Tori Kelly's Personal Touch on New Album God Must Really Love Me: Reflections on Faith, Marriage and the Miracle of Motherhood

JAKARTA - Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Tori Kelly has officially announced the arrival of her sixth studio album, God Must Really Love Me, which is scheduled to be released on June 12.

This latest work marks a deep emotional transition phase for Kelly, where he chooses to shed the grandeur of the 2000s pop-R&B production that was carried over in the album "TORI." (2024), to embrace a warmer and more intimate acoustic feel.

Through this album, Kelly takes her listeners on a journey into the three main pillars of her life today, namely the power of faith, the harmony of marriage with André Murillo, and her new experience as a mother.

"I feel very clear about what I want to say, which is the three pillars: my faith, my marriage, and then being a mother," Tori Kelly said, quoted by Variety, Wednesday, May 6.

"I feel like this is the album and this is where I am now. From there, everything started to form. It feels good to look at my life and say, 'this is my life. I love it," he continued.

The creative process for the album began organically when Kelly accompanied Ed Sheeran on tour in Europe last summer.

In the midst of being pregnant with her first son, Zayden, Kelly was plagued by anxiety about the future of her music career after giving birth. However, these concerns disappeared in just a few days after giving birth last November.

Only ten days after Zayden was born, Kelly was flooded with inspiration to record various ideas through voice memos on her phone.

The core recording process was then completed in lightning speed within two weeks with his mainstay collaborators, Tommy King and Dan Farber, where Zayden's tiny voice was even accidentally recorded on several tracks while he was in his mother's arms.

"I'm so happy right now.' That's the reason why I want to name it 'God Must Really Love Me', because when I step back for a moment and listen to his songs, there is a feeling of gratitude, like seeing these blessings in my life. God must really love me," he said.

Musically, Kelly took a more restrained and minimalist vocal approach compared to his previous works that emphasized his vocal technique.

He deliberately reduced the theatrical aspect so that the message in his lyrics could be conveyed more clearly. According to him, there is something "open" in his ability to write songs this time, where he no longer thinks too much and lets honesty flow as it is.

As a warm-up before the full album launch, Kelly released two singles at once, "Control" and "Dive", which can be enjoyed on various digital music platforms.

Ahead of the album's release, Kelly is also preparing to return to the stage via the "The Jesus Generation" tour with Forrest Frank, which begins in early June.

Interestingly, she will be bringing her husband and son along on the tour - a move that affirms a new balance between career and family.

Through "God Must Really Love Me", Kelly hopes that listeners will not only enjoy the melody, but also be able to reflect on their own lives. He wants this album to be a reminder for each individual to take a moment to breathe, spend time with loved ones, and realize how valuable they are.