Making her debut on the Philippine concert stage, Tori Kelly finally took center stage at the New Frontier Theater in her Purple Skies World Tour on August 23.

The Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter/diva thrilled her fans called Toraays with an enthralling showcase of her new music and old favorites.

As early as the afternoon, long queues were seen outside the theater. Toraays longed for this moment, and they made sure to welcome their beloved star warmly. Many of them have known Tori Kelly from her YouTube cover days as a teenager up to her American Idol stint in 2010. They have steadily followed her career as she released an independent EP Handmade Songs by Tori Kelly in 2012 and her mainstream breakthrough album “Nobody Love” in 2015. Now, with the release of her self-titled album TORI., the 31-year-old diva shines at her brightest as she unleashes a diverse set of songs that showcase her immense growth as an artist.

British singer Maisy Kay glammed up the stage with her colorful dance-pop melodies, a splendid opener for the evening. When Tori Kelly made her way to the stage, loud cheers welcomed her. Starting with “thing u do” and “unbelievable”, she had the crowd singing and dancing along to her melodies.

Tori Kelly is a vocal powerhouse, and watching her perform was mesmerizing. Even with a full live band accompaniment, her stellar vocals stood out as she effortlessly hit all the high notes, her pitch not once faltering. Throughout the show, she had this natural elegance and charisma on stage which made the concert even more captivating.

The Purple Skies setlist featured most of her new music including “diamonds”, “spruce”, “high water” and “shelter”. However, she also took the time to pay homage to the older faves. Armed with only an acoustic guitar and her raw vocals, she asked the crowd for requests of which she played “Dear No One”, “Funny”, “All in My Head”, “Paper Hearts”. It was a nostalgic trip to the past when she performed Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin’ ‘Bout You”.

“This is my first time in Manila, and it definitely won’t be my last. You guys made this little girl’s dream come true,” Tori Kelly told the crowd. She closed the show with “alive if i die” and “missin’ u”.

by Sandra Mae Laureano