Tori Kelly Is Releasing A Gospel Album Called ‘Hiding Place’

Mike Wass | August 27, 2018 1:23 pm
Tori Kelly's 'Hollow' Video
The pop star is all alone in an abandoned house in her moody 'Hollow' video.

Tori Kelly’s Unbreakable Smile is one of the better debut albums in recent memory, which means that the followup was always going to be a big deal. However, instead of going with another R&B/pop opus, the powerhouse vocalist is releasing a collection of gospel songs called Hiding Place. It turns out the album was exclusively written or co-written by the legendary Kirk Franklin. “I flew out to Dallas and Kirk showed me a few songs he’d written, and I fell in love with all of them,” the 25-year-old recalls.

“Next thing you know, one song turned into us doing a whole project together,” she continues. “I grew up on gospel music, so the fact that a legend like Kirk Franklin would take me under his wing was just a dream come true.” That sentiment is echoed by the man himself. “I’ve never seen anyone that’s a monster behind the microphone like Tori Kelly,” Kirk raves. “She’d nail one song in three takes, and all those takes were amazing. It set the bar higher for my whole career.” That’s high praise indeed.

As for the title, Tori drew inspiration from verse 7 of Psalm 32: “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with songs of deliverance.” She is hoping to convey the same feeling through her music. “That always stuck with me: this idea of God being a place of safety, a place where you can hide from all the crazy things that this world can throw at us,” the hitmaker explains. “I want people to feel uplifted and encouraged when they listen.”

“I want them to know that, no matter what they’re going through, there’s a God who loves them so much and so unconditionally, and there’s always a reason to feel hope, even when you’re in a dark place,” the “Hollow” singer implores. “That’s what I really believe in, and I want everyone out there to hear my heart.” Hiding Place drops September 16. You can pre-order it now. See the tracklist and watch a live version of Tori & Kirk’s uplifting duet “Never Alone” below.

Tori Kelly’s Hiding Place tracklist:

1. Masterpiece (feat. Lecrae)

2. Help Us To Love (feat. The Hamiltones)

3. Sunday

4. Just As Sure (feat. Jonathan McReynolds)

5. Psalm 42

6. Questions

7. Never Alone (feat. Kirk Franklin)

8. Soul’s Anthem (It Is Well)

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