What You Missed: Tori Kelly at The Sylvee

As Tori Kelly, from under a spotlight, flows through her Jacob Collier collaboration, "Bridge Over Troubled Water," people around me gasp and exclaim that they have goosebumps. They know about her insane vocal runs from her YouTube channel and TikTok, but it's different when she's casually sitting on a stool, a sea of fans in front of her, and doing it in one perfect take. And when the crowd roars for her, she humbly smiles back at them in thanks.

Despite being known as the singer that makes vocal coaches jealous, Tori's Purple Skies Tour isn't just a showcase for her vocal prowess. She's writing songs for pop and R&B lovers, and most importantly, for herself. While she's cycled through pop, R&B and gospel, her newest body of work, TORI., reminisces a type of '90s R&B that Tori grew up with. There's elements across the album that remind me of a mix between Ariana Grande and Aaliyah, and the production is so distinctly 2000s with punchy Backstreet Boys-type beats and the Justin Timberlake-esque acoustic guitar laying underneath. It's not just her singing that's inspired by the '90s and '00s either--for some of the instrumental sections, Tori breaks out into some Usher-like dancing. It's enough to inspire a fan to yell, "Oh, she's feeling herself!"

I remember watching Tori Kelly's cover videos on YouTube, circa the 2010s. She knew virality before it was a common household term, bringing in hundreds of thousands of views with each webcam cover (those videos now tout millions of views). The internet knew about Tori Kelly before Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, who went about the same route in their early days.

It's a little different for newcomer, Zinadelphia, our opener for the Purple Skies Tour. The young singer admits that she's pretty new to the industry, and that this is only her fourth tour ever. She looks like she could be the next TikTok breakout girl, with clean glowy makeup and a coquette-like outfit on, complete with cherry earrings and her iconic little red shoes. Don't let her aesthetic fool you--Zinadelphia is a powerhouse singer, inspired by neo soul and catching the eye of other funk and soul vocalists like Teddy Swims.

At one point during the show, Tori takes a beat to think about what she'll sing next: "I have too many songs...let me just ask y'all what you want to hear." Lots of titles get yelled out, but a group at the front screams non-stop for "Funny," a live song from her album, Unbreakable Smile (2016). In the acoustic track, Tori ponders on what it means to be a star and the downside of fame.

Throughout her career, Tori would go on to the ninth season of American Idol, create a discography spanning over a decade, earn Hot 100 spots, Grammy wins, an opening spot with Sam Smith, and collaborate with artists like John Legend, Ed Sheeran, Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber. She's moved with the changing tides of the internet and the music industry, all while her growing fanbase watches through the screen. Her growth has been gradual but sustainable, and it feels like she's finally regaining momentum through viral TikTok clips and her growing fanbase of A-list stars.

Even with the millions of views and being in the spotlight for well over a decade, Tori approaches her shows with warmth. The Sylvee isn't at its fullest for her, and there's plenty of room in the back for once. She's played bigger and fuller rooms than this, but she still goes on stage and acts like it's the greatest show she's ever done--her vocals never falter and neither does her smile.