Singer Tori Kay stops by on Close-up Culture to chat about her upcoming music, being a vlogger, the tour life, and much more.
Q: ‘Waste My Time’ will be released soon. Can you tell us about the vibe of the song and the emotions that went into it?
A: Yes! I am very excited for my new single, Waste My Time, to come out soon along with the music video! I just recently went through a break up and that is what Waste My Time is about. It really helped me move on with life and I hope that it does the same for others who are dealing with heartbreak.
Q: You will be part of the S.O.S. Tour in 2020. Why is the SOS Foundation a cause you feel connected to and believe in?
A: The S.O.S. Foundation is a great cause that supports under-served youth who are dealing with peer pressure, mental illness, abuse and bullying, or contemplating self-harm.
I personally have experienced a similar situation. My parents went through a very difficult divorce which caused my father extreme anger and resulted in the harm of our relationship. Part of the S.O.S. tour is the performers sharing their personal stories with the teens in the audience who have dealt with similar circumstances. I will be speaking more on this topic during the tour which starts in February of 2020.
Q: I saw you recently gave a beautiful performance of ‘Save A Life’ at the S.O.S launch party. What impact do you hope to have when you perform at high schools on the tour?
A: Thank you. I connected to the song Save A Life the second I heard it. Ben Hite is the amazing songwriter that wrote it, I really related to the lyrics. This song gave me so much confidence to not only believe I could get out of my situation but also gave me the courage to share my story with others.
I hope Save A Life makes the same impact on teens going through a similar situation that I did and help them realize they are brave enough to “Stand up, Own up, and Speak Up.”
Q: You’ll also get a taste of the tour life experience, which I’m sure you’ll be doing a lot more of in the future. What are you most excited about?
A: Tour is such a cool life experience as an artist. I just recently completed the ‘Be Strong Tour’ which is an International USO tour and it was incredible meeting so many amazing military families and soldiers.
I would say I am most excited about meeting awesome teens all over the United States throughout the ’S.O.S. Tour’ and get to share my story in hopes of bringing light to the fact that they are not alone.
Q: #ToriKayTV showcases your charming and highly engaging on-screen presence. I recommend people check out your recent travel videos in Italy. What do you enjoy about being in front of a camera and engaging with audiences?
A: Thank you! I truly love creating my #ToriKayTV vlogs. I enjoy bringing my followers along on my adventures with me. I try to take people along in my daily life as much as possible on other social media platforms like on my Instagram stories as well.
Social media is an awesome tool to connect with people from anywhere around the world so I want my followers to feel like they are living and experiencing life with me. I enjoy creating content about my everyday life that is relatable to my followers. I have also always loved entertaining an audience not just on stage but also in front of a camera so my vlogs have given me an outlet to really create my own #ToriKayTV on camera world as well.
Q: You also filmed your recent experience at Instabeach. Do you feel inspired when you get to hangout with other young creatives?
A: Living in LA, it is crazy how many insanely talented people you meet on a daily basis. I have such talented friends that I have met while I have lived here and they inspire me everyday with their ideas or music. I met so many more creatives at Instabeach so I definitely was feeling inspired, which is why I wanted to vlog the whole experience.
Q: Here are a few quickfire questions: What is your favorite Britney Spears music video?
A: I am absolutely obsessed with Britney Spears and everything she has ever done but I would have to say Baby One More Time has to be my favorite music video of hers. It’s just iconic.
Q: Where do you get your fashion inspiration?
A: Purple is my favorite color. My mom is actually my stylist and she can take that color and run with it. My fashion has always been centered around bling and purple.
Q: Name one artist – past or present – you’d love to share the stage with?
A: Britney Spears. Hands down. I am obsessed.
Q: Tell us one lyric that has really struck a chord with you.
A: A lyric that really has stuck with me is from my own song ‘Kings.’ The lyric is: “I’m not wishing on a star, I’m chasing it.” After I wrote that lyric it just stuck with me and now it’s my life motto.
Q: And finally, what is next for you? Any ambitions or plans to share with us?
A: Lots of new music coming up! Also, I am still auditioning frequently and just waiting for that perfect role to come along. I do have a show I will be on in November! So stay tuned for that!