GRAMMY-nominated artist Tori Kelly honors her gospel roots on the new R&B infused project, Hiding Place, which was released today by Capitol Records. Produced by 12-time GRAMMY Award winner Kirk Franklin and available everywhere, the collection features guest artists Lecrae, Jonathan McReynolds and The Hamiltones, official background vocalists for GRAMMY winner Anthony Hamilton.
“With gospel music, you can’t sing without all your heart being in it,” says Tori Kelly . “This album was an opportunity to do what I felt and never hold back. I could just be free and let the song take me over.”
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Find Your Hope in God| Posted September 14, 2018 What You Need to Know:
Following up her debut Unbreakable Smile, Tori Kelly delivers Hiding Place, an R&B-infused, infectiously melodic take on classic gospel. The album features Kelly teaming up with 12-time Grammy Award-winning gospel legend Kirk Franklin.
What it Sounds Like:
She was the 2016 Grammy Award nominee for Best New Artist, and this album gripped me right from the opening track with Kelly’s strong and emotive vocals wrapped around gospel truth. If you like CCM powerhouse vocalists Blanca, Lauren Daigle and Mandisa, or pop singers Meghan Trainor, Kelly Clarkson and Alessia Cara, you’ll be absolutely blessed and engaged by every note of every song.
Spiritual Highlights:
Biblical truth is woven through every word of every song right from the opening track, “Masterpiece” featuring Lecrae. The upbeat song proclaims lyrics about our identity found in Christ - “when You look at me, do You see a work of art in the making?” expressing truth from Ephesians 2:10(NLT): "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago." In the standout song “Psalm 42,” Kelly beautifully sings the powerful ballad expressing the Bible passage, “As the deer pants for the water so my soul needs You Lord.” Psalm 42:11 says “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” The Bible and songs like this are meant to be encouragement to know that there is always hope ahead. Most of all, we need to remember that God is the source of all hope, it doesn't come from anything we can do, and we need to believe. The desire to see God’s plans revealed is beautifully phrased in the tender ballad, “Questions” as Tori achingly sings “I have so many questions. I don't know where to begin, since You were there at the beginning, You already know the end.”
Best Song on the Record: “Never Alone” features Kirk Franklin. I can’t get enough of the catchy melody which causes me to sing along loudly with Tori: “I know somebody, He calls me His own, I can hear heaven singing out, Oh, you're never alone!” The album has an exceptional set of songs based on truth that deal with the identity struggle we all face of knowing that as children of God, we are made in His image, and we are made whole only by His love. We are all in need of God to fix our beautiful mess in some way, and the beauty of grace is that it is not something we deserve or can earn. I love to sing along with this song with all of my heart: “My imperfections were a part of Your plan, And if all things work together in the end, The broken will be beautiful.”
Final Word:
Kelly shared about her album “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. That’s what I really believe in, and I want everyone out there to hear my heart.” The album has many songs about being made in God's image and not seeking society's approval or “putting our hope in material things,” but knowing that God created and loves us all as we are. Hiding Place does a wonderful job of challenging the world's definition of satisfaction and acknowledging our doubts, struggles, pain and “questions,” while also acknowledging that Jesus is the answer to all that we want and need. The theme of the album is to find your hope in God from Psalm 42, and this album is loaded with positive, grace-filled messages of hope from someone who understands that true happiness only comes from her relationship with God. Do yourself a favor and get this album immediately.
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