Singer-songwriter Tori Kelly is returning to Indianapolis ahead of the release of her new album, “God Must Really Love Me on June 12.
A little more than a week later, Kelly will perform in Indianapolis — opening for Forrest Frank as part of The Jesus Generation Tour. The immersive, all-ages Christian/gospel music and revival event, which includes guests Cory Asbury and The Figs, includes a stop at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. on June 20.
“It’s not just about me, it’s not just about my music, it’s a part of this bigger message, this bigger night,” Kelly said. “It’s cool to just kind of set the tone, I guess, for the night, since I’m the first one on stage, and then let God, let God do his thing.”
Kelly and Frank previously collaborated on the song “Miracle Worker,” and said it has been an honor to join him on tour. However, she’s no stranger to Indianapolis. In fact, the singer told the Recorder it’s “always a tour stop I remember” since she has friends and family who live here and always makes time to visit with them while in town.
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Making this tour stop even more memorable is the fact that Kelly’s new album will be out by then, and she’s looking forward to spending an evening playing a bunch of her new songs for a familiar crowd.
“I feel like I am just kind of unapologetically writing about what I want to write about now,” Kelly said. “I think before, maybe there was a little bit of trying to think of what people would want me to say or would want to hear from me, but I think now I’m like, ‘Okay, this is who I am. This is what I want to say. Let me just kind of plant myself here, and really own all of these parts of myself,’ and it’s a really freeing experience, I think, when you can write from that place.”
“God Must Really Love Me” — Kelly’s sixth studio album featuring 15 tracks, including the single “Control” and “Dive” — is the first album the singer has written and released since becoming a mom. Kelly and her husband welcomed their first child in November of 2025, and within weeks, she was hit with the inspiration for a “very honest and vulnerable” body of work that weaves aspects of her faith, her marriage and newfound experience with motherhood.
“I didn’t really know what my writing process was going to be like once I became a parent, because it obviously keeps you busy, and it’s a lot of unknowns. Everything was super new for me, so I was just expecting to make motherhood my priority and wanting to be the best mom I can be,” Kelly said. “What I wasn’t expecting was I would just get so inspired immediately after having my son. It’s like 10 days in, I just remember singing melodies into my phone, and just hit with this huge rush of inspiration.”
As Kelly sings about her son, her faith, being in love with her husband, the ups and downs and making it through hard times in a long-term relationship, she said the overarching theme of the album is gratitude.
“I think that’s where I got the title, ‘God Must Really Love Me,’” she said. “I just feel like I’m in this really joyful, grateful season of my life right now.”
In particular, the song “Mine,” which Kelly wrote about owning the things that make her who she is, puts this chapter of her life in perspective.
“You don’t have to compare yourself to anybody; everybody might not understand you, it might not even be for everyone,” Kelly said. “But at the end of the day, you can stand firm on your art and your message and what you believe in, because that’s you, and you don’t have to be sorry for that, or second-guess that.”
Previously, Kelly would “pour herself” into an album, then reach a stopping point or shift gears to promotions and simply stop writing. With “God Must Really Love Me,” that hasn’t happened. She’s “stepped into this new era of songwriting,” where the inspiration to write and be creative hasn’t ebbed, even after completing the album.
Despite writing the album about her own life, Kelly said she hopes fans who listen to the album and come to the show can reflect on the blessings in their own lives and feel a similar sense of gratitude, “whether they’re big or small.”
“I think that’s kind of the message I’d want people to walk away from, is that you could also say God must really love you,” Kelly added.
Tori Kelly is opening for Forrest Frank as part of The Jesus Generation Tour at 7 p.m. on June 20 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Kelly’s newest album, “God Must Really Love Me,” comes out June 12.
For more information, visit torikellymusic.com.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
