Entertainment

Tori Kelly Has An Important Message For Us All

by Alex Kritselis

On Tuesday, up-and-coming singer Tori Kelly premiered "Unbreakable Smile," the title track from her forthcoming debut album (due out on June 23), and it's a sunny, sassy, and delightfully catchy anthem about never compromising who you are — no matter what. Obviously, it's a message we've heard time and time again in pop music, but I think it bears repeating. Let's face it: We all need to be reminded to stay true to ourselves from time to time. Believe it or not, even the most self-assured among us falter occasionally (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!). As MTV reports, Kelly opened up about the inspiration behind the tune's spirited and defiant lyrics during a special live stream event on Monday:

I was getting some feedback through the grapevine within the industry that people were doubting if I was going to be able to do anything else — if I was just that girl with her guitar, if I was too boring, too plain, too nice, even. ... I'm hearing all these things and pretending it’s not fazing me at all, and sure enough, that night, I went home and just spilled my whole heart out into a song. I think it was some things that I needed to say for a long time that I was holding in.

Listen to "Unbreakable Smile" below. Trust me: You won't be able to get its breezy, feel-good chorus out of your head!

"Unbreakable Smile" is available on iTunes now. Check out the song's full lyrics below:

1st VERSE:

Somebody told me fame is a disease

You start singing the blues when you start seeing the green

But I think it's all about what you choose

The way you live your life depends on you

That's when I realized I wanna make a difference

Change other people's lives

Give hope even for a moment

Use my name for good

And change the game, I could

Because to make it

You think I gotta act a certain way

Be a little bit insane

Live a little, it's okay

I guess we have different definitions of living

But you'll twist my words anyway

You'll say that I'm naïve like I don't have a past

You're the one being deceived

I see right behind the mask

Trying to stir me up and get me mad

I smile because happiness is all I have, so...

CHORUS:

La da da da dee

You're not breaking me

La dee da da da

Ain't got time for ya, singing

La da da da dee

You won't shatter me

La dee da da da

Got an unbreakable smile

2nd VERSE:

You'll see me hanging with my fam

But that don't mean I'm living in a bubble

You'll find me at church

But that don't mean I can't cause trouble

Stir up a little scene

'Cause isn't that what you want?

For me to mess up

So you could dress up some story

Saying, "Tori, this'll sell more records"

But I'd rather make 'em yawn

Than be a pawn on your chess board

So call me boring, call me cookie-cutter

Call me what you want and 'matter fact

Just say it loud and don't st-stutter

'Cause I know who I am

Yeah, I'm still the same

Just a California girl with big dreams

Thinking, "Maybe they'll let me sing songs about real things..."

And maybe, who knows

Maybe I could sell out shows without taking off my clothes

God made me sexy

I don't care if only I know...

CHORUS

And I'll just keep on singing...

CHORUS

OUTRO:

I might be smiling, yes

But don't mistake kindness for weakness