny’s Child were on heavy rotation at home.
“When I would do talent shows at school, I would do [TLC’s] ‘No Scrubs’ or ‘1, 2 Step’ by Ciara, and I would get my friends with me to put on a whole performance – and I was like, 5 or 6 years old at the time,” says Kali. “It just naturally came to me.”
And she hasn’t let that energy dwindle. Kali has been plotting her musical takeover for over a decade, and while it seems like “fuccgirl season” has had a smooth kickoff, she’s dealt with many of the setbacks artists have faced in their early stages.
As a fully independent artist, Kali has handled much of her own booking, management, studio scheduling, finances and social media. This isn’t anything new for indie singers and songwriters, but Kali believes this is where some artists end up feeling defeated. She insists that art is always worthy of investment.
“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Kali says. “Being an artist, especially one who has to take on so many hats by yourself, you just don’t know what life is like until you start going after something you love so much. And then, you realize how many obstacles are in the way, but all those obstacles are just there to really shape you into being the best artist and person you can be.”
Kali has been working on much of her new music with Dallas producers to create the sonic and visual universe of the “fuccgirl.” When we spoke last year, she had performed a few gigs in Fort Worth and was gearing up for a show at Tulips. She lauded Fort Worth’s music scene, which she described as “very diverse, very inclusive and very supportive.”
A year later, she’s discovered that Dallas’ music scene maintains an equally varied and familial energy. Now Kali says that she’s become more selective about those she works with, and she’s a firm believer that the scene is truly what you make of it.
“When it comes to community, the people that I’ve come across, and I’ve been able to meet and work with, I mean, they’re so resourceful,” she says. “They’re so willing to help, they’re willing to take things they’ve learned, and not gatekeep any sort of ways to win in this game. I think at the end of the day, what we all need to do is just continue pushing that kind of energy and support to other people.
“We’re all out here trying to work our dreams and do things that go against the norm. I feel like if we just continue to push in the direction that it’s going in, then we’ll all be able to eat, and the Dallas music scene can finally be seen for what it is.”
Her latest single, “I Might,” touches on what she calls “vices and vixens,” but her follow-up singles will be centered around the vices of love and lust. Whether an EP or album is on the horizon, Kali remains tight-lipped, but she promises it’ll be music to heal a heartache.
“This is just a small piece of the greater story that I hope to tell through my music,” Kali says. “I really want to be known as a relatable artist who understands the ebb and flow of life – and to be able to showcase that in my art through my own eyes. Keep in mind that this is just a piece of the puzzle.”
