Posted by The “new era” announced by Kali Uchis in 2023 seems to be working well. After the huge success of Muñekita, which broke every personal record last summer, in October, the Colombian-American singer released Te Mata, a song with a totally different spirit: a melodic ballad with a deeper meaning that made all fans curious. This article will analyze the English lyrics and disclose the song’s message.
You can watch the official video for Kali Uchis’ Te Mata and read the complete English lyrics translation at the end of this article.
Kali Uchis, Te Mata: the English lyrics & meaning
Te Mata is a song about being able to break a toxic relationship and move on: in the lyrics, Kali Uchis is proud of herself, for how she managed to get over her previous relationship and stop caring about what her ex says about her.
“Te Mata” is Spanish for “it kills you”. The song mentions it when the singer explains how she moved on ultimately: she now knows she deserves much more than what she had with her ex, and that makes her happy now. But that’s precisely what makes that person angry. Being aware that they no longer have an influence on her is killing them.
I’m finally happy, my days are no longer gray
I finally realized I deserve so much more
And that kills you
Fans have been wondering if Kali is referring to some breakup she experienced recently. Based on what she explained in this Instagram post, the song doesn’t seem strictly related to her recent history: “I wrote this song about freeing yourself & was inspired by experiences I had growing up, finding my wings & learning to walk away from what life was in order to step into the life I wanted.” Kali Uchis has always been quite protective towards her private life, but the Internet knows about his current boyfriend, American rapper Don Toliver, who posted this beautiful video on 2023’s Valentine’s Day.
In the lyrics of Te Mata, Kali Uchis describes the pain she experienced in those toxic relationships: accepting sadness, crying, going to sleep in that state and starting again the day after, coping with something that doesn’t make you feel good. It’s something many of us can relate to: when being in the wrong relationship, we may need some time to realize we need to break up, and during that passage period, we keep reflecting on our sadness every day until we reach the breaking point for action.
Me, I kept that pain hidden in my soul
The one that took your mistreatment like it was nothing (Always like it was nothing)
And I allowed your actions, they hurt me like bullets
The one who cried herself to sleep and woke up to continue the nightmare
While all that happens, our partner usually blames us as responsible for all problems. From this point of view, Kali Uchis recalls the words she heard many times about being “the devil,” the cause of all pain. But now that she realized the truth, she can say that freely: if that’s what makes me a devil, then fine, I’m the devil.
Well it is what it is, that’s not me anymore (Ah)
If that makes me evil, thеn the devil is what I am
The authentic evidence that proves how Kali moved on arrives at the end of the song, when she explains she’s happy now and just wants to be left alone by her past:
I’m with someone who makes me happy
They love me the way I am, they make me laugh
So just let me be
So that’s the real meaning behind the lyrics of Te Mata: I know this kills you, but I’m happy without you; you can’t hurt me anymore, I ask you to leave me alone. I have no intention of being in pain again because of people like you. A story of emotional growth toward wellness, something we all aim for in our everyday lives.
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The official video and the complete English lyrics
Watch it
I like it when they see how happy I am without them
Me, the devil in your story
The one who knew that to fly I would have to find my own wings
Me, I kept that pain hidden in my soul (Calmly)
The one that took your mistreatment like it was nothing (Always like it was nothing)
And I allowed your actions, they hurt me like bullets (Like bullets)
The one who cried herself to sleep and woke up to continue the nightmare
Well it is what it is, that’s not me anymore (Ah)
If that makes me evil, thеn the devil is what I am
You will never be able to cut my wings (Uh)
And that’s what kills you (Ah)
Well it is what it is, that’s not me anymore (Ah)
I’m finally happy, my days are no longer gray
I finally realized I deserve so much more (Uh)
And that kills you (It kills you)
You must accept that I’m now just a memory
If you’re looking for someone to blame, then look in the mirror
You never knew me, remember it wasn’t worth it (You never knew me and even less now)
It’s time to understand, you have nothing to do with me
And there’s nothing left to talk about, I have already tried
It’s best we leave the past right where it is
I don’t live in the past (This part is good for dancing close to one another)
I’m with someone who makes me happy
They love me the way I am, they make me laugh
So just let me be
I will never give you what you want from me (Uh-uh)
La-la-la, la-la-la
La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la
Well it is what it is, that’s not me anymore (That’s not me anymore)
If that makes me evil, then the devil’s what I am (I am the devil)
You will never be able to cut my wings (My wings)
And that’s what kills you (It kills you, it kills you, it kills you)
Well it is what it is, that’s not me anymore (Uh)
I’m finally happy, my days are no longer gray (Uh)
I finally realized I deserve so much more (Uh)
And that kills you (It kills you)
