In an exciting announcement, last week, two-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist Tori Kelly revealed her brand new single “High Water” and announced her forthcoming fifth studio album, “TORI.”, scheduled for release on April 5, 2024, via Epic Records. This incredible new release acts as the follow-up to her collaboration with League of Legends and DEEGAN, titled “You & Me Makes Us”.
TORI., the artist’s fifth studio album, follows the success of her acclaimed 7-track EP, “tori”, released in 2023. The new album promises a comprehensive portrayal of Tori Kelly’s evolution, blending sounds from the late ’90s and early ’00s in innovative ways, all while showcasing Kelly’s dynamic and versatile voice.
The announcement is coupled with the release of the captivating single “High Water”, a compelling anthem that effortlessly melds Kelly’s formidable vocal prowess with a sonic landscape brimming with optimism for what lies ahead. The song serves as a call to action, with Kelly beautifully singing across an acoustic-driven backing beat, “Something is coming in the morning if I can make it through the night. Whatever comes hell or high water, I know what’s on the other side.”
Passionate from the very start, it’s always been undeniable how incredible Kelly is, her rich tone and gorgeous vocals always strike chills in listeners, but she’s really come into her own lately by taking a pinch of Y2K R&B-pop nostalgia and making it current, and “High Water” is certainly no different. Heartfelt and passionate throughout, these lyrics are honest, relatable, and personal, co-written and co-produced by Kelly, herself, alongside Jon Bellion and Jason “Tenroc” Cornet. Soulful and powerful, “High Water” is just one of those songs that stick with you for the rest of the day, plus Kelly’s effortless vocal runs towards the end are flawless.
In a personal statement, Kelly shares her journey in creating the album: “I have been working on my next album for the last few years, exploring new sounds & expressing so many different sides of myself. I thought I had covered it all until I had a health scare in July of last year that reminded me just how fragile life can be. ‘High Water’ is about simply holding on and believing that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.”
The accompanying official music video for “High Water” is reportedly set to be released soon, yet as we await such a visual, Kelly has treated fans by releasing an official live video version. This live version is just as hard-hitting as the studio version, with Kelly absolutely nailing the vocals—we expect nothing less from her. Plus, who needs a choir? Kelly certainly doesn’t, she just grabs her clones and gets them to sing in harmony! What a visionary live performance video and we just know this new album is going to be her best collection of tracks to date!
With TORI., Tori Kelly is ready to embark on the next phase of her career, inviting audiences to join her on this transformative journey. Talking about her hopes for this song, Kelly expressed, “Now my hope is that [“high water”] will uplift others in whatever they might be going through and encourage them to keep going.”
Tori Kelly, a two-time GRAMMY Award winner, has consistently captivated global audiences with her powerhouse voice, eloquent songcraft, and vibrant spirit. Her extensive catalogue includes platinum-certified singles such as “Hollow” and “Should’ve Been Us,” along with gold-certified hits like “I Was Made For Loving You” and “Nobody Love.” Since her debut album, Unbreakable Smile, she has continued to make a mark in the music industry with subsequent releases.
In addition to her musical achievements, Kelly has expanded her influence across various media platforms, including starring in the animated series Sing and Sing 2 as the elephant known as Meena who has stage fright. She also has made multiple appearances on Sesame Street, The Masked Singer (as the Seahorse), American Idol, Rugrats, and more.
As Tori Kelly prepares for the release of TORI., her fans can anticipate a powerful and resonant album that solidifies her status as a 21st-century superstar. We cannot wait to hear more from this forthcoming album, which is available to pre-order and pre-save right now.
Also available right now are tickets to Tori Kelly’s forthcoming headline tour titled Purple Skies Tour. The tour will see her travel across the United States and Canada, hitting a total of 12 dates. It is set to kick off on April 12, 2024, in Ventura, California, and wrap up in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 3, 2024. It is unknown, as of yet, if the tour will be a North American tour only, or if she’ll announce overseas dates—we expect she will and we certainly will need tickets to her UK shows. Tickets can be bought by clicking here.
Tori Kelly’s Purple Skies Tour Dates:
- April 12, 2024 – The Majestic Ventura Theater, Ventura, California
- April 13, 2024 – Ace of Spades, Sacramento, California
- April 16, 2024 – Knitting Factory, Boise, Idaho
- April 17, 2024 – Knitting Factory, Spokane, Washington
- April 21, 2024 – MacEwan Hall, Calgary, Canada
- April 22, 2024 – Midway Music Hall, Edmonton, Canada
- April 24, 2024 – Burton Cummings, Winnipeg, Canada
- April 26, 2024 – The Sylvee, Madison, Wisconsin
- April 27, 2024 – The Intersection, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
- April 30, 2024 – Mercury Ballroom, Louisville, Kentucky
- May 2, 2024 – Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, Iowa
- May 3, 2024 – The Midland Theatre, Kansas City, Missouri
“High Water”, by Tori Kelly, is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via Tori Kelly Publishing under exclusive licence to Epic Records with Beautiful Mind Records.