Sony/ATV Signs Tori Kelly To Worldwide Publishing Deal

17 February 2017 - Press release

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has signed a long-term worldwide deal with Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and recording artist Tori Kelly.

Since first gaining recognition with a self-recorded, online cover of Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You”, Kelly has established herself as one of music’s brightest new talents, reaching No. 2 in the U.S. with her debut album Unbreakable Smile.

Sony/ATV Co-President, U.S. Rick Krim said: “Tori is a smart, self-driven and extremely talented artist with one of the most stunning voices in music. As she showed on her debut album, she is also a versatile and extraordinary writer and we are excited that she has put her faith in Sony/ATV as she further develops her songwriting.” 

Sony/ATV Senior Director, Creative of A&R Lou Al-chamaa said: “I’m delighted to welcome Tori into the Sony/ATV family. Tori is an incredibly gifted songwriter and arguably one of the best singers around. Tori has so many projects that we’re excited about and is currently in the studio working on her second album, which will be a huge success.”      

“I’m thrilled to be part of the Sony/ATV Publishing family and eager to start working together to create my next project,” said Kelly. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds as I continue to develop as an artist.” 

“Tori is an incredible talent that needs to be shown to the world. That is the way I have always felt and this partnership is just another step in continuing her incredible journey,” said Kelly’s manager and SB Projects founder, Scooter Braun. “I can’t tell you how excited I am for her next album.”

Growing up in Wildomar, California in a musical family where both her parents performed and she was exposed to a wide variety of music, Tori Kelly showed early promise when aged just ten she took part in the TV talent competition Star Search. It marked the beginning of a blossoming journey for the gifted artist who, while still a teenager, started posting videos of her performances on YouTube. This included an acoustic cover of Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You”, which attracted more than 24 million views and brought her to wider attention. 

Also penning her own songs, she took the initiative of writing, recording, producing and engineering all by herself a first EP called Handmade Songs By Tori Kelly, which she released digitally and which went on to reach the iTunes pop Top 10 and No. 9 on Billboard’s Heatseekers albums chart for emerging artists.

By the time she signed a recording deal in 2013 with Capitol Records, she had already hooked up with acclaimed manager Scooter Braun, joining a roster featuring the likes of Justin Beiber and Carly Rae Jepsen. She had also enjoyed some further success as a songwriter, which included British boy band The Wanted performing her composition “Fill A Heart” on ABC’s hit TV show Dancing With The Stars. 

Kelly penned all five songs that made up her debut Capitol Records EP Foreword, which reached the U.S. Top 20 in 2013, while the following year featured on the U.K. top five hit “Lullaby” by Professor Green and was named by MTV as one of its Artists To Watch.

Her first full-length album Unbreakable Smile was released in June 2013 and included “Nobody Love” co-written with Max Martin and “I Was Made For Loving You”, which she co-wrote and performed with Ed Sheeran. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S., became her U.K. Top 40 breakthrough and was a hit in a number of other territories.

Following the album’s success, she was shortlisted in the prestigious category of Best New Artist at the 2016 Grammy Awards and performed at the ceremony with James Bay. She secured a series of nominations at other events, including the MTV Europe Music Awards, VH1’s Big Music in 2015: You Oughta Know and Billboard Women in Music where she was named Breakthrough Artist.

She also took a starring role as the voice of Meena the elephant in the 2016 hit animated musical Sing, which in its first two months of release grossed $465.5 million worldwide at the box office, while starred in a tribute to the Bee Gees at the 2017 Grammy Awards to mark the 40^th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever.

She is now in the studio working on her second album.