Photo courtesy of Ryman Auditorium
Story by Ladiah Thomas / Contributing Writer
Tori Kelly has come out of hiding with the release of her new gospel album, ”Hiding Place.”
Three years after the last release of her pop album “Unbreakable Smile,” Kelly switches it up and takes us to church with her amazing vocal range and collaborations with great people like Kirk Franklin, Lecrae and The HamilTones. This is a completely different genre for Tori, but it still works just as well. The energy and emotion that she put into all her songs is felt through her lyrics.
This is Tori’s first gospel album but her second full-length album. The album has eight songs, all filled with love and the spirit of life. Songs like ‘“Masterpiece” are motivational, while songs like “Help Us To Love” have inspirational notes. Kelly’s album also has pop tones in some of the songs.
“Masterpiece” is the first song on the album. It features Lecrae, a christian rapper. It has a choir in the background. “Masterpiece” is a song which makes it easy to get up and dance. Lecrae’s rap fit in perfectly and flowed well with the song. Lecrae considers his genre to be “Christian hip-hop”
“Psalm 42” is a slower song but a personal favorite. Kelly sings about needing her lord to guide her and be with her always. She wants to know him, and she wants his love to cleanse her soul. This is one of those songs you can listen to when you feel like nothing is going right in life.
The song “Never Alone” tells us that we are not as alone as we think we are. Kirk Franklin is in this song, and it just happened to be the first single off the album. My favorite line in the whole song is, “There’s not a hole too deep that God’s love is not deeper still. You’ve come too far to give up now.”
“Soul’s Anthem (It Is Well)” is another one of those songs that is just right for bad days. The message with this song is even though you are having a hard day or you feel like everyone is against you, don’t stop praying and don’t stop believing in the goodness and glory of God.
If you really enjoy the album, Tori will be at the Ryman Auditorium on Nov. 8 as a stop on her “Hiding Place Tour.”
To contact Lifestyles Editor Sydney Wagner, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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