Tori Kelly Announces New Album ‘God Must Really Love Me,’ Inspired by Faith, Marriage and Motherhood (EXCLUSIVE)

For her forthcoming album, Tori Kelly chose a deeply personal songwriting method, drawing directly from her own life experiences. The Grammy-winning artist, who first gained widespread recognition after appearing on "American Idol" in 2010, tells Variety that her new project, "God Must Really Love Me," is built on three central themes. "My faith, my marriage and then motherhood," she explains. "I was pretty clear on what I wanted to say. From there, it just really started taking shape." The album, exclusively announced on Variety, is scheduled for release on June 12 via Epic Records.

"God Must Really Love Me" represents Kelly's sixth studio album and her first since 2024's "Tori.," a record that heavily drew from Y2K pop and R&B traditions. However, this new collection marks a deliberate shift away from that bombastic sound. Instead, Kelly returns to the warm, acoustic-leaning R&B style that defined much of her earlier work, including her 2015 debut "Unbreakable Smile," which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. To give fans an early preview, she is releasing two singles—"Control" and "Dive"—both dropping this Friday. The album arrives at a time of unprecedented contentment for the singer. "It feels good to look at my life and be like, this is my life. I love it. I'm so happy right now," she says. "That's really why I wanted to call it 'God Must Really Love Me,' because when I took a step back and listened to the songs, it's a feeling of gratitude."

The creative process for the album began unexpectedly last summer while Kelly was touring Europe as a supporting act for Ed Sheeran. During this time, she booked studio sessions along the tour route to develop ideas while pregnant with her son Zayden. She admits to feeling a "little bit of angst" about whether she would maintain creative momentum after becoming a mother. Remarkably, inspiration struck just ten days after Zayden's birth in November, when she began recording voice memos on her phone. By two months postpartum, Kelly entered the studio with key collaborators—including Tommy King (known for work with Dijon and the 1975) and Dan Farber (who has worked with Lizzo)—and completed the bulk of "God Must Really Love Me" in just two weeks. The album also features contributions from Dixson, Nija Charles, Emily Warren, and Ammo. On several tracks, listeners can hear Zayden cooing into the microphone as Kelly held him on her lap during recording sessions. "There's something that unlocked for me in my songwriting," she explains. "It almost feels like I'm not overthinking anymore." Music industry analyst Dr. Sarah Chen notes that this type of raw, immediate recording process often yields some of an artist's most authentic work, as it captures genuine emotional moments rather than polished perfection.

Vocal restraint marks a notable departure for Kelly, who is renowned for her powerful belting ability. On "God Must Really Love Me," she deliberately scales back her theatrical delivery, allowing the storytelling and lyrics to take center stage. "I wanted to capture the feeling in the moment," she says. "I didn't really do multiple takes of these songs. It was pretty much like, day of, the way that we wrote it, let's capture that feeling and then move on." With the album release still a month away, Kelly is preparing to balance work and family life by joining Forrest Frank's "The Jesus Generation" tour, which kicks off on June 1. She will travel with her husband, André Murillo, and their son. Ultimately, Kelly hopes the album's message resonates beyond her own experience. "The title is 'God Must Really Love Me,' but at the end of the day, I would love it if people felt that for themselves too," she says. "Feel how loved they are, how special they are. It's definitely my slow-down type of album. Let's take a deep breath, go outside, touch some grass and be grateful for what we have."