- in Entertainment News by Mike
Christina Perri Hits Billboard Top 5 With Album Head Or Heart
CHRISTINA PERRI’S “HEAD OR HEART” BURSTS ONTO TOP 5;
ACCLAIMED ALBUM ENTERS SOUNDSCAN/BILLBOARD 200 AT #4
AS “HUMAN” IS RIAA CERTIFIED GOLD;
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DRAWS UNPRECEDENTED RESPONSE,
WITH SOLD-OUT SHOWS AND EXTENSIVE POPULAR DEMAND;
HIGH PROFILE TV PERFORMANCES SLATED,
INCLUDING THE VIEW AND LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN;
“HEAD OR HEART” IN STORES NOW
“HEAD OR HEART,” the new album from Atlantic recording artist Christina Perri, has made an awesome entry onto the SoundScan/Billboard 200, arriving at #4 in its first week on the chart with sales in excess of 40k– the acclaimed singer/songwriter’s biggest sales week to date.
Perri is currently celebrating “HEAD OR HEART” on a major North American headline tour, set to continue through late May (see attached itinerary). The trek has already proven an unprecedented success, selling out shows in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Toronto, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Washington, DC, with limited tickets remaining for most other dates. In addition, popular demand has seen the addition of a second Seattle show – slated for May 25th at the Neptune Theatre – as well as a number of dates moved to larger venues, including a May 23rd date at Portland, Oregon’s Wonder Ballroom now scheduled for the 2,000-capacity Crystal Ballroom. Accompanying Perri on the “HEAD OR HEART” tour is her Atlantic labelmate, Birdy.
Furthermore, Perri will make a series of high profile TV appearances in the coming weeks, including highly anticipated live performances on ABC’s The View (set for Wednesday, April 16th) and CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman (Monday, April 21st). Christina will also be part of PBS’ acclaimed concert series Front and Center. New episodes will begin airing in May and you can see a sneak peek of her episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1quNpBIu_IY. Please check local listings for complete details.
“Human,” the extraordinary first single from “HEAD OR HEART,” is quickly shaping up as another massive hit for Perri. A Top 10 favorite on the iTunes Store, the track has just received gold certification from the RIAA for sales exceeding 500,000 and is currently poised to hit the top 10 at multi-format radio outlets nationwide. In addition, the “Human” companion video – directed by Elliott Sellers (Jason Mraz, Young The Giant, Portugal. The Man) – is an online blockbuster, drawing close to 12.5 million views and counting at Perri’s official YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/lovemspenny.
Hailed by Billboard as a “delicate alt-pop ballad that should delight supporters of (Perri’s) breakthrough single ‘Jar of Hearts,’” “Human” was also just showcased on ABC’s blockbuster Dancing With The Starsaccompanying a highly moving performance from US Paralympics Team Snowboarder Amy Purdy and Derek Hough. The stirring Week 3 Contemporary Dance can be viewed now at ABC’s official Dancing With The Stars website, abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars/video/most-recent/VDKA0_zfhda4sl.
“HEAD OR HEART” – which follows Perri’s breakthrough 2011 debut, “lovestrong” – was recorded last year with production from Jake Gosling (Ed Sheeran, One Direction), Martin Johnson (Avril Lavigne, Gavin Degraw), John Hill (P!nk, Mayer Hawthorne, Santigold), and Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco). The majority of the album was mixed by GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Manny Marroquin (Kanye West, John Legend, Alicia Keys). Among the collection’s many highlights are such tracks as the buoyant “Be My Forever (Feat. Ed Sheeran)” and “I Don’t Wanna Break,” co-written by fun.’s Jack Antonoff and also featured on Atlantic’s recent released “GIRLS VOLUME 2: ALL ADVENTUROUS WOMEN DO… MUSIC FROM THE HBO® ORIGINAL SERIES.”
Already a top 10 charting sensation in the United Kingdom, “HEAD OR HEART” has quickly begun earning extensive critical applause. Newsday hailed Perri’s “distinctive, plaintive voice,” further noting the uplifting, sorta-dancey ‘Burning Gold’ is a great change of pace, like Arcade Fire fronted by Tegan and Sara.” The Hollywood Reporter praised the album’s “haunting ‘Run’ and the bittersweet and rhythmic ‘I Don’t Wanna Break,’” while in the UK, The Guardian singled out a pair of highlights, “the soaring ‘Sea of Lovers’” and “the instantly memorable ‘Burning Gold.’”
Named as iTunes’ “Breakthrough Pop Artist of 2011,” Perri earned critical applause and an increasingly fervent fan following with her extraordinary debut, “lovestrong.” Highlighted by the 3x-platinum certified smash, “Jar of Hearts,” the album – produced by GRAMMY®-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket) – entered the SoundScan/Billboard 200 among the top 5 upon its initial release, while also proving an unqualified international sensation with top 5 success in Australia and Ireland as well as top 10 sales in Canada and the United Kingdom.
Perri followed “lovestrong.” with the RIAA 4x-platinum certified hit single, “A Thousand Years,” exclusively featured on Summit Entertainment/Chop Shop/Atlantic’s “THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 1 & 2– ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACKS.” The track was a multi-format radio favorite, with top 10 airplay at Hot AC and top 25 spins at CHR/Top 40 outlets nationwide.