Christina Perri
Aug 8, 2011
In July 2010, a struggling singer-songwriter and musician named Christina Perri had a life-changing moment when she was asked to perform a song she had written, a defiant break-up anthem called "Jar of Hearts," on the Fox show "So You Think You Can Dance". The raw, emotional quality of her performance connected with viewers and catapulted the 24-year-old Philadelphia native into the public eye. "Jar of Hearts" went on to sell a million downloads and land Perri, who was then supporting herself as a café manager in Beverly Hills, a deal with Atlantic Records.
"Jar of Hearts" is just one of 12 brutally honest gems that Perri unveils on her debut album lovestrong. , released May 10th, a title she says reflects how her heart feels today. "I looked at the album as a whole piece and the two themes that stood out were love and strength," she says. "It really titled itself. Writing about love is just who I am. I've tried to write about other things, but ultimately this is what comes out of me."
Perri lays herself bare on lovestrong., using her soaring, bittersweet voice and expressive piano playing to sketch out her stories. Some, like "Penguin" and "Arms," are happy and hopeful, some, like "Bang Bang Bang" and "Mine," are fun and playful, and others, like "The Lonely" and "Jar of Hearts," are downright wrenching. Produced by Joe Chiccareli (White Stripes, Tori Amos) and mixed by Michael Brauer (Coldplay, Regina Spektor), lovestrong, boasts a bold creative vision that is very much in keeping with Perri's spirited personality. A petite, tattooed ball of energy with an engaging smile, she has always embraced life to the fullest. Her adventures have included touring the world as an assistant to a rock band, spending a year at a prestigious university, producing popular music videos, making olive oil in Italy, and even serving as a fashionista barista in Beverly Hills.
Perri sets lovestrong.'s hopeful tone with the second single "Arms," released March 15th is a towering acoustic-guitar driven tune that builds to an urgent crescendo as its tale of the fight between the heart and the mind unfolds. "Your heart wants to be loved, but your head is telling you that you shouldn't be with that person," Perri says. "The song is about that struggle and finally giving in and letting love win."