What's The Real Meaning Of Missin' U By Tori Kelly? Here's What We Think

Tori Kelly has entered a new career stage with one of her latest music drops. The singer-songwriter gained fame as a teen contestant on "American Idol" in 2010, per Feeling the Vibe magazine. Kelly made it through the first two rounds of the series, but was sent home just prior to the final 24 contestants being chosen. In a 2013 chat with American Songwriter, Kelly discussed how the experience of being on the hit reality competition series helped her as an artist. "I'm grateful for my time on 'American Idol' because after that I definitely became a better songwriter because a fire was lit inside me," Kelly said. "I learned a lot from being on that show, especially with the camera in your face 24/7 trying to catch you slip-up somehow...which is nothing against the show."

She has gone on to release several albums, including 2015's "Unbreakable Smile," in addition to "Hiding Place," "Inspired by True Events," and "A Tori Kelly Christmas," via AllMusic. Per the Recording Academy, Kelly has scored two Grammy Awards and a total of five nominations through her music. With one of her new songs, Kelly is exploring themes related to the past.

Tori Kelly has revealed a recent single that is a throwback to simpler times. The performer teased the release of an upcoming song called "missin u" in early March 2023, via Instagram. Alongside artwork for the track, Kelly wrote, "missin u 3/17 new single. new era." To coincide with "missin u"" dropping, Kelly spoke to People about the inspiration behind the project. "This song is about missing somebody, but it's also just so inspired by the early 2000s, late '90s," Kelly said. "We wanted to make sure that we got that nostalgic feeling both in the lyrics and in the music." 

This theme is reflected in a variety of the song's lyrics, such as the line, "We were young, we were dumb, yeah, we had a good run," as well as, "I miss the way that you would make my Sidekick bling and bling," per Genius. In her interview with People, Kelly also talked about the latter line and stated that she got a Juicy Couture Sidekick in the 2000s, which she still possesses to this day. She then said that the music video for the track has "some TLC references" before adding, "We're very inspired by Aaliyah and Missy Elliott with all the fisheye stuff." Now, Kelly has shared more new music for fans to enjoy.

Following "missin u," Tori Kelly has put out a collection of new music. Kelly took to social media in March 2023 after "missin u"" was released to thank the people she collaborated with for the song. "happy 1 week of 'missin u' !! feeling incredibly grateful to have been able to work alongside such talented humans on both the song & video," Kelly wrote. Four months later, Kelly announced on Instagram that her latest EP, "tori," had been released. Per Elite Daily, there are a total of seven songs on the EP, including "missin u". Some other tracks from the collection are "Cut," "Shelter," and "Alive If I Die."

Following her July 2023 hospitalization, Kelly posted an update on Instagram, saying that she's "feeling stronger now & hopeful," though "there are still some things to uncover." She added, "Of course I'm heartbroken about all of the things I had planned for this week of releasing my EP, but I knew my health must come first." Kelly concluded with a reference to how the music of "tori" embodies a positive era in her life. "Until I see you again, I still want you to enjoy a project that represents the happy place I've been in the last few years," Kelly said.