GRAMMY Award-winning, multi-platinum musician Kali Uchis found herself in hot water last week after making a now-deleted social media post that mistakenly accused the British band SLEEP TOKEN of donning “blackface.”
The incident unfolded following the record-breaking debut of SLEEP TOKEN’s new album, Even In Arcadia, which catapulted the band to the #1 spot on the Billboard Artist 100 chart. Uchis, who held the #4 position, shared a screenshot of the chart on her Instagram Story, highlighting her own ranking but conspicuously obscuring SLEEP TOKEN’s name and the image of their enigmatic frontman, Vessel, with a white heart emoji.
A social media user quickly called out Uchis’ move, commenting, “Imagine being so petty that you censor the #1 band on an IG Story, SLEEP TOKEN is better.” In response, Uchis explained her reasoning, stating, “To be honest I didn’t feel comfortable posting a photo of someone in blackface it really wasn’t deeper than that, doll.”
However, her explanation sparked further controversy. Another user pointed out the perceived inconsistency in her actions, noting that Uchis had left country singer Morgan Wallen’s name and image uncensored in the same post. Wallen was widely criticized in 2021 after being caught on video using a racial slur. The user asked, “So you’re not comfortable posting SLEEP TOKEN on your story because of alleged blackface, but you are comfortable with showing Morgan Wallen’s face and name, when he is a known racist. So are you comfortable with posting racists on your story?”
Uchis responded, clarifying that her decision was made hastily and without deeper knowledge of the individuals involved. “I actually know nothing about either person I just saw a photo that made me uncomfortable and covered it,” she replied.
The misunderstanding likely stemmed from SLEEP TOKEN’s theatrical aesthetic, which incorporates elements of black metal-inspired corpse paint and cryptic masks. This makeup is a key part of the band’s visual identity and not connected to any racist intent or blackface tradition.
You can view Uchis’ original posts in this Reddit thread, though they have since been removed from her official social media pages.
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.