Tori Kelly has stated that getting booted from “American Idol” during the show’s ninth season after judge Simon Cowell characterized her voice as “almost annoying” helped her develop a thick skin. “Deep down, I knew I was good, and I knew I could do it,” she said. “I needed to get knocked down to build up a thick skin. Who knows what I would have been singing about otherwise? You have to go through things in order to inspire others with your story.” Tori added that she found inspiration in the way industry insiders had perceived her as “vanilla” with “nothing to say”. “I acted as if I didn’t care, but I went home that night and just poured all the feelings that I was holding back into my music. That’s how Unbreakable Smile came to be,” she said.
