SZA Sings in Spanish? Alexandria, Virginia’s Kali Uchis Made It Happen

“fue mejor” featuring SZA is the 2021 remix from Kali Uchis, the singer born in Alexandria, Virginia, and it is the first time SZA ever sang in Spanish on a record. The new version and its music video arrived September 29, 2021, and the song became a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), released the next day.

Who Was on the Original “fue mejor”?

PARTYNEXTDOOR. The first version sits at track two on Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), Uchis’ first predominantly Spanish-language album, released November 18, 2020. Jahaan Sweet, Ray Nelson and Josh Crocker produced it, and the same team carries over to the SZA version, where SZA takes PARTYNEXTDOOR’s spot. The album was riding the TikTok-fueled run of “telepatía,” which topped Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs and became Uchis’ first Hot 100 entry. Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) itself hit No. 1 on Latin Pop Albums.

Why SZA Singing in Spanish Is a Big Deal

Because it was a genuine first, and Uchis knew it. “This is Latin R&B, this is SZA singing in Spanish for the very first time, this is spooky season, this IS the moment,” she said in a statement shared by The FADER. Consequence called the song a “heavy-hitting R&B slow jam” that fits SZA’s voice. The link-up had been teased for a while: in late 2020, SZA answered a fan asking about a collaboration with “Ya lo hicimos,” or “We already did,” as Hypebae noted, and Uchis previewed the remix on Instagram earlier in September 2021.

Inside the “fue mejor” Video

Daniel Sannwald directed the clip, which Consequence described as steamy and futuristic, playing like a thriller with “many great outfits and flames.” FLOOD Magazine pointed out that the two singers are literally dancing in flames at one point, while Hypebae flagged the sparkling, revealing looks. It is a moody, glossy match for a song built on slow-burning chemistry.

Where Kali Uchis Went Next

Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) earned a Grammy nomination for Best Música Urbana Album. Uchis, who split her childhood between the Washington, D.C. area and her father’s hometown of Pereira, Colombia, followed with Red Moon in Venus in 2023 (No. 4 on the Billboard 200), then Orquídeas in 2024 and Sincerely in 2025, both of which peaked at No. 2.

Quick answers

What album is “fue mejor” with SZA on? The deluxe edition of Kali Uchis’ Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), released September 30, 2021.

Who sang on the original “fue mejor”? PARTYNEXTDOOR, on the standard version of the album from November 2020.

Where is Kali Uchis from? She was born in Alexandria, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C., and spent time growing up in Pereira, Colombia.

Sources

The FADER — “Kali Uchis shares new version of “fue mejor” featuring SZA”

Consequence — “Kali Uchis Recruits SZA for “fue mejor” Remix: Stream”

Wikipedia — “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)”