Tori Kelly
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Victoria Loren Kelly (born December 14, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained recognition on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
before making it through to Hollywood week on the ninth season of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' in 2010 and eventually releasing her debut EP, '' Handmade Songs'' (2012). In 2013, Kelly signed with
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
and released her first major-label EP ''
Foreword A foreword is a (usually short) piece of writing, sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Typically written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between th ...
'' (2013) which reached top 20 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. She followed with her debut studio album '' Unbreakable Smile'' (2015), which peaked at number two and garnered the singles " Nobody Love", " Should've Been Us" and " Hollow" which marked her first three appearances on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Kelly released her second studio album, '' Hiding Place'' (2018), to critical acclaim and won two
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
for Best Gospel Album and Best Gospel Performance/Song. She followed with '' Inspired by True Events'' (2019), '' A Tori Kelly Christmas'' (2020), and later signed to
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
and released '' Tori'' (2024). Outside of music, Kelly has voiced Meena in the '' Sing'' franchise and competed on '' The Masked Singer''. She has received numerous accolades including a BET Award, two ''Billboard'' Music Awards, three
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
overall, and a
GMA Dove Award A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards ceremonies presented annually and have been held in Nashville, Tennessee exce ...
.


Early life

Victoria Loren Kelly was born in Wildomar, California, to her father, Allwyn, who is of Jamaican and Puerto Rican ancestry, and her mother, Laura, who is of Irish and German descent. She has a younger brother named Noah. Growing up, she was exposed to a variety of music by her parents. "I give them a lot of credit for just playing all different genres, and no genre was off limits," she said when asked about her upbringing. Kelly is a
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
. Faith plays a part in her songwriting, though she does not consider herself a part of the
Christian music Christian music is a genre of music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christianity, Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence and lament, and its f ...
genre. Kelly appeared on the show '' Star Search'', but lost to vocalist
Tiffany Evans Tiffany Evans (born August 4, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Evans rose to fame in 2003 as a contestant on ''Star Search'' (hosted by Arsenio Hall), she became the first contestant in ''Star Search'' history to earn a perfe ...
, who won the title of Junior Champion in the junior singer division. In 2004, she participated on ''
America's Most Talented Kid ''America's Most Talented Kid'' is an American television series that premiered on NBC on March 28, 2003. In each round, three age groups (3–7, 8–12, 13–16) of talented children would perform songs, dance numbers, magic (illusion), magic, a ...
'', singing
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
's " Keep on Singin' My Song" and won, beating out musician Hunter Hayes. She made a second appearance on the show in the Tournament of Champions, but lost to Antonio Pontarelli, a rock musician. At age twelve, Kelly accepted a record deal with
Geffen Records Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...
, but both sides agreed to end the contract due to creative differences. In 2007, Kelly began posting videos to YouTube, at the age of 14. The first video she uploaded was a cover of John Wesley Work Jr.'s " Go Tell It on the Mountain", which she originally performed back in December 2004. Kelly gained recognition for her acoustic cover, with a fellow YouTuber named Angie Girl, of
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
's " Thinkin Bout You". Despite failing to reach the top 24 on ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'', she took a new tack in her music, learning how to play the guitar, composing original song pieces, and recording them herself on her computer. Tori began posting her performances on YouTube, and quickly reached over 1,000,000 subscribers.


Career


2010–2014: American Idol and breakthrough

In 2010, Tori auditioned for Season 9 of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' in Denver, Colorado and made it through to Hollywood Week but did not reach the "Top 24" of the artists. She had claimed that she was 'devastated' but she had given it her all. Afterwards, she was asked to take part in a youth version of the 1985 charity song "
We Are the World "We Are the World" is a charity single recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones for the album '' We Are the World''. With sales in excess of 20 milli ...
" titled "We Are the World: The Next Generation". On May 1, 2012, she released her first EP, titled ''Handmade Songs by Tori Kelly'', which was released on her own label, Toraay Records. Kelly wrote, produced, engineered, and recorded the EP by herself in her bedroom. Shortly after its release, the EP made it to the Top 10 Pop Albums list on iTunes. She called the EP a "warm up" to a full-length album that was to come in the future. As of 2013, it had sold more than 14,000 copies and reached number nine on the US Heatseekers Albums chart. In February 2013, Kelly released a single called "Fill a Heart", which she wrote for the "Child Hunger Ends Here" campaign by ConAgra Foods and
Feeding America Feeding America is a United States–based Nonprofit organization, non-profit organization that is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other c ...
. The song was later performed by British boy band The Wanted on ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
''. Starting in April 2013, Kelly performed at eight venues across continental U.S. for her "Fill a Heart" tour, helping out at the cities' food banks during the day. She has performed in venues such as the Troubador and the Roxy in Los Angeles, the Gramercy Theater in New York and Bush Hall in London. She has also been featured in magazines such as ''
Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American progressive online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to '' Vogue'', targeted at teenage girls and young women. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and ...
'', ''
Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...
'' and '' Glamour''. During mid-2013, Kelly's newly assigned manager Scooter Braun introduced her to the heads of
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
. She had been "very skeptical" about signing with a major record label in fear that things would not work out in her favor. "I'd been burned before. But when I met those guys, I had never felt that way: They were fans and really got me." On September 6, 2013, she was signed to
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
. In September 2013, she was picked as Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month and was featured on NBC's '' Today'' show hosted by
Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford (Given name, née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress, and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show ''Live with Kelly and Mark, Live! wi ...
and
Hoda Kotb Hoda Kotb ( ; born August 9, 1964) is an American broadcast journalist, television personality, and author. She was the main co-anchor of the NBC News breakfast television, morning show ''Today (American TV program), Today'' from 2018 to 2025, ...
, where she performed her single "Dear No One". Kelly announced on ''The Today Show'' that her major label debut, a second EP, titled ''
Foreword A foreword is a (usually short) piece of writing, sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Typically written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between th ...
'', would be released on October 22, 2013, on
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
. By the end of November the EP had sold more than 16,000 copies, debuting at number 16 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. Kelly was the sole supporting act to
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
at Madison Square Garden on November 1, 2013, and supported Sam Smith on their In the Lonely Hour UK tour in October 2014. Kelly wrote and recorded a song called "Silent" for ''The Giver: Music Collection'', supporting the film adaptation (''
The Giver ''The Giver'' is a 1993 young adult dystopian novel written by American author Lois Lowry and is set in a society which at first appears to be utopian but is revealed to be dystopian as the story progresses. In the novel, the society has take ...
'') of the novel ''
The Giver ''The Giver'' is a 1993 young adult dystopian novel written by American author Lois Lowry and is set in a society which at first appears to be utopian but is revealed to be dystopian as the story progresses. In the novel, the society has take ...
'', which was released on iTunes on August 5, 2014. On August 7, 2014, Kelly posted a live acoustic version of the song on her YouTube channel; which has over 2.6 million views as of October 2015. Kelly was featured on "
Lullaby A lullaby (), or a cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies, they are used to pass down cultural knowl ...
" by British rapper Professor Green, which was released in the United Kingdom on September 14, 2014. The song peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, thus providing Kelly with her first top ten song in the United Kingdom. Kelly was featured on the medley "
Winter Wonderland "Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himb ...
"/" Don't Worry Be Happy" on
Pentatonix Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) are an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Matt Sallee, and Kevin Olusola. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements wit ...
's album '' That's Christmas to Me'' that was released in October 2014. On December 1, 2014, it was announced that Tori Kelly was one of MTV's Artist's To Watch. She privately performed two songs for MTV: "Funny" and "Dear No One"; both can be found on her Artist To Watch page. Her "Funny" performance was aired on MTV for several weeks.


2015–2018: ''Unbreakable Smile'' and ''Hiding Place''

Throughout 2014, Kelly worked with Braun on her debut album in which she had contributions from Toby Gad, Max Martin, and
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
. The lead single from the album, " Nobody Love", was released on February 8, 2015. It was written by Rickard Goransson, Max Martin, and Tori Kelly herself. Kelly performed " Nobody Love" at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. The album, entitled '' Unbreakable Smile'', was released on June 23, 2015, and debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. Kelly performed "Should've Been Us" at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. In October 2015, Kelly covered the song "
Colors of the Wind "Colors of the Wind" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Walt Disney Pictures' 33rd animated feature film, '' Pocahontas'' (1995). The film's theme song, "Colors of the Wind" was originally recorded by ...
" from ''
Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...
'' on the '' We Love Disney'' album. " Hollow" was released on October 22, 2015 as the first single from the new edition of ''Unbreakable Smile''. In the same month, Kelly became the brand-ambassador of William Rast, the clothing line co-founded by
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
. In late 2015, Kelly received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 58th Grammy Awards. She performed at the ceremony with English singer
James Bay James Bay (, ; ) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. It borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and is politically part of Nunavut. Its largest island is Akimiski Island. Numerous waterways of the ...
. She became the first artist in history to perform a Christian pop song at the
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s. Kelly recorded an updated version of
Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She began her music career in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the mid-1980s. Grant has been referred to as "Honorific ...
's 1991 single " Baby Baby", with Grant herself. Commemorating its 25th anniversary, when Kelly was still 23, the song was released on April 29, 2016. Kelly made her cinematic debut in the animated film '' Sing'' (2016), voicing Meena the elephant. On July 10, 2016, Kelly released an original song " Blink of an Eye" to honor her friend
Christina Grimmie Christina Victoria Grimmie (March 12, 1994 – June 10, 2016) was an American singer and internet personality. In 2009, she began posting covers of popular songs onto YouTube. After releasing her debut EP, '' Find Me'' (2011), her YouTube c ...
, on the one-month anniversary of her murder. On May 7, 2017, Kelly played the Beale Street Music Festival in
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
, opening for
Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
at what would be one of their final performances before frontman Chris Cornell died by suicide on May 17. On June 9, Kelly and
rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
Lecrae Lecrae Devaughn Moore (born October 9, 1979) is an American Christian rapper, singer-songwriter, actor, and Record producer, recording producer and Music executive, executive. Since having begun his career in 2004, he has released ten studio alb ...
, released the single " I'll Find You", with Kelly as the featured artist. The accompanying music video was released on July 28, 2017. It features various St. Jude Hospital patients, and Kelly and Lecrae singing over a black backdrop. It peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop chart, No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs and No. 17 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. She also collaborated with country singer Chris Lane on his single " Take Back Home Girl" which has since charted at No. 57 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In September 2017, Kelly announced her engagement to basketball player André Murillo. In December 2017, she performed a version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with Jacob Collier, posted to YouTube. On March 30, 2018, Kelly released the single "Help Us to Love" featuring the HamilTones, which served as the lead single to her second studio album. On May 20, 2018, she announced her and Murillo's marriage in an
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
post. On August 23, Kelly revealed on her personal Instagram that her album, '' Hiding Place'', would be released on September 14. The second single of the album, " Never Alone", was released on August 24. On September 7, Kelly announced a tour in support of the album. Kelly later earned her first Grammy Awards with ''Hiding Place'' which won Best Gospel Album and Best Gospel Performance/Song with " Never Alone" from the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.


2019–2022: ''Inspired by True Events'' and other projects

On January 18, 2019, Kelly announced that she would be going on The Acoustic Sessions tour starting in February. Tickets went on sale on January 25 along with the release of her new lead single "Change Your Mind" for her upcoming third studio album. On June 26, 2019, Kelly announced her third studio album '' Inspired by True Events'' which was released on August 9, 2019. Kelly announced the "Inspired by True Events Tour", which was to visit American and European cities, in October 2019. However, on December 18, 2019, Kelly announced that the tour would now only involve Europe, Australia, and Asia, with new dates added, and a quiet cancelation of the American leg of the tour. On March 18, 2020, Kelly canceled her remaining tour stops in Europe, Australia, and Asia due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. On March 21, 2020, Kelly began broadcasting a daily live stream on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
which she named "QuaranTEA with Tori." The show was hosted from her home where she sang fan-requested songs, answered fans' questions, and featured several celebrity guests to interview and duet with (remotely). The guests included
AJ Rafael Arthur Joseph Rafael (born March 12, 1989), known professionally as AJ Rafael, is a Filipino-American singer-songwriter, YouTuber, and TikToker. Born in Moreno Valley, California, he graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 2010. Rafael st ...
, Alessia Cara, David Archuleta,
Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), she starred in the Disney Channel short series ...
, H.E.R., Jessie J, JoJo,
Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the American Idol (season 6), sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. He ...
,
Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American Gospel music, gospel musician. One of the List of best-selling gospel music artists, best-selling gospel music artists, his accolades include 20 Grammy Awards. ''Variety (magazine), Var ...
, Natasha Bedingfield, and many more. After 7 weeks, Kelly ended the show to work on new music. On July 22, 2020, Kelly released a cover of
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
's "Time Flies (Drake song)#Tori Kelly version, Time Flies" as the first single of her EP ''Solitude (EP), Solitude''. On August 11, three days before the EP's release, Kelly released "Unbothered (song), Unbothered" as the second single. Kelly released ''Solitude'' on August 14 which includes four original songs which she wrote while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, coronavirus pandemic. On July 30, 2020, Kelly was featured on Jacob Collier's "Running Outta Love" from his album ''Djesse Vol. 3''. A version for ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' was released on August 3. On October 7, Kelly announced a Christmas album, '' A Tori Kelly Christmas'', which was released on October 30. The album was produced by Babyface (musician), Babyface. Two extra songs, including an original and a cover of "All I Want for Christmas Is You", were released as bonus tracks exclusively at Target. In late 2020, Kelly also competed on The Masked Singer (American TV series) season 4, season 4 of '' The Masked Singer'' as "Seahorse". Kelly made it to the semi-finals of the competition, before being unmasked in a triple elimination alongside Chloe Kim as "Jellyfish" and Taylor Dayne as "Popcorn". In 2021, Kelly recorded a cover of "Waving Through a Window" for the soundtrack album of the Dear Evan Hansen (film), 2021 film adaptation of ''Dear Evan Hansen,'' produced by Justin Goldner. On November 2, 2021, she published her first book, ''The Curly Girl Blues''. That same year, she reprised her role as Meena in ''Sing 2''.


2023–present: ''Tori''

In February 2023, Kelly performed a rendition of "Hallelujah" alongside Andrea Bocelli for Bocelli's music special ''The Journey: A Music Special from Andrea Bocelli''. In March, it was announced that Kelly had signed with
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
, and released her first release under the label, "Missin U (Tori Kelly song), Missin U", which sampled the 2000s single "Fill Me In" by Craig David. On her new sound, Kelly noted that she "wanted to go back in time" and revisit R&B and hip-hop sounds popularized by 90s and mid-2000s artists like Destiny's Child, Aaliyah, Missy Elliot, and TLC (group), TLC. On July 28, 2023, Kelly released her fourth EP, ''Tori (EP), Tori'' under Epic and singer-songwriter Jon Bellion's record label Beautiful Mind Records, Beautiful Mind. A deluxe reissue of the EP was also released with three live recordings. In February 2024, Kelly released the single "High Water" and announced her fifth studio album, '' Tori''. The album was released on April 5, 2024. A deluxe edition was released on October 11, 2024.


Personal life

Kelly married André Murillo, a professional basketball player in Germany, in 2018. On July 23, 2023, Kelly was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after collapsing at a restaurant in Los Angeles. Blood clots had been found in her legs and around her lungs. On July 27, Kelly released a message stating that she felt better but was undergoing treatment. On July 31, Kelly was discharged from the hospital.


Artistry


Influences

Kelly cited gospel music as childhood music influence, praising artists such as
Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American Gospel music, gospel musician. One of the List of best-selling gospel music artists, best-selling gospel music artists, his accolades include 20 Grammy Awards. ''Variety (magazine), Var ...
. Kelly has frequently cited contemporary R&B, R&B and soul music, soul artists for her music influences, including girl groups Destiny's Child and Mary Mary, also cited "power vocalists" such as Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Jazmine Sullivan, Brandy Norwood, Brandy, Kelly Clarkson, and
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
. She also cited music productions by Timbaland and Darkchild as inspiration for her works. Her other influences or inspirations include Lauryn Hill, Aaliyah, India Arie, Crystal Lewis, Alexis Ffrench, Michael Jackson,
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
, John Mayer, Jill Scott (singer), Jill Scott, TLC (group), TLC, Missy Elliott, J. Moss and Stevie Wonder.


Discography

* '' Unbreakable Smile'' (2015) * '' Hiding Place'' (2018) * '' Inspired by True Events'' (2019) * '' A Tori Kelly Christmas'' (2020) * '' Tori'' (2024)


Tours

Headlining * Where I Belong Tour (2015) * Unbreakable Tour (Tori Kelly tour), Unbreakable Tour (2016) * Hiding Place Tour (2018) * The Acoustic Sessions Tour (2019) * Take Control Tour (2023) * Purple Skies Tour (2024) Supporting * Sam Smith - In the Lonely Hour Tour (2015) *
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
– +–=÷× Tour (all European dates) (2025)


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards and nominations

The following is a list of awards and nominations received by Tori Kelly.


Awards


Notes


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Tori 1992 births Living people 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American women singers 21st-century Christians American actors of Jamaican descent American actresses of Puerto Rican descent American child singers American contemporary R&B singers American women singer-songwriters American Idol participants American musicians of Jamaican descent American musicians of Puerto Rican descent American people of German descent American soul singers American gospel singers American voice actresses American writers of Irish descent Christians from California Grammy Award winners People from Canyon Lake, California People from Wildomar, California People of Afro–Puerto Rican descent Schoolboy Records artists Singer-songwriters from California