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.
Telepatía is a sultry, bilingual fantasy where Kali Uchis proves that distance can’t tame desire. Singing in both Spanish and English, the Colombian-American artist imagines a love so intense it leaps across time zones, travels faster than a private jet, and crackles under a full moon even when her bed is empty. She flirts with the idea that she and her lover can “make love by telepathy,” trading thoughts, breaths, and melodies while miles apart, their minds buzzing like an open phone line that never goes silent.
Beneath its airy pop beat, the song celebrates a deeper connection: a romantic chemistry that’s equal parts sensual and psychic. Kali paints vivid scenes of what she’d do if they were face-to-face, yet confidently reminds us that passion lives in imagination too. It’s playful, empowered, and irresistibly catchy—an anthem for anyone who’s ever felt sparks fly through a screen and believed that love can travel on the same wavelength as a song.
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 viral Spanish-language single "Telepatía" from the album Sin Miedo (2020). With multiple awards, including a Grammy, Kali Uchis continues to captivate audiences with her evocative sound and artistic versatility.