I think Christina Perri may be my new music crush.
Now, I have a confession to make. I’m aware that my taste in music is eclectic, to say the least. I’m okay with commercialized hooks, trite riffs, and manufactured music. Don’t get me wrong — I love unique sounds, too. As long as it has something that gets in my head and makes me move, dance, sing, cry, or laugh, I’ll like it.
This means that I fall in love with musical artists quite a bit. From Britney to Ke$ha to the Millionaires to Amanda Palmer, something about the music caught my ear and I fell in love, just a little. And sometimes I’m just shallow, like the time I bought downloaded all of Rilo Kiley’s stuff just because I had a crush on Jenny Lewis in the movie Wizard when I was 12.
Ah, my red-headed vixen
I was introduced to Christina Perri a few weeks ago by a friend, and fell head-over-heels in love with her voice. Her songs have minimal instrumental interference, and the strength of her vocal ability is evident on every track. When I heard that she was appearing at a private acoustic concert here at Full Sail University‘s amazing live music venue, I knew I had to see her. Of course, the way the fates aligned, I was in Saint Louis for my 10-year law school reunion, so I had to hear secondhand about the show.
Christina Perri at Full Sail University
A lot of what makes music so powerful is the personality of the performer, to me. That’s why I’ve never liked Oasis — the Gallagher boys are a couple of pricks. Christina Perri seems humbled by her fame, and truly grateful for the fact that her music is being heard and shared as much as it is. She remarked, during the Full Sail Live event, that two years ago, she was waiting in line to buy tickets to see the new Twilight movie, and now she’s writing a track, “A Thousand Years” for the soundtrack.
Her taste in vampire fiction notwithstanding, the 25-year old singer has certainly made a splash on the scene since her song “Jar of Hearts” was used on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance. Christina Perri’s lyrics are catchy but not cliched, her voice is strong but vulnerable, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s strikingly beautiful.
A few of my favorite Christina Perri songs are “Bang Bang Bang”, “Jar of Hearts”, and “The Lonely”, but I haven’t found a track yet that I haven’t enjoyed. Here’s the “Jar of Hearts” video:
She reminds me of Fiona Apple crossed with Jewel with a little Carrie Underwood and a pinch of PJ Harvey, and her down-to-earth attitude and fan-friendly personality means that Christina Perri has a fan for life. And a husband, if she ever wants one. (Thanks to Full Sail for the opportunity to attend the concert, as well.)
Do you have a band that you think I should hear? Let me know in the comments. Also, if you want more Christina Perri, you can subscribe to my Spotify playlist!
[some photos courtesy MIX 105.1]
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