I’ve been a Tori Kelly fan ever since I heard “Nobody Love” on the radio for the first time. I admired her even more after I saw her sing on a couple of awards shows. She usually performs with just her guitar, and I always find myself wanting to tell all the other performers to take note. Sometimes you don’t need all the background noise, flashy set decorations, and dancers on stage with you.
Last week I finally saw Tori perform live, and today I am here to tell you that you should give her and her music a chance if you haven’t already. If you’re unfamiliar with Tori, here are seven things you’ll love about this up-and-coming star:
She got famous on YouTube.
And that means she made herself famous. Tori, who is originally from California, auditioned for American Idol Season 9 in Denver, but sadly didn’t make it into the top 24. She had already been posting covers on YouTube at this time, so she kept doing her thing and look where it got her!
She embraces her curly hair.
In a world full of hair straighteners, Tori lets her big, curly hair fly free. It’s become one of her most defining physical characteristics, and I love it. I’ve (unsuccessfully) tried to embrace my naturally curly hair many different times, and I always think about trying it again when I see hers.
This girl knows how to play guitar.
Exhibit A. Not only does she have some serious pipes, but she’s an extremely talented guitarist. In this video, she switches effortlessly between strumming with a pick and picking strings with her fingers. She had a band with her at her show, but she played about 40 percent of the songs by herself. I love seeing ladies rock a guitar!
She’s just as incredible live as she is on her album.
Artists like this aren’t that common, but Tori sounds exactly like she does on her album. She hits all the notes and all the runs. She seems to be more focused on the music than giving some kind of flashy performance, and it works really well for her.
She plays cool covers at her shows.
When I saw her live last week, Tori played an awesome cover of Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” that flowed into Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing).” Watch it here! This was fun for everyone in the audience because who doesn’t know these songs!?
She’s relatable.
I was almost a little surprised when Tori came on stage because she was wearing a simple black shirt, black pants, and a two-toned jacket. Like I mentioned before, she’s not trying to impress anyone with revealing outfits and choreographed performances. She wore what I would wear if I wanted to be comfortable and in front of a bunch of people.
She’s young, but people of all ages love her music!
Tori’s 23, but there were people of all ages at her show. I specifically remember a mom and her young daughter coming up to the bar and ordering drinks. (Coke for the little girl, obviously!) During the show, there was this group of moms standing behind us who were having such a grand time on their ladies’ night out, and they kept commenting on how fantastic Tori’s voice sounded. She’s also a great role model for young girls, and this makes the parents like her too.
So if you like talented, inspiring, and entertaining musicians, RUN, don’t walk to check out Tori’s album, Unbreakable Smile, today!
