The world has their eyes, hearts, and ears set on the incredible talent that is American gospel recording artist, Tori Kelly. Kelly hit the music scene with her debut album titled Unbreakable Smile. Now, four years later she has released her newest creative project Inspired by True Events. While sitting down for an interview with Hugh McIntyre of Forbes magazine, Kelly discusses her journey of moving through pop and gospel music, understanding her fans along the way, and expressing herself fully in everything she produces.
Kelly describes her new album, highlighting the stories and lyrics behind it all, claiming it as her most personal album.
“I think what probably happened naturally was I went to what felt comfortable, which is stripped down, raw, live instrumentation. Keep the music part of it really simple, to where the lyrics and my voice can pop more. I think my first album, Unbreakable Smile, was more like, “Here I am world! Here’s some pop songs and I’m going to sing all big!,” which is so much fun. I love that still. But with this album it felt like it was time to just kind of… They call this my “grown-up album.” I think every artist probably goes through that feeling of, “Hey I need to just say some things, whether or not it makes sense. This is my story. This is what needs to come out.” Hopefully, people connect with the songs and can relate to them. I’m being really honest on this album.”
Tori Kelly has fans from every walk of life. Thousands upon thousands have become exposed to gospel music since she has grabbed the world’s attention. As she dances in and out of different genres, she stays true to herself, her style and her fans.
“I went gospel, I went into that genre, and I have so much respect for that genre and it’s also so much a part of me. And not only the genre, but the message too, and what they’re singing about. My faith is a huge part of my life. To answer your question, it’s awesome to be able to say, “Yeah, I’ve done country songs. I’ve done gospel songs. I’ve kind of gone all over”, but from my perspective, it still feels like it’s me. It’s still my voice. I’m still putting all of myself into it. So if anything it’s fun for me to share and experiment. I don’t have to stick to one lane. I’ve been calling it life music. Life songs. It doesn’t always have to have a title on it.”
Don’t forget to check out Inspired by True Events and follow Tori Kelly for more releases and updates!
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