The singer-songwriter behind “God Must Really Love Me” opens up about the book that taught her to slow down.
LOS ANGELES (July 7, 2026), EINPresswire — Tori Kelly has built a career most singers can only dream of, but behind every rising star is a packed calendar. Between tour dates, recording sessions, award shows, and PR, the modern star’s schedule can be described quite succinctly: busy. In a moment dominated by hustle, hurry, and “the next big thing,” Tori Kelly is trying desperately to slow down.
In conversation with host Chris “Bulldog” Collins on the YouTube series “Books That Changed My Life,” Kelly opens up about the book she turns to when life’s carousel begins to spin a little too quickly: “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer.
The Hurry Test
John Mark Comer was a pastor at a rapidly growing church; as his congregation grew, so did his obligations. Drowning in responsibility, he elected to take a step back. In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, Comer argues that busyness has quietly become the religion of modernity. In the book, he provides readers with a “hurry sickness test,” a checklist that Kelly and Collins read through on air.
“Irritability — yes,” Kelly says. Then, moving down the list: “Hypersensitivity, restlessness, workaholism — I definitely have that one. Emotional numbness… probably have that one too.”
After diagnosing themselves with “hurry sickness,” Kelly and Collins move on to a particularly heavy-hitting moment. Early in the book, Comer highlights Korean-born German philosopher Byung-Chul Han’s bleak description of modern life: “we are too alive to die, and too dead to live.”
“That was me to a proverbial T,” Kelly says.
Making Her Phone “Dumb”
Comer’s book dwells briefly on society’s busyness problem before delivering on the promise made by the title: a ruthless elimination of hurry. Among Comer’s solutions is one that should appeal to anyone with memories before 2007: spend less time on your phone.
Easier said than done, of course. To achieve digital detox, Comer recommends deleting all non-essential apps (read: most of them) and starting from zero. Kelly took this idea and ran with it:
“I did all the basics — Twitter, Instagram, all the social media ones,” she says. “I would just tell myself, okay, I’m starting at zero. And then anytime I feel like this actually makes sense to have, I would redownload it.”
Initially daunted by the idea of giving up social media, Kelly was surprised to find that she didn’t miss the apps.
“I didn’t really get the urge to redownload certain apps that I thought I would miss, like Instagram. I went a pretty long time without having it.”
The View from Eighty
Comer’s book drives readers to reconsider what makes a good life. Kelly uses a simple trick to put things into perspective: she imagines herself as an old woman, looking back on her life.
“I picture myself at 80 years old,” she says. “I have this fear of looking back on my life and wishing that I was more present — now, with my son, but also just the people that I love.”
Following the birth of her son, Zayden, presence has become central to Kelly’s philosophy. Whenever she feels herself slipping back into busyness, she asks herself a simple question:
“What do I want to be feeling like as an old woman? I don’t want to have any regrets.”
God Must Really Love Me
Kelly’s search for presence shows up throughout her new album, “God Must Really Love Me,” a collection she wrote after becoming a mother, built around faith, family, and gratitude rather than the pressure to stay relevant.
“I think that’s not the way to be happy,” she says of chasing the next big thing. “I’d rather live that quiet life and find that peace.”
Watch the full episode HERE.
About Books That Changed My Life
“Books That Changed My Life,” hosted by bestselling author Chris Collins, is a YouTube show exploring how great books transform us in profound and unexpected ways. Each episode features a special guest sharing a book that shaped or inspired them, sparking deep conversations and unearthing unfiltered personal stories.
Recent guests include R&B singer Eric Benét, soap opera legend Susan Lucci, former covert CIA officer Andrew Bustamante, actress and reality star Lisa Rinna, Dancing With the Stars pro Jenna Johnson, and television legend Kelsey Grammer.
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