What's The Real Meaning Of Dear No One By Tori Kelly? Here's What We Think

Tori Kelly's first album, "Unbreakable Smile," came out in 2015 — over five years after she thought that becoming the next "American Idol" would be her ticket to superstardom, riches, and glory. Unfortunately, the beloved talent reality series didn't appreciate Kelly's gorgeous voice, which her labelmate Justin Bieber once described to Teen Vogue as "one of the rarest voices I have ever heard." Fortunately, Kelly's still found success. Over the past decade, Kelly has released four full-length albums and several EPs. So far, she's won two Grammys, along with the approval of some industry vets, such as John Legend, Zendaya, and Amber Riley, who were in awe of her debut performance of 2015's "Nobody Love," according to Bustle. 

But she's not just a vocalist. Kelly is also an accomplished songwriter who has challenged herself to write her own lyrics, according to American Songwriter. Kelly's listeners know that she's got range too, which could be attributed to how she approaches her music. "I'm all over the place when it comes to writing," shared Kelly with the publication. "Literally, every song on the EP has been written in a completely different way. It was really random. "Dear No One," featured on her "Foreword" EP, was one of the songs Kelly wrote during this phase of her career. Here's what we think the lyrics mean.

Tori Kelly has written about a plethora of relatable topics, but many of her songs have revolved around finding, nurturing, and sustaining love. The opening of "Dear No One" suggested that the song would turn out to be a single ladies' anthem, proclaiming the joys of being unattached. "I like being independent / No one telling me what to do," sang Kelly (via Genius). However, she soon flipped the script, revealing that she did long for companionship. "But sometimes I want somebody to hold/ Someone to give me their jacket when it's cold / Got that young love even when we're old," she continued. After a chorus of Kelly promising this mystery lover that she'd "be good to you," she made sure to represent her introverted fans. "I don't like big crowds / sometimes I shut people out." 

While the lyrics certainly pulled listeners in opposing directions, Kelly's depiction ultimately suggested that it's possible to be content with where you are in life while also being open to the idea of more. In Kelly's case ... her "future someone." According to Teen Vogue, Kelly spent much of the video for "Dear No One" pursuing a love interest, although things didn't work out. However, she was fine with that outcome. "I'm happy with the message," shared Kelly during her interview. "It's a nice little story line that's saying you don't always need somebody."

Tori Kelly has since found someone who's seemingly delivered her with all of the romance she once longed for in "Dear No One." According to Us Weekly, Kelly has been married to André Murillo – a professional basketball player — since 2018. Kelly introduced their marriage on Instagram by sharing some super moving words from author Tim Keller. "To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known & not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known & truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God," wrote Kelly in a since-deleted post.

In 2019, while promoting her album, "Inspired By True Events," Kelly spoke candidly about married life. "It's been awesome finally being together and not being long distance," Kelly said during an interview with The Irish News. "There's still times where we will miss each other and we will be separated." And she's written about him too! "There is a song called Coffee (on the new album), the opener, and that was written when we were still dating It's cool to see the progression, even in the album, of all the different events that have happened." She continued, "It was definitely hard at times, for sure, just to be apart. But we are together now so it's awesome."