This post was updated May 16 at 11:25 p.m.

Marking a journey of self rejuvenation, Tori Kelly unwrapped the intricacies of her self-titled album.

Following the April 5 release of “TORI.,” the Grammy Award-winning vocalist led the debut installment of Grammy U’s new Unwrapped series. Held at The Novo, Wednesday evening’s event was co-hosted by Grammy-nominated producer Tenroc and sponsored by Mastercard and Amazon Music. Together, the pair of artists walked through the production process of several songs on the 15-track album, highlighting key aspects and sharing unheard anecdotes. The evening also concludedwith a two-song performance from Kelly and Tenroc. Before officially commencing the breakdown, Grammy U senior director Jessie Allen introduced the premise of the event.

“Unwrapped is basically taking a musical project and really going into the creative process from top to bottom,” Allen said. “‘How did they record it? Who were the collaborators? Who were the featured artists? How did they make those decisions in the studio?’ All of that is going to be explored in real time with the creators who made that project.”

Surrounded by Grammy Awards and feathered centerpieces, Kelly and Tenroc walked onstage and took their seats before introducing the origins of “TORI.” Recalling struggles within her family, Kelly said the emotional tone of her past music was tinted by those difficult experiences. Around 2020, Kelly said the seeds of her new sound had been planted, attributing it to a newfound confidence. Her collaboration with Tenroc, she added, came about in 2021 due to a collaboration with Jon Bellion, who also worked on her self-titled project.

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Remarking that she only had two guidelines for Bellion – producing songs that were danceable and suited to belting in an open car – Kelly told the audience she would guide them through some of the steps taken to achieve these goals. Citing the ’90s and early 2000s as sonic influences, Kelly said the team opted for an a cappella introduction for “thing u do.” Furthermore, the track contains layering of ambient chatter from Bellion and Jon Batiste as well as a repurposed baseline Tenroc revamped, the latter of which Kelly said is the entrancing heart of the song. Throughout the process, Kelly said the team would often consider tweaks to creative choices, even after a song was theoretically finished.

“Jon’s famous line is: ‘Is there a world where–?’” Kelly said. “That’s how you know he’s about to change the entire thing.”

Drawing attention to the track’s outro, Tenroc said “thing u do” originated from a piano loop that Bellion and Tenroc strongly supported, despite being met with distaste from Kelly and other members of the team. Joking that the pair snuck it in, Kelly said the new piano-infused outro became her favorite part of the song.

Describing the album as a way for her own voice to become a sample, Kelly said the team used the Little AlterBoy production tool to modify her vocals for the tracks, such as in the background vocals for “missin u.” As they created accompaniments, Tenroc said Kelly’s ability to remember the modifications she made in each take astounded him, turning the process into a game. Kelly said she typically opts for four to five takes, picturing each as a different persona.

“The reason I remember each take is because they’re literally different people in my brain,” Kelly said.

Recording in small sections, Kelly said she tries to avoid overthinking for her first take. Next, the vocalist said she takes on a more timid or exuberant persona for the second and third takes. The fourth take focuses on vocal runs, she added, before concluding with a bonus take for any further experimentation. From there, Kelly said she chooses which persona’s delivery produces the strongest final product for each detail of the song, referencing a verse in “shelter.”

Citing Rihanna and WILLOW as references, Kelly emphasized her newfound character approach as she ventured into vocal cracks. To achieve these new vocal interpretations, Kelly said she would start off with lighthearted impressions, which would transform into serious ideas. Furthermore, Kelly said the melody of the chorus was changed after “shelter” had been presumed finished, as Bellion breached the topic by asking if there was a world in which its chorus was reshaped.

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Originating from one of Tenroc’s loops, “spruce” followed. Explaining the musical terminology, Kelly said a loop is stripped down, as opposed to a beat, which is typically more fleshed out. Elaborating on the production process, Tenroc said the team utilized Jai Paul’s concept of sidechain compression, which is when an instrumental falters at predetermined points. This effect was achievedwith Serum, a synthesizer plug-in. Having drawn inspiration from songwriter Casey Smith’s concept of a truce, Kelly said Bellion suggested a transformation that propelled the project toward its current bubbly tone, fulfilling her desire for a getting-ready song.

“It’s really valuable to never hold on too tightly to a song or an idea,” Kelly said. “This whole album was me sort of letting go.”

Rounding out the discussion, Kelly introduced “same girl” as a lyrically driven diary entry that took place during a moment where she felt drawn in different directions. When it came to the chorus, Kelly said she used a trick she learned from Grammy Award-winning producer Max Martin in which the whole chorus is one note to achieve harmonies with layering. Furthermore, Kelly said she likes to include distinct takes to paint out the scene in her vocal backgrounds. Throughout the song’s production process, Kelly said she knew she wanted it to bookend the album, which is why she opted for a toned-down ending. Following a question-and-answer segment, the evening concluded with a performance of “high water” and “oceans.”

“As an artist I always felt a little insecure about trying to stay in one lane and be in one box,” Kelly said. “I’m inspired by so many different things and so finding my sound – I always thought that was a bad thing. … At the end of the day, the one thing I could say that I’ve done is just be a vocalist.”