Tori Kelly announces Australian tour including Bluesfest

American singer Tori Kelly has been named in Bluesfest’s fourth artist announcement in addition to Alanis Morissette. Kelly will also make her way down the east coast for a couple of headline dates in Sydney and Melbourne.

12 months ago Kelly scored two Grammy Awards for her second studio album, Hiding Place. Along with Best Gospel Album, the single ‘Never Alone’ won the award for Best Gospel Performance/Song. The track features fellow contemporary gospel crossover act Kirk Franklin. Franklin was central to the album’s creation, writing or co-writing each of its eight tracks.

Watch: Never Alone by Tori Kelly

Artists like Kelly and Franklin are carrying gospel music into the pop sphere in a manner akin to people like Clara Ward and Aretha Franklin in the 1960s and ‘70s. Maybe that’s why Kanye’s having a crack at gospel, too?

Kelly’s releases aren’t bound by tradition, however. Hiding Place and 2019’s Inspired by True Events embrace brawny pop-R&B production. You just have to look at the Inspired By True Events production credits to see where Kelly’s ambitions lie.

Sam Smith co-pilot Jimmy Napes, Dr Dre sideman Mike Elizondo and Taylor Swift collaborator Noel Zancanella all feature. The trio of hotshots complements Kelly’s powerful vocals and personal storytelling. The lyrics reflect on Kelly’s parents’ sudden separation, her marriage to basketball player André Murillo and the death of her grandfather.