When she was 16, Kelly auditioned for the ninth season of the singing competition television series American Idol.

In 2012, she independently released her first EP that she wrote, produced, and mixed herself, titled Handmade Songs by Tori Kelly.

The following year, Scooter Braun became her manager and introduced her to Capitol Records, with whom she signed in September.

Kelly's second EP Foreword came out in October 2013 as her first major label release.

The lead single, "Nobody Love", was released in the spring and became her first US Billboard Hot 100 appearance.