Q&A: Rising pop star Tori Kelly celebrates motherhood, faith on ‘God Must Really Love Me'

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Tori Kelly has a lot on her plate these days.

For starters, the multitalented singer-songwriter-guitarist just dropped her sixth studio album - the terrific "God Must Really Love Me" - and has been busy promoting it with national TV spots and in the press.

The three-time Grammy winner has also hit the road as the main support on Forrest Frank's blockbuster The Jesus Generation Tour.

More significant than all of that, however, is that this former "American Idol" contestant is enjoying life as a new mom, having welcomed her first son - Zayden Michael Murillo - in November.

I recently had the chance to talk with Kelly, who might be best known to fans of family programming for voicing Meena the elephant in those fabulous "Sing" animated films. We chatted about the big concert tour and great new album - both of which have been greatly impacted and influenced by the arrival of Zayden.

Q: Good to talk with you, Tori. Let's jump right into the present with the new album, which I'm greatly digging. I hear Zadyn all over the record - both figuratively and literally. Talk to me about how he impacted the recording of the album.

A: He's such a big inspiration for this album and, actually, I feel like he gave me a lot of clarity for what this album should be. Like right when he was born, I started getting just so many ideas and I would record them into my phone while I was holding him. Just these really sweet times and it was a whole new experience for me too, just intertwining motherhood and my art.

I'd never experienced that, of course. So, being able to, in real time, have an outlet like music to just express all of these new emotions that come with being a mom was so awesome - just to have a place to sort of put those feelings and unpack them.

Q: Yeah, I get that. You really do need to have some type of an outlet to try and express - and digest - all those feelings that come with the arrival of a child in your life.

A: It's a lot of big, big feelings becoming a parent and I was just so overwhelmed in a great way. My heart was so full and still is full and is expanding. It's just been like the biggest blessing ever.

Q: And you can very much hear that when you sing about your son. But then that sense of feeling blessed spills right on over to, and colors, the rest of the material on the album

A: I'd say there's sort of an overarching theme of just gratitude and peace and love, and there are these kind of bigger themes as like the umbrella for the album - hence, you know, the title, "God Must Really Love Me." I think everything kind of stems from that title, which is why I wanted to call it that.

Q: I know that feeling. It's like everything that you are grateful for - including, of course, the blessing of having a child - just points right back to God. So, when you're in that frame of mind, all of the best things in life make up a kind of gratitude list that underscores God's love for us. It all blends together.

A: You're hitting it on the nose, for sure.

Q: Yet, the blend on "God Must Really Love Me" also extends to the types of music we're hearing. You express your feelings of love and thankfulness in a variety of different ways - utilizing acoustic pop, R&B, soul, gospel and more.

A: When I think of music and just different genres, you know, I've done a gospel project before and I've done pop music and I've kind of done these different genres. And I think this is the first time where I said, "You know what? I don't really want to choose a genre. I want everything to live in one album because that's who I am. My faith is a part of every aspect in my life. So instead of choosing one lane, let me just speak from the heart and see what comes out.

And this is what came out.

It was kind of freeing to do that and not have to like box myself into a specific category. Other people can do that and that's fine. People like having genres and different categories to place me in, which is totally fine. But, for my own creative process, it was nice to not even think about any of that and just allow myself to freely write about what was happening in my life.

Q: What's the experience been like of touring as a new mom? I know that you have Zayden out on the road with you.

A: I can't even fathom being away from him, you know? It's just such a special bond to be able to have him on the road while I'm still in work mode, but then also able to be a mom.

I'm still kind of figuring out, of course, how it all works. I'm not claiming to be an expert at all because it's all very new for me. But all I can say is that it has been such a joy and really just awesome to see it all kind of working together and not having to worry about how do I balance these two things.

I have to give a shout-out to my husband (André Murillo) too, because I don't think I'd be able to do it without his support. He's just been so supportive from Day 1 and just like locking in on dad mode and it's been cool. We're very much teammates in this, so it's been really awesome for our relationship, too.

Q: You've done a lot of vocal duets over the years, including with one of my favorites - the great Amy Grant. But I'm wondering what it was like to record that duet with your brand new son on the title track to "God Must Really Love Me." It's so precious to hear his voice at the start of the album.

A: I wrote that one with some amazing writers - Isabelle Zikai, Feli Ferraro and a producer named Ammo. We wrote that song and then, as I walked away from that session, I was like, "Maybe this is how the whole album starts. Maybe this is the intro to the album." Because it just felt like such a cool phrase - "God must really love me." There's something to that.

Q: Besides it being very much true.

A: Right. Exactly. I was like it has a ring to it. So, I decided to strip (the song) down and keep it just really simple with the organ. Then when it was time to record vocals, I had a little studio set up at my house and I just had (Zayden) on my lap and I was like, "Let me just see what happens. I'm just going to record and, you know, if he makes noise then that's fine. And if he doesn't, that's also fine because I'll have the memory of recording it with him."

And sure enough, he just started making all this noise on my lap.

Q: He's a gamer! A future entertainer! It's like, "Let's go, Zayden, you're on!"

A: Yeah, exactly. It's like he knew exactly what to do and I was like, "Oh, this is perfect."

Q: Following in mom's footsteps already.

A: Yeah, right. He actually opens the album and he closes the album too. He's like the first and the last voice that you hear, so it felt kind of poetic to do that.

Q: Yes, a nice little full circle there. Hey, let's move on and talk about the big tour that is bringing you to Northern California. What's it like sharing the stage and bill with Forrest? He's certainly accomplished a lot - hit singles, awards, huge tours, etc. - since releasing his major label solo debut just a little less than two years ago.

A: Yeah, gosh, seeing what he has built - and, like you said, in such a short time - has been really awesome and really inspiring.

We have a song together on his album ("Miracle Worker," on 2024's "Child of God") and that was the first time we connected. I had seen his stuff online before and was a fan. But then he had his album come out and it just like kept building from there and now he's playing these arenas.

Q: Absolutely, he's now one of the biggest concert draws in the business.

A: And a really cool thing too is there are so many families (at the shows). It's all ages. It's like older people, people more like my age and there are little kids just all over the audience. And you can tell it's like the first concert ever for some of them. So, to be a part of such a core memory for these kids has been really sweet, too.

Also, just to be a part of something that's bigger than myself has been really awesome. I've played shows for so long and they're all so different, but I think this one feels unique because of that. It's like I'm up there and these people aren't just there to just watch me on stage. There's a bigger purpose and there's, you know, something way bigger happening. So to be a part of that and share that experience with them has been really special.

Q: This might be the first time that some of your fans have attended a worship music concert. Can you help them understand what the experience is like? Because it feels very different than a regular pop show.

A: Yeah, it does. But why I think Forrest is so unique in this space is that the music is just so fun and high energy. If you have young kids, especially, they're going to have a blast - no matter what.

Q: And what should we expect to get from your set?

A: Expect to get a blend of everything. I have my gospel album (2018's "Hiding Place") and I'll do songs from that. I do some of my new stuff where I'm talking about my faith on there. I'll do some of the "Sing" stuff because, you know, the kids love the "Sing" movies, so I felt like I had to throw that in there.

I'm sort of like kicking things off and warming things up and then Forrest gets up there and he does his thing.

It's really cool to see because it's all led by the fans. The fans are just singing their hearts out to God, knowing every single word and just like having so much fun dancing around.

It feels so uplifting and encouraging and there's just this sense of hope that is in (the venue). People are coming - I think probably similar to me - to be a part of something that's bigger than themselves.

They want to come and lift up the name of Jesus and be in a room of people who believe in the same thing. But even if you don't believe in the same thing and you don't share the same faith, I think you would still be able to come and gain something from it and still enjoy your night.

Q: You brought up "Sing" earlier, which kind of spoils my joke. But I just wanted to ask you if anyone has ever told you that you sound a lot like Meena the elephant?

A: (Laughs) Yeah, I get, I get that quite a lot.

Q: At what point does Zayden get introduced to Meena?

A: Oh, that's a good question. I should probably test it out and see if he recognizes the voice. At these shows, my husband will send me videos of him watching me on stage and it's kind of like he can tell that it's me singing. So, I need to play the movies for him.

Q: How can your fans - and I - be praying for you?

A: Oh, this is such a sweet question.

Wow, I think in the moment what comes to mind is probably just being really present as a mom. That's the No. 1 priority, right? I would never want anything to get in the way of that.

I would love prayer for trying to find that (career/family) balance. I'm not only on tour but I'm also putting out this album, so there's all this like promo and different things that come with that that are going to keep me pretty busy.

So, I think just keeping my heart right - making sure I'm getting my alone time and my quiet time, centering myself and, of course, being a mom. It would be great if I could get some prayer for that - and just figuring all of this out.

It's all so new, you know? But I'm loving it.

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