GRAMMY Award-winning, multi-platinum musician Kali Uchis found herself at the center of a social media controversy last week after mistakenly accusing the British band Sleep Token of wearing “blackface.”
The incident unfolded shortly after the record-breaking debut of Sleep Token’s latest album, Even In Arcadia, which soared to the #1 spot on the Billboard Artist 100 chart. Uchis, who was holding the #4 position, shared a screenshot of the chart on her Instagram Story to celebrate her own success. However, she drew attention for conspicuously covering Sleep Token’s name and the image of their enigmatic frontman, Vessel, with a white heart emoji.
A sharp-eyed follower quickly noticed the omission and commented, “Imagine being so petty that you censor the #1 band on an IG Story, Sleep Token is better.” In response, Uchis explained her decision, writing, “To be honest I didn’t feel comfortable posting a photo of someone in blackface it really wasn’t deeper than that, doll.”
Her explanation, however, fueled further criticism. Some pointed out the inconsistency in her post, as she had left country singer Morgan Wallen’s name and image uncensored. Wallen faced widespread backlash in 2021 after being caught on video using a racial slur. One 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 by clarifying that her reaction was based on a quick judgment rather than deep knowledge. “I actually know nothing about either person I just saw a photo that made me uncomfortable and covered it,” she admitted.
The confusion likely stemmed from Sleep Token’s signature aesthetic, which blends elements of black metal corpse paint and mystical masks to create a dramatic and cryptic image. Vessel’s stage makeup, while stark and theatrical, is unrelated to any racist intent or the historical practice of blackface.
Though Uchis has since deleted the post, the screenshots and discussion are still circulating online, with a detailed breakdown available on Reddit.
