Singer Tori Kelly’s creativity flows in the wake of first-time motherhood

It’s certain that Grammy Award-winning singer Tori Kelly’s upcoming tour will be unlike her previous efforts. She’s got a new bundle of joy to prove it.

Kelly’s sixth studio album, “God Must Really Love Me,” to be released June 12, is informed by her becoming a first-time mother.

She and her husband, former European professional basketball player André Murillo, celebrated the birth of Zayden, now nearly 7 months old, last November.

When Kelly — singing a polished, supple blend of gospel, soul, R&B and pop — kicks off her tour June 1 in support of contemporary Christian songwriter Forrest Frank, the plan is to travel as one new, happy family.

The tour comes to the Allstate Arena in Rosemont on Thursday, June 4.

“This is the first time we’re going to take him out on the road,” Tori Kelly said over the phone. “The plan is, yeah, just to bring him and make him a little traveling baby and get him used to our lifestyle, the things we were doing before. We’ll see how it goes.

“So far he’s been pretty good. But yeah, this will be his first tour ever, so I’m excited to see how he does on the bus and everything,” she said.

The album and tour are landmarks for the 33-year-old multiplatinum artist, whose 2015 gold-record debut, “Unbreakable Smile,” earned Kelly a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2016.

A lifelong Southern Californian, Kelly’s featured vocal on a cover of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” with John Legend and Jacob Collier clinched a 2025 Grammy win for best arrangement of an instrumental or a cappella song.

Along with a BET Award in 2018 and a Billboard Music Award in 2019, Kelly won a 2019 Grammy for Best Gospel Album, “Hiding Place.” That brought a second statuette for Best Gospel Performance/Song for “Never Alone.” She’s been nominated for six Grammys.

One day soon, Zayden also will be able to see and hear his mother portray Meena, the African elephant in the animated “Sing” movies.

Right now, the little guy is unaware how fully he impacted Kelly’s emotions and creativity as she wrote the 14 tracks on “God Must Really Love Me.”

The eponymous opening track features the infant cooing as Kelly sings, “It’s like He knew I needed you.” It’s just the first of several times Zayden’s voice is heard on the album, such as the baby talk on album closer, “Bliss.”

Writing and recording some of the songs last summer while pregnant and touring with Ed Sheeran in Europe, Kelly’s song “Too Much” even features audio captured when Zayden made his grand debut in the delivery room.

Following the birth, Kelly’s ideas came in a torrent.

“It’s just been the biggest blessing, and I couldn’t help myself, I had to write about this child on my album. I was overflowing with ideas like 10 days after he was born. I just would get my phone out, start singing into my phone,” Kelly said.

“This is all obviously new for me. You can’t plan when inspiration’s going to hit, right? The fact that it just came on so strong like that so soon after he was born, I was like, wow, OK, I guess this is the album,” she said.

“It’s about my son and stepping into motherhood. It’s about my marriage and my family, and it’s also about my faith. Those three things all tied together, I feel like you really get a sense of my values, and who I am, and who I’m stepping into.”

The product of musical parents, Allwyn and Laura, Tori Kelly was surrounded by music for as long as she can remember. She performed on “Star Search” and “American Idol” and initially had a record deal at age 12.

A favorite here, only London tops Chicago fans among Kelly’s 4.7 million Spotify listeners.

At the Allstate Arena, fans will hear a grateful artist who used this major life change to throw her whole being into these songs.

“I think now as a mom there’s just something in me that’s like, OK, these songs need to feel like only I could write them,” Kelly said.

“It’s been really cool to just sort of let myself write about whatever comes out of my heart and just really own that and step into that. It feels really empowering and really special.”

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Tori Kelly, in support of Forrest Frank

Cory Asbury and The Figs are also on the bill

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, June 4

Where: Allstate Arena, 6920 Mannheim Road, Rosemont

Tickets: Start at $97 at ticketmaster.com

Parking: $25 cash or credit; parking opens two hours before the show