Tori Kelly- Hiding Place Album Review
“If you’re looking for a message of hope, and some great lyrics that will stick with you and encourage you throughout the day, give Tori Kelly’s Hiding Place a try. You will be glad you did.”
Tori Kelly’s new album, Hiding Place, is a soulful mix of R&B and Gospel, and is everything you would expect from an album produced by the legend of Gospel Kirk Franklin. Kelly, whose voice has been made famous through her work on the movie Sing, offers us a mix of music styles and a feeling of hope in all circumstances with her latest album. Several songs feature well-known artists alongside Kelly, like Kirk Franklin, Lecrae, The Hamiltons, and Jonathan McReynolds. The album is one of raw emotion and heartfelt crying out to God, but is also filled with hope and love that will leave you encouraged and ready to face whatever the world throws at you. The messages, combined with Kelly’s amazing vocals and the mix of Gospel, R&B, church choir, and even a bit of rap make for an album with something for everyone that will have you smiling and singing along.
The Heart’s Cry
Several songs on the album are filled raw emotion, as a heart cries out to God in desperation about our current circumstances in the world, and about personal life circumstances. In Help Us to Love, Kelly talks about the hate we see in our world, splattered across our TV screens, and the hate we sometimes have for our fellow man. She begs God to teach us to love each other, to open our eyes to the hurting and broken around us. It’s a powerful reminder that God’s love is the only cure to the problems of this world. In Questions, Kelly cries out to God about the struggle of dealing with death and pain and unfair circumstances. She asks God if He is still there, if He cares, and shares that sometimes even as we pray Heaven can feel silent. The raw emotions in this song are some that we have probably all felt at one point or another, but are sometimes afraid to express as Christians. The most powerful line for me in the song says, “What happens when the healing never comes? Do we stand and curse the Heavens, or lift our hands and feel the sun?” With this, she drives home the point that it’s ok to question, but we still have a choice to make in the midst of pain.
Hope, No Matter What
The albums prominent message is one of hope, and many songs are filled with messages of God’s love and provision. In Masterpiece, Kelly speaks of mistakes often being miracles in disguise, and of God’s continual work in our lives to create the masterpiece He envisioned. Lecrae adds some fun to this song with a rap segment that reminds us that the mess we see in ourselves is really God’s masterpiece in the making. In Never Alone, Kelly follows her song of Questions with words of encouragement, sharing that she’s learned God is with her always. She says “I’ve cried many rivers, walked through some pain. I’ve seen my world crumble and I’ve carried the shame. But I know somebody, He calls me His own, I can hear Heaven singing out, oh you’re never alone.” Several other songs also speak of God’s love and His ever-present help in times of trouble. And in the album closing song Soul’s Anthem, Kelly brings home the point of the entire album – that no matter what we face, no matter what season we are in, there is hope in God, and we can say it is well with my soul. The gospel choir and lyrics from an old familiar hymn in this song make it a beautiful, powerful ending to an album that shares truth, hope, and love.
My Takeaways
The albums prominent message is one of hope, and many songs are filled with messages of God’s love and provision. In Masterpiece, Kelly speaks of mistakes often being miracles in disguise, and of God’s continual work in our lives to create the masterpiece He envisioned. Lecrae adds some fun to this song with a rap segment that reminds us that the mess we see in ourselves is really God’s masterpiece in the making. In Never Alone, Kelly follows her song of Questions with words of encouragement, sharing that she’s learned God is with her always. She says “I’ve cried many rivers, walked through some pain. I’ve seen my world crumble and I’ve carried the shame. But I know somebody, He calls me His own, I can hear Heaven singing out, oh you’re never alone.” Several other songs also speak of God’s love and His ever-present help in times of trouble. And in the album closing song Soul’s Anthem, Kelly brings home the point of the entire album – that no matter what we face, no matter what season we are in, there is hope in God, and we can say it is well with my soul. The gospel choir and lyrics from an old familiar hymn in this song make it a beautiful, powerful ending to an album that shares truth, hope, and love.
Julie McConnell
Julie is a life-long Hoosier, wife, and mother of two. When she is not working in her pharmacy, she spends her time with her husband and daughters in Indianapolis. She is a member of Geist Christian Church and enjoys playing outside with her girls, finding fun things to do in Indy, watching football, and reading bedtime stories.
