“Never Alone:” A Troubled Soul Guided by the Holy Spirit

In life, the feeling of loneliness comes to anyone of us especially if the burden we carry seems to be getting heavier each day. Problems come and we try our best to face each of them with bravery and faith. Yet, nothing happens except that our troubles only get more overwhelming. Then we turn to someone else for help, a family, a loved one, or even to God. But when our problems persist, we begin throwing the question, “Am I alone in this world?” Fortunately, this isn’t the case in the Grammy Award-winning song “Never Alone” from Tori Kelly and Kirk Franklin. The song has a strong message about finding hope in the midst of personal struggles. It also expresses her faith in God and her intimate relationship with Him.

Listen to the song and be inspired by the message it conveys. Feel free to sing along with them especially if you find the lyrics relatable.

Background of the Song

“Never Alone” became one of the recipients in the recently concluded 61^st Grammy Awards. It specifically won the Best Gospel Performance/Song title. Tori Kelly and Kirk Franklin penned the song which appeared as the first single on the album Hiding Place released in September 2018. The album also won the Best Gospel Album title from Grammys. Kelly wanted to honor her musical roots and that’s what inspired her to write the soulful tune.

Meanwhile, given Kirk Franklin’s reputation as a 12-time Grammy Award-winning gospel artist, Kelly’s manager found that as a good reason for collaboration. But aside from Franklin’s illustrious career, he was also one of Kelly’s musical heroes. Taking that into consideration, manager Scooter Braun arranged a meeting for the planned record.

“I grew up on gospel music, so the fact that a legend like Kirk Franklin would take me under his wings was just a dream come true.”

Before they started working on the project, Kelly tried listening to some songs that Franklin wrote and she admitted falling in love with each of them instantly. Franklin solely wrote half of the songs while the rest came from a collaboration between the two artists. This was the first time that he had ever co-written in a decades-long career. The entire album was primarily recorded at Franklin’s studio in Dallas. Franklin also shared words of admiration, particularly on Kelly’s musical skills.

“I’ve never seen anyone that’s a monster behind the microphone like Tori Kelly. She’d nail one song in three takes, and all those takes were amazing. It set the bar higher for my whole career.”