A very opinionated review
Note: I originally wrote this in late 2023, so tori has been out for more than “a few weeks” now. So, these are also my first thoughts when the EP was released.
Tori Kelly’s EP, tori, came out a few weeks ago, and I love it. To be fair, I have never disliked anything Tori Kelly has released, and I don’t think I ever will, but still.
Disclaimer: Tori Kelly is my favorite, and this entire thing will be extremely biased.
Anyway, this is a completely different sound than we’ve ever heard from her, with it being Y2K reminiscent, with a mix of R&B.
And with Jon Bellion producing the entire EP, along with some members from the band Lawrence, I don’t think there is any way I wouldn’t like it. I think her last EP, Solitude, was the closest sounding to this one, with it being more acoustic instead of the late 90s/early 2000s sound.
She hasn’t only adopted the early 2000s sound, but also the style. Her music video for “missin u” referenced numerous artists that were popular during the early 2000s, including Destiny’s Child, Missy Elliott, and Aaliyah.
Also mirroring the Y2K style is Tori’s fashion, along with her hair, which she has changed back to brown, her natural color she used to wear when she was younger.
I’m gonna be completely honest and say that I was hesitant at first when she started releasing snippets of the single, “missin u”. I personally love her music best when her voice is at the forefront, usually her more acoustic stuff, and this song sounded like a lot was happening for me to be able to focus just on her voice.
THEN, they released a clip of her recording the song, and I was like, “Oh dang, how could I forget that she’s gonna freaking SING *wink wink* on everything she releases”. I then listened to “missin u” a million times when it came out.
cut
Ok, “cut” is the first song on the EP, and it seems to be a fan favorite. This is the one that gets stuck in my head. I find myself mind-singing “You don’t want a cut if it’s not with me” all the time, even though I still don’t know what a “cut” is. This one’s just really fun to sing along to.
missin u
So, like I said earlier, missin u was the only single on tori, and I’ve listened to it so many times by now that I automatically skip it, especially because we have an R&B version out now, which I *sarcastic gasp* like better. But, back to “original missin u”. I still really like this song and feel so happy listening to it because this is the first thing Tori has released solo since her Christmas album in 2020, which I may talk about at a later date because I loved it so much that I listened to it for a full year.
shelter
I beg of you, please, listen to this song. At this point in time, it’s my favorite on the EP. It’s just a dang good song, with so many cool parts, including shel…ter. Ugh. And when she sings along with the guitar in the outro. Dead. Also, I love that it’s Mateus Asato playing the guitar, because if you don’t follow Tori Kelly, she and Mateus have performed together a lot. They just play so well together and make dang good music. You know I’m getting excited when I keep using dang as a… whatever I’m using it as. But, if by any chance, you are reading this and haven’t listened to “shelter”, go listen. Now.
unbelievable (feat. Ayra Starr)
This song is super fun. It’s saying that they would be okay by themselves, but they’re glad that they’re not because they’re happy with who they’re with. The beginning of this song is crazy because Tori hits some low notes that I don’t think I’ve ever heard from her. I mean, they are LOW, which is amazing because she’s really exploring her lower register more. I don’t know much about Ayra Starr, but I really like her voice in this song. I think both of their voices sound amazing and mesh so well together.
alive if i die
This one’s a sweet love song, which Tori is really good at. I also don’t know how to explain it, but the chorus kind of feels spacey and futuristic, but also, kind of an older sound? I don’t know, but I like it. There is also a part at the end of the bridge where she starts belting that I CANNOT WAIT to hear her sing it live. *I’ve now heard the live version, and it’s as amazing as I thought it would be*
young gun (feat. Jon Bellion)
Ugh. I love them working together and I love this song. The harmonies are insane. They’re both singing the entire song, so they change up how they sing each chorus, and it’s so good. I also love it because Jon Bellion hasn’t released much lately, and he’s not only producing and working on this EP but also singing on it. I just love it.
missin u — r&b edit
So, if this version had been released before “original missin u”, I wonder if I would have been skeptical at all. Her vocals are so much more in the forefront of this song, the beat is super cool, and with the added bridge and specific run after, it’s so dang good. I also think it’s cool to hear that this one’s more acoustic than the original, and I always love it when she runs all over a song. So, while I still like “original missin u”, I feel like this one has kind of given the song new life.
Another note: Tori has not released a deluxe version with live versions of “shelter”, “alive if i die”, and “missin u — r&b edit”, and they are amazing!
I am so happy that Tori Kelly is releasing music again, and from what I understand, she and Jon have only released part of what will be a full-length album, which I am super pumped about. So, get excited! And listen to tori.
