Tori (album)

Tori
Studio album by Tori Kelly
Released	April 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)
Genre	R&B pop
Length	40:37
Label	Epic Beautiful Mind
Producer	Tori Kelly TenRoc Jon Bellion The Diner Jason Cornet Jonny Koh The Monsters & Strangerz P2J Johnny Simpson
Tori Kelly chronology
Tori (2023) Tori (2024)
Singles from Tori
"Missin U" Released: March 17, 2023 "Cut" Released: July 28, 2023 "Young Gun" Released: September 16, 2023 "High Water" Released: February 9, 2024 "Thing U Do" Released: April 5, 2024

Tori (stylized as TORI.) is the fifth studio album by American singer and songwriter Tori Kelly. It was released on April 5, 2024, through Epic and Beautiful Mind Records. Tori follows A Tori Kelly Christmas (2020).

The album features guest vocal performances from Ayra Starr, Kim Chae-won, ^[1] and Jon Bellion. ^[2]

Background

In March 2023, it was announced that Kelly had signed a recording contract with Epic Records. ^[3] She began releasing tracks from her upcoming fifth album (including the singles "Missin U", "Cut", and "Young Gun") before compiling them on an extended play of the same title, Tori (2023). ^{[4] [5]} In the fall of 2023, she embarked on the Take Control Tour in support of the EP. ^{[2] [6]}

Kelly felt she had finished work on the album in early 2023 after several sessions with singer-songwriter Jon Bellion. However, she was inspired to write the lead single "High Water", after suffering a health emergency due to blood clots in her legs and lungs that July. ^{[7] [8]} The track was released on February 9, 2024. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]}

She embarked on the Purple Skies Tour in support of the album, with the first leg starting on April 12, 2024, in Ventura and concluding on May 3, 2024, in Kansas City. ^[13] She started the second part of the tour on August 17, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan and will conclude on December 9, 2024 in London, England. ^[14]

Genres and composition

Tori. is an R&B and pop album which heavily borrows from Y2K-inspired sounds. ^[4] It features powerful vocals and upbeat production as a result of Kelly being in a "happy place" during the record's conception. She cited Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Aaliyah, and Destiny's Child as influences. ^[15]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tori Kelly, Jason Cornet and Jonathan Bellion, and produced by TenRoc and Bellion, with additional contributors noted.

Tori track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Thing U Do"	Clyde Lawrence Jordan Cohen Suzanne Vega	Tori Kelly The Diner	4:05
2.	"Missin U"	Lawrence Cohen Craig David [a] Mark Hill [a]	Kelly The Diner	2:57
3.	"Diamonds"		Kelly Elkan [c]	3:00
4.	"Cut"	Lawrence Cohen Rodney Jerkins Timothy Mosley	Kelly The Diner	2:56
5.	"Spruce" (featuring Kim Chae-won of Le Sserafim)	Lawrence Cohen Casey Smith	Cohen Jonny Koh	2:43
6.	"Shelter"	Lawrence Cohen Chloe George	Kelly The Diner	2:51
7.	"Oceans"	Lawrence Cohen Richard Isong	Kelly The Diner	2:38
8.	"Purple Skies (Interlude)"	Lawrence Cohen Isong	The Diner	0:26
9.	"Unbelievable" (featuring Ayra Starr)	Lawrence Cohen Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe Isong	Kelly P2J The Diner	2:38
10.	"Shine On"	Lawrence Cohen Michael Pollack Stefan Johnson Jordan Johnson	Kelly The Diner The Monsters & Strangerz	2:57
11.	"High Water"			2:48
12.	"Young Gun" (featuring Jon Bellion)	Lawrence Cohen Jonathan Simpson	Kelly The Diner Johnny Simpson	2:53
13.	"Alive If I Die"	Lawrence Cohen Gaia Gozzi	Kelly The Diner	2:34
14.	"Missin U" (R&B edit)	Lawrence Cohen David [a] Hill [a]	Kelly The Diner	2:52
15.	"Same Girl"		Kelly	2:28
Total length:				40:37

Tori (+ a lil more) track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Distance"	Kelly Bellion Cornet Elijah Noll Grace Youn	Kelly TenRoc	3:11
2.	"Bottomline" (featuring JoJo)	Kelly Joanna Levesque Bellion J. Johnson S. Johnson	Kelly Bellion The Monsters & Strangerz	3:22
3.	"U"	Kelly Andrew Neely Peder Losnegård	Kelly Lido	2:50
4.	"Beautiful War" (featuring Pink Sweats)	Kelly David Bowden Dante Bowden Joseph Ruffin	Dante Bowden Ruffin	2:02
Total length:				51:32

Notes

• ^{^[c]} signifies a co-producer
• All tracks are stylized in all lowercase letters.

Sample credits

• ^{^[a]} "Missin U" contains samples of "Fill Me In", written by Craig David and Mark Hill, performed by David. ^[16]

Personnel

Musicians

• Tori Kelly – lead vocals, background vocals
• Jason Cornet – programming, synthesizer (tracks 1–6, 9, 11–15); guitar (1–5, 7, 11–13, 15), bass (1, 5, 11, 15), background vocals (1, 2, 13, 14), drums (3, 11, 15)
• Jon Bellion – background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4–7, 9, 13), programming (1, 2, 4–6, 9, 12–14)
• Clyde Lawrence – background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 12, 14), synthesizer (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12–14), guitar (13), bass (1)
• Jordan Cohen – programming, synthesizer (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 9, 12–14); background vocals (1, 2), horns (1), saxophone (5)
• Jonny Koh – programming (track 1), guitar (5, 12, 13), synthesizer (5, 12)
• Jon Batiste – background vocals (track 1)
• Jon Lampley – horns (track 1)
• Johnny Simpson – background vocals (track 2)
• Timbaland – background vocals (track 4)
• Mateus Asato – guitar (tracks 6, 7)
• Laura Metcalf – cello (track 8)
• The Resonance Collective – strings (track 8)
• Tomoko Akaboshi – violin (track 8)
• Grace Youn – violin (track 1)
• Jeanine Cornet – trumpet (track 9)

Technical

• Chris Gehringer – mastering
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• TenRoc – engineering (tracks 1–9, 11–15)
• Jordan Cohen – engineering (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12–14)
• Jonny Koh – engineering (tracks 1, 5, 7, 8, 12), engineering assistance (2, 4, 6, 9, 13, 14)
• John Arbuckle – engineering (tracks 1, 7, 10, 13)
• Peter Enriquez – engineering (track 8)
• Bryce Bordone – engineering (tracks 10, 11, 15), engineering assistance (2, 4, 6, 9, 12–14)

References

1. Ziwei, Puah (March 19, 2024). "Tori Kelly teases new song 'Spruce' with Le Sserafim's Kim Chaewon". NME. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
2. Rasp, Alyssa (March 20, 2024). "Oh, How We Have Missed the Beauty of a Tori Kelly Show". The Aquarian. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
3. Eggertsen, Chris (March 14, 2023). "Signed: Tori Kelly to Epic Records; Dove Cameron & Nate Smith to WME". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
4. "Tori Kelly Feels Like a 'New Artist Again' with Y2K-Inspired Single 'missin u'". Peoplemag. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
5. "How Tori Kelly Used Hair Dye, Y2K & Collaborators To Create Her Most Authentic Project To Date". grammy.com. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
6. Paul, Larisha (August 15, 2023). "Tori Kelly Gets Back in the Game With 'Take Control' Tour After Health Emergency". Rolling Stone . Retrieved March 27, 2024.
7. Mier, Tomás (February 9, 2024). "Tori Kelly Announces Self-Titled Album, Drops New Single 'High Water'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved March 19, 2024.
8. Inman, DeMicia (August 11, 2023). "Tori Kelly Drops "cut" Music Video Shortly After Hospitalization". VIBE.com. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
9. "Tori Kelly Details Writing an 'Inspirational Song' for New Album After 2023 Hospitalization (Exclusive)". Peoplemag. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
10. Stickler, Jon. "Tori Kelly Announces Fifth Album Tori With New Single High Water". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
11. "Two-Time Grammy® Award-Winner Tori Kelly Announces New Album Tori. Releases New Single "High Water" – Sony Music Canada". www.sonymusic.ca. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
12. White, Logan (February 9, 2024). "Tori Kelly announces new album + shares lead single "High Water"". Substream Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
13. Major, Michael (February 12, 2024). "Tori Kelly Announces New Spring Tour Dates & Shares 'high water' Single". BroadwayWorld . Retrieved March 19, 2024.
14. Shahyar, Sabrina. "Purple Skies Tour: Tori Kelly and Maisy Kay - Anaheim, CA". Crucial Rhythm.
15. Horowitz, Steven J. (April 4, 2024). "Tori Kelly on How Her Love of Destiny's Child and Timbaland Inspired Her Y2K-Inspired, Self-Titled New Album". Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
16. Rowley, Glenn (March 17, 2023). "Tori Kelly Serves Up Y2K Fantasia in Colorful 'Missin U' Music Video". Billboard . Retrieved March 19, 2024.