Maquinando is the present participle of the verb maquinar, which means 'to plot' or 'to scheme'. The word comes from máquina (machine), evoking the image of gears turning in someone's mind as they cleverly devise a plan.
In the song, Kali Uchis sings "Me imagino lo que ya estás maquinando" (I imagine what you're already plotting), playfully suggesting she knows the romantic and mischievous thoughts her lover is having from afar. It's a cool, expressive word that perfectly fits the song's telepathic theme.
Ever missed someone so much that your brain tries to bridge the physical gap on its own? That is the exact mood Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis rides in "Telepatía." Stuck in bed staring at a full moon ("La luna está llena, mi cama vacía" [The moon is full, my bed is empty]), she leans into a dreamy fantasy of long-distance intimacy. Even though miles separate the lovers, she claims they connect across the distance without physical touch ("A kilómetros estamos conectando / Y me prendes aunque no me estés tocando" [Miles away we are connecting / And you turn me on even though you aren't touching me]).
Kali drifts between English and Spanish to describe reading her partner's thoughts like an open book. She hears their thoughts like a tune and claims they stay on the line just to listen to her sleep ("You stay on the phone just to hear me breathe / On repeat"). She boldly boasts about how wild things would get in person: "Si te tuviera de frente, la mente te la volaría" (If I had you in front of me, I would blow your mind). In Spanish, "volar la mente" works just like the English idiom "to blow someone's mind," promising an experience so intense it overwhelms you. It is a smooth, slightly cheeky track about letting your imagination do the heavy lifting when a flight is the only thing keeping you apart.
Kali Uchis, born Karly Marina Loaiza on July 17, 1994, in Alexandria, Virginia, is a Colombian-American singer and songwriter celebrated for her unique blend of contemporary R&B, neo soul, and Latin music. Growing up with roots in both the United States and Colombia, she learned piano and saxophone in high school and began her music career with the genre-defying mixtape Drunken Babble in 2012.
Uchis gained wider acclaim with her 2015 EP Por Vida and broke through with her debut studio album Isolation in 2018, earning critical praise and notable collaborations. She is known for her smooth vocals and fusion of cultural influences, highlighted by her Grammy-nominated album Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otras Cosas) (2020), which cemented her global crossover appeal. With multiple awards, including a Grammy, Kali Uchis continues to captivate audiences with her evocative sound and artistic versatility.