Christina Perri - "A Thousand Years"

Christina Perri A Thousand Years
Christina Perri - "A Thousand Years". Courtesy Atlantic

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At first blush Christina Perri's single "A Thousand Years" sounds rather ordinary. However give it a chance and listen all the way through. She proves here that "Jar Of Hearts" was not a fluke. There is a uniquely beautiful voice and approach to the pop song here.

Pros

  • Gorgeous, lush orchestration
  • Christina Perri's simple vocals used to great effect
  • Simple song structure

Cons

Description

  • Written by Christina Perri
  • Included on soundtrack for Twilight: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1
  • Released October 2011

Review

Initially, "A Thousand Years" sounds just a bit sappy and even a bit twee. However, stick with it and as the waltz time begins to sway more and more the song moves into a bridge that is stunningly gorgeous. If anyone thinks grand string and piano orchestrations have no place in a simple pop song, listen again here. "A Thousand Years" then melts back down into a gentle place before sweeping along to a pleasing conclusion. Just as she grabbed us by the emotional jugular on "Jar Of Hearts," Christina Perri once again moves something powerful inside of us.

Christina Perri's voice is not a powerhouse instrument. However, she uses it to great effect sounding almost as if we were sitting with a friend who chooses to speak to us in song instead of everyday speech patterns. Instead of pushing her voice to power through a huge chorus, she lets the backing track do the speaking. It is an effect that adds a distinctiveness to Christina Perri's songs.

Although Christina Perri failed to find a major hit single to follow up "Jar Of Hearts," it seems like "A Thousand Years" just may be the song to push her back up pop radio playlists. "A Thousand Years" will also work well on event soundtracks ranging from weddings to proms. The swaying waltz time has an irresistible pull to the slow dance floor.

Christina Perri wrote "A Thousand Years" specifically for the soundtrack to the film Twilight: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1. She says that she wrote the song based on the emotions she felt while reading Stephenie Meyer's hit book series that spawned the films. 

"A Thousand Years" was released while Christina Perri was on her first world concert tour titled the Lovestrong Tour after the title of her debut album. 

Legacy

"A Thousand Years" was a slow climber on pop charts for Christina Perri. However, it ultimately climbed to #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 becoming her second top 40 hit on the chart. It performed even better at adult pop radio climbing into the top 10. The song peaked at #22 on mainstream pop radio. "A Thousand Years" was a hit across the Atlantic as well. It climbed to #11 on the UK pop singles chart. A slow but steady seller, the song ultimately sold more than four million copies in the US.

"A Thousand Years" appeared on the soundtrack for the hit film Twilight: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1. It was the second single released. Christina Perri's song followed Bruno Mars' top 3 charting pop hit single "It Will Rain." The movie soundtrack sold 105,000 copies in its first week of released and debuted at #4 on the album chart. Twilight: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 was the fourth soundtrack in the Twilight saga. 

Christina Perri's next solo album Head or Heart appeared in March 2014. It debuted at #4 on the chart. The album included her third top 40 pop hit single "Human" which peaked at #31 just like "A Thousand Years." "Human" was also her third top 10 hit on the adult pop chart. It also broke into the top 20 on the adult contemporary and dance charts while climbing to #14 on the pop singles chart in the UK. Two more single from the album Head or Heart titled "Burning Gold" and "The Worlds" also reached the top 40 at adult pop radio. 

Christina Perri re-recorded "A Thousand Years" for the soundtrack to the film Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2. This time it features the vocals of Steve Kazee. He won a Tony Award in 2012 for Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Musical. He starred in the Broadway production of Once. He also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album as part of the cast of Once.