[Herald Review] Tori Kelly thrills fans, hints her love for Korean artists

Tori Kelly performs during her first concert in Korea held at Seoul, Tuesday. (Live Nation Korea)

American singer-songwriter Tori Kelly thrilled fans with her unrivaled charisma and voice.

The 31-year-old singer held her first concert in Korea, titled "Tori Kelly Live in Seoul," at the Myunghwa Live Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday, as part of her world tour "Purple Skies."

Initially scheduled for April 2020, the concert was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making Tuesday's gig her first performance in the country.

In a written interview with The Korea Herald just before the concert, Kelly expressed her excitement, saying, "I can’t believe I’m finally in Korea. I hope the audience just focuses on simply having fun and singing their hearts out! I have heard amazing things about Korean fans, so I think the show will be a lot of fun! I can’t wait to meet the fans here."

Kelly kicked off the performance with a series of intense songs, including "Thing U Do," "Unbelievable" and "Expensive," encouraging the audience to sing along, which heightened the energy in the venue. Despite the minimalist stage setup, featuring only drums and keyboards, Kelly's charisma and powerful vocals filled the space.

Midway through the concert, Kelly picked up her guitar and took song requests from the audience. When she performed her signature songs "Confetti" and "Paper Hearts" on the guitar, the crowd enthusiastically cheered.

Winter of Aespa and Chaehyun of Kep1er, both known to be fans of Tori Kelly, were in the audience.

Kelly began her music career after appearing on "American Idol" in 2010 and released her first EP "Handmade Songs" in 2012. She went on to win two Grammy Awards at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards for Best Gospel Album for her second album, "Hiding Place," and Best Gospel Performance/Song for the track "Never Alone."

Kelly has a strong fan base in Korea, and many K-pop artists have publicly shown their admiration for her. BTS's Jungkook and Aespa's Winter have covered her songs, while Riize's Anton has even mentioned his desire to collaborate with her. In April, Le Sserafim's Kim Chaewon was featured on Tori Kelly's track "Spruce."

“Seeing so many incredible artists cover my songs has been surreal! They are all so talented, and I would love to collaborate with them someday. I do love Rose from Blackpink,” Kelly commented.

By Lee Jung-youn(jy@heraldcorp.com)