As is routine for budding popstars nowadays, Kali Uchis made her name by bequeathing her vocals to tracks by more famous artists – Major Lazer, Tyler, the Creator and Snoop Dogg among them. But her debut album – a collection that pivots around a stark, almost satirical juxtaposition between saccharine sound and bleak subject matter – suggests the Colombian-American musician has the vision to establish a career just as distinctive as those of her early champions.

Isolation is a place where head-in-the-clouds fantasy rubs up against cold, savage reality – blissful dream sequences give way to disturbing tales of exploitation over a backdrop of lush and sleepy retro-R&B, occasionally spiked with the hypnotic lurch of reggaeton. Feel Like a Fool sees Uchis vent about a cheating boyfriend through the syrupy sound of 60s girl groups; Tomorrow’s pillowy production cushions a story about a girl forced into sex work by her father, while In My Dreams examines the joys of self-delusion via a whimsical falsetto and tinny synth-line. It’s a dichotomy reflected in the album’s making – a process that spanned both wildest dreams-territory (recording with icons like Bootsy Collins) and the stuff of nightmares (Uchis began writing it at a time when she was living in her car).

In Uchis’s persona, there are echoes of Lana Del Rey’s forlorn romanticism and arch nostalgia, as well as Amy Winehouse’s imperious old-school soul. Impressively, however, the 24-year-old never seems like a watered-down approximation of her forebears. Isolation is a record that feels rich, self-assured and deeply personal – and one that should ensure Uchis isn’t relegated to second billing ever again.