After The Storm (feat. Tyler, The Creator & Bootsy Collins)

At its core, "After The Storm" is an anthem of resilience, self-empowerment, and the necessity of navigating life's struggles to achieve personal growth. The central thesis of the song—elegantly summarized in the recurring line, "'cause after the storm's when the flowers bloom"—is that hardship is not merely an obstacle to be avoided, but a vital catalyst for transformation and blooming. Kali Uchis explores the idea that pain and discomfort are universal experiences, yet the responsibility for overcoming them lies solely within the individual.

A critical layer of the song is its rejection of passive victimhood. In the pre-chorus, Uchis sings, "No one's gonna save you now / So you better save yourself." This serves as a realistic yet deeply empowering wake-up call. Rather than waiting for external forces or a metaphorical "hero" to resolve one's struggles, the song urges listeners to look in the mirror and recognize their own agency and strength. The "storm" represents life's inevitable challenges, depression, and personal isolation, while the "flowers" symbolize the strength, beauty, and wisdom acquired from enduring those trials.

Furthermore, the song tackles the concept of survival and systemic struggle. In her commentary on the song, Uchis noted that she holds immense respect for survivors, recognizing that the systems in place do not make success easy for everyone. This perspective grounds the song's optimism in real-world struggle, making its message of perseverance feel authentic and earned rather than shallow. Tyler, The Creator's verse adds a lighthearted contrast, demonstrating how finding a supportive partner or creative outlet can act as an "umbrella" against the storm, highlighting the balance between individual self-reliance and the comforting nature of mutual connections.

The journey begins with a philosophical warning delivered by funk legend Bootsy Collins, who advises vigilance and mindfulness about what we put out into the world, noting that karma ensures whatever goes around eventually comes back. He playfully warns the listener to look both ways before entering someone's thoughts. From here, the singer reflects deeply on the invisible struggles of others, wondering about the internal battles and quiet demons that people face entirely on their own. She translates this to her personal reality, lamenting her inability to return home to Colombia and acknowledging that phone conversations are a poor substitute for true presence. Despite this homesickness, she declares that everyone must persist and carry on.

This realization transitions into a powerful call to self-reliance. If a person is searching for a savior or a hero to rescue them from their despair, they need look no further than their own reflection in the mirror. The reality of life is that no one else is coming to save you; you must rescue yourself. Even though everyone is carrying their own hidden wounds and experiencing pain, giving up is simply not an option. True survival requires digging deep, hanging on, and actively taking control of one's own destiny.

This resolve is punctuated by a hopeful promise: the sun will eventually break through the clouds. Acknowledging that nothing valuable comes without hard work, the narrative asserts that while times are undeniably difficult, true champions persevere and refuse to quit. Despite the endless, grueling cycles of struggle, love and peace will be found because the storm itself is what prepares the soil for flowers to eventually bloom.

A male counterpart enters, playfully challenging the notion of hardship by boasting about his own rising success and status. He compares the singer's supportive presence to a protective umbrella that shields him from the elements, allowing the warm sun to beam down on him. Using lighthearted, quirky, and colorful imagery, he compares her captivating allure to a car driving him wild and likens their creative partnership to classic pop culture duos. He proposes that they join forces to create something legendary and thrilling, blending their contrasting styles like chocolate and vanilla into a harmonious union.

The message returns to its core theme of persistent effort. The narrative directly questions those who wallow in self-pity without actually putting in the necessary work to improve their circumstances. It suggests that understanding and transformation are accessible to anyone willing to ask questions and maintain an open mind. As life quickly passes by, the ultimate lesson is that crying is futile unless it is backed by action; one must continuously try and keep moving forward to witness the beautiful aftermath of the storm.

The creation of "After The Storm" is a fascinating story of musical serendipity, bridging generation gaps and connecting modern indie-soul with classic funk royalty. The track was released on January 12, 2018, as the third single from Kali Uchis' critically acclaimed debut studio album, Isolation. The songwriting process was a collaborative effort involving Uchis, Tyler, The Creator, legendary Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins, and the members of the acclaimed Canadian jazz/instrumental group BADBADNOTGOOD (Matthew Tavares, Chester Hansen, Alexander Sowinski, and Leland Whitty), who also produced the track.

The collaboration with Bootsy Collins began on social media. In a 2015 interview with Billboard, Uchis expressed her deep admiration for the funk pioneer and joked that she was waiting for him to follow her back on Twitter. Collins noticed the interview and reached out to her shortly after. This online connection blossomed into a real-life artistic partnership when Uchis traveled to Collins' recording studio ranch in Ohio. During her stay, they recorded multiple tracks, including "Worth My While" for Collins' album World Wide Funk and the vocals/ad-libs that Collins contributed to "After The Storm."

Meanwhile, Kali Uchis and Tyler, The Creator already shared a rich history of collaborations. Tyler had been a fan of Uchis since her 2012 mixtape, Drunken Babble, and they had previously worked together on tracks like "F***ing Young/Perfect" and "See You Again" from Tyler's 2017 album Flower Boy. Their chemistry on "After The Storm" was natural; Tyler wrote his verse as a direct, playful response to Uchis' introspective lyrics. The production by BADBADNOTGOOD laid down a smooth, vintage-inspired instrumental that perfectly fused Uchis' neo-soul sensibilities, Bootsy's psychedelic funk legacy, and Tyler's eccentric hip-hop style.

The rhythm of "After The Storm" is anchored by a relaxed, mid-tempo groove operating at approximately 80 beats per minute. Produced by BADBADNOTGOOD, the drum pattern is steady and laid-back, providing a solid foundation for the swinging, syncopated basslines that pay homage to classic 1970s funk. There is a playful syncopation in Uchis' vocal delivery; she sings slightly behind the beat, which enhances the song's dreamy, effortless, and unbothered mood. In contrast, Tyler, The Creator's verse brings a sharper, highly rhythmic cadence that cuts through the mellow instrumental with percussive, syncopated flow.

Lyrically, the song eschews rigid, traditional rhyme schemes in favor of a fluid, conversational structure that relies heavily on internal rhymes and slant rhymes. For instance, in the pre-chorus, Uchis pairs "hero" with "mirror" and "hurtin'" with "through it," prioritizing the natural cadence of speech over perfect matches. Tyler's verse features tighter, more complex rhyme clusters, blending words like "offensive," "scene," "ever," "umbrella," and pairing "Bambi" with "Camry" and "Randy." This structural flexibility allows the lyrical rhythm to blend seamlessly with the warm, improvisational feel of the jazz-funk backing track.

Stylistically, "After The Storm" is a masterclass in blending retro literary devices with genre-fluid musical arrangements. Literarily, the song employs highly visual and playful similes and comparisons, particularly in Tyler, The Creator's verse. He compares the intense spotlight of fame or attention to "headlights beaming on Bambi" and uses automotive wordplay by pretending a room is a street and Uchis is a "Camry" driving him crazy. The song also utilizes rhetorical questions in the opening verse ("Did you ever wonder... what he might be going through?") to foster empathy and prompt deep introspection in the listener. Allusions are scattered throughout, referencing pop culture icons like Tito and Randy Jackson, Michael Jackson's Thriller, and Tyler's own Flower Boy era.

Musically, the song is defined by its warm, analog-rich 1970s soul aesthetic, crafted beautifully by BADBADNOTGOOD. The instrumental features a smooth, rolling bassline, sparkling electric keyboards, and warbly synthesizers that evoke a dreamy, psychedelic atmosphere. The vocal contrast is a crucial stylistic technique: Kali Uchis delivers her lines with a soft, breezy, and seductive tone that conveys both vulnerability and effortless strength. This is juxtaposed against Tyler's deep, gravelly, and rhythmically precise rap delivery, and further enriched by Bootsy Collins' eccentric, heavily phased funk ad-libs. Collins' voice floats in and out of the mix, acting as an otherworldly, reassuring narrator who glues the track's eras together.

Upon its release, "After The Storm" received widespread critical acclaim and solidified Kali Uchis' status as one of the leading voices in contemporary alternative R&B and neo-soul. Critics praised the song's seamless integration of classic funk elements with modern indie sensibilities. The track's enduring popularity is reflected in its massive streaming numbers, surpassing 950 million streams on Spotify and cementing it as one of the standout tracks from Uchis' highly praised debut album, Isolation.

The song's cultural footprint was significantly expanded by its iconic, highly stylized music video, directed by Nadia Lee Cohen. The video presents a surreal, retro-futuristic, Technicolor world heavily inspired by 1950s and 60s Americana. With its vibrant, pastel-hued aesthetic, the video features Kali Uchis as a retro housewife, Tyler, The Creator as a literal plant grown from a seed packet, and Bootsy Collins appearing on a cardboard box and in animated form. The visual style of the video became an instant viral sensation, heavily influencing fashion aesthetics, mood boards, and trends across platforms like Tumblr, Pinterest, and TikTok.

Furthermore, the track holds a special place in the discographies of both Uchis and Tyler, The Creator, marking a peak of their frequent, highly celebrated collaborations. It proved that independent, genre-defying artists could achieve mainstream success without compromising their eccentric artistic visions, paving the way for a broader acceptance of psychedelic soul and funk revivals in modern pop music.

The lyrics of "After The Storm" are rich with natural imagery and vivid metaphors that elevate its message of mental fortitude. The most prominent metaphor is the storm itself, which serves as a representation of life's inevitable hardships, internal conflicts, and emotional low points. The storm is not depicted as a permanent state, but rather as a passing phase. This is contrasted with the sun, which symbolizes hope, clarity, renewal, and the promise of better days ahead.

The metaphor of blooming flowers ("'cause after the storm's when the flowers bloom") illustrates the concept of post-traumatic growth. It suggests that suffering and struggle are necessary conditions for beauty and strength to develop, much like rain is required for plant life to flourish. This botanical theme connects deeply to Tyler, The Creator's verse, where he playfully claims the title of the "hottest flower boy," referencing his own artistic growth and his album Flower Boy.

Another powerful symbol is the mirror, representing self-realization and introspection. By telling the listener, "If you need a hero, just look in the mirror," Uchis strips away the illusion of external salvation. The mirror acts as a confrontation with one's own agency, signifying that the power to change one's circumstances resides within. Additionally, the umbrella in Tyler's verse represents emotional safety and companionship, symbolizing how mutual love and supportive relationships can shield a person from the harshest elements of life's struggles.

The most prominent lyrical motif in the song is the chorus's closing line: "'cause after the storm's when the flowers bloom." This phrase acts as the emotional and thematic anchor of the entire track. Its repetition reinforces the central message that beauty, wisdom, and strength are the direct results of weathering difficult times. This botanical motif is mirrored in Tyler's verse and visually in the music video, establishing growth and nature as a core theme.

Another crucial recurring phrase is the instruction to "save yourself." Repeated during the pre-chorus, this phrase serves as an empowering mantra. By hammering this idea home, the song rejects the passive hope for external rescue and instead champions internal strength. Additionally, Bootsy Collins' reassuring vocal ad-libs, such as "Sometimes it hurts, baby" and "Yes, we do, baby," act as a recurring comforting motif. These ad-libs provide a warm, fatherly counter-voice to Uchis' independent stance, suggesting that while you must save yourself, you are not entirely unloved or unguided in the universe.