The Lonely (Christina Perri song)
Encyclopedia
"The Lonely" is a song by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri
. The song was released to iTunes
March 29, 2011, only to be followed by the release of the songs lyric-video the next day on Perri's YouTube
account. The song is included on Perri's debut album, lovestrong.
, where it was released from as a the first promotional single for the album.
The song draws inspiration from Perri's life, written about a relationship she had with the emotion of being lonely. The song's accompanying lyric-video premiered on Teen Vogue
, March 29, 2011, and was released on Perri's official YouTube account March 30, 2011. Many critics found themselves divided on the song, most of which positively reviewed the songs chilling tone and Perri's powerful lyrics, but constantly compared the song to Perri's lead single "Jar of Hearts
" negatively stating that "The Lonely" doesn't compare to the lead single.
. One month prior to the release of lovestrong.
, Perri revealed that three promotional singles were set to be released via-iTunes
leading up to the albums release. The first promotional single released was "The Lonely" on March 29, 2011, following with the official lyric-video release from Perri's official YouTube
account on March 30, 2011. The song is the first promotional single released, out of three; the others being "Penguin" and "Tragedy". An official karaoke
version of the song was released by Perri herself onto iTunes, April 5, 2011.
Perri's voice has been described as somber in the song, and compliments the piano melody of the song which grows louder as the song progresses. The song begins lyrically emotional as Perri sings "2am, where do I begin / Crying off my face again / The silent sound of loneliness / Wants to follow me to bed," only to begin a sad story of losing herself and becoming someone she no longer recognizes; "I’m the ghost of a girl / That I want to be most / I’m the shell of a girl / That I used to know well." With the idea of loneliness personified, the song is about Perri's relationship with no one, setting a very clear timeline for Perri in her past.
included the song in a list of the "Top 10 New Pop Songs", "The Lonely" coming in at number five. Lamb continued complimenting the song, describing it as "another beautiful ballad". Naming the song the "power ballad" of lovestrong., Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone
complimented the song as "bombastic", including the song as a "must hear" in the end of her review. While reviewing the album, Tom Lanham of The San Francisco Examiner
described the song as a "gorgeous anthem". Chad Grischow of IGN
gave the song a negative review, naming the song a sappy string-laced piano ballad which attempted to recreate the "magic" of "Jar of Hearts" but lacks the songs "emotional heart".
The video begins with an old fashioned typewriter
typing out the artists name and the name of the song. As the song starts, the camera moves away from the typewriter and shows a brick wall with the song lyrics written on it as a light beams upon the current lyrics being sung. As the chorus begins, the lyrics are now being shown cut through a board as light beams behind them. As the song continues, the rest of the song lyrics are shown being typed by a typewriter again, until the pages are shown being burnt on the floor with larger letters on them continuing the songs lyrics. The video ends with a closeup of a candles wax dripping, later to be blown out simulating the videos end.
in Boston, MA at "The House of Blues".
On July 20, 2011, "The Lonely" was performed on So You Think You Can Dance
.
Christina Perri
Christina Judith Perri is an American singer and songwriter from Philadelphia. Her song "Jar of Hearts" charted in the United States after it was featured on the Fox television show So You Think You Can Dance in 2010. Rolling Stone named her the "Band of the Week" on October 26, 2010...
. The song was released to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
March 29, 2011, only to be followed by the release of the songs lyric-video the next day on Perri's YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
account. The song is included on Perri's debut album, lovestrong.
Lovestrong.
lovestrong. is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri. Following the release of Perri's lead single "Jar of Hearts" and a record deal with Atlantic Records, lovestrong. was released on May 10, 2011....
, where it was released from as a the first promotional single for the album.
The song draws inspiration from Perri's life, written about a relationship she had with the emotion of being lonely. The song's accompanying lyric-video premiered on Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue magazine began as a version of Vogue magazine for teenage girls. This US magazine focuses on fashion and celebrities and offers information about the latest entertainment and feature stories on current issues and events.- Description :...
, March 29, 2011, and was released on Perri's official YouTube account March 30, 2011. Many critics found themselves divided on the song, most of which positively reviewed the songs chilling tone and Perri's powerful lyrics, but constantly compared the song to Perri's lead single "Jar of Hearts
Jar of Hearts
"Jar of Hearts" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri. The song was released onto iTunes July 27, 2010, a week after its debut on So You Think You Can Dance...
" negatively stating that "The Lonely" doesn't compare to the lead single.
Background and release
"The Lonely" was written by Christina Perri herself, co-written by David HodgesDavid Hodges
David Hodges is a songwriter, producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist from Little Rock, Arkansas. He is best known for his work with the band Evanescence, which he left in 2002. He has also been part of the bands Trading Yesterday, The Age of Information, Avox, and David Hodges solo...
. One month prior to the release of lovestrong.
Lovestrong.
lovestrong. is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri. Following the release of Perri's lead single "Jar of Hearts" and a record deal with Atlantic Records, lovestrong. was released on May 10, 2011....
, Perri revealed that three promotional singles were set to be released via-iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
leading up to the albums release. The first promotional single released was "The Lonely" on March 29, 2011, following with the official lyric-video release from Perri's official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
account on March 30, 2011. The song is the first promotional single released, out of three; the others being "Penguin" and "Tragedy". An official karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
version of the song was released by Perri herself onto iTunes, April 5, 2011.
Music and lyrics
Perri wrote "The Lonely" in August of 2010 in her driveway at two o'clock in the morning. She revealed that she was preparing for a diner event, with full hair and makeup in a "poufy dress", when she realized that she was alone as she pulled into her driveway and began to "cry her eyes out" as she wrote the song. She revealed that the song is about her relationship with nobody or with this ghost of somebody. She revealed that at the moment of writing the song, it couldn't have been more true for me during that time in my life. While revealing the track to Teen Vogue, Perri gave more insight into the songs message stating "The saddest, quietest, most painful kind. It's lonely personified. It’s my relationship with no one, and I’m very happy I kept it superdramatic and simple at the same time. It’s me, a piano, plus a nineteen-piece orchestra."Perri's voice has been described as somber in the song, and compliments the piano melody of the song which grows louder as the song progresses. The song begins lyrically emotional as Perri sings "2am, where do I begin / Crying off my face again / The silent sound of loneliness / Wants to follow me to bed," only to begin a sad story of losing herself and becoming someone she no longer recognizes; "I’m the ghost of a girl / That I want to be most / I’m the shell of a girl / That I used to know well." With the idea of loneliness personified, the song is about Perri's relationship with no one, setting a very clear timeline for Perri in her past.
Critical reception
"The Lonely" garnered mixed review by critics, most of which favored the chilling tone set in the song and compared the song to Perri's lead single "Jar of Hearts". Bill Lamb of About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
included the song in a list of the "Top 10 New Pop Songs", "The Lonely" coming in at number five. Lamb continued complimenting the song, describing it as "another beautiful ballad". Naming the song the "power ballad" of lovestrong., Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
complimented the song as "bombastic", including the song as a "must hear" in the end of her review. While reviewing the album, Tom Lanham of The San Francisco Examiner
The San Francisco Examiner
The San Francisco Examiner is a U.S. daily newspaper. It has been published continuously in San Francisco, California, since the late 19th century.-19th century:...
described the song as a "gorgeous anthem". Chad Grischow of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the song a negative review, naming the song a sappy string-laced piano ballad which attempted to recreate the "magic" of "Jar of Hearts" but lacks the songs "emotional heart".
Lyric Video
A music video was released to promote the song. The video debuted on Teen Vogues website on March 29, 2011, the day of the songs iTunes release. The video was later released on Perri's official YouTube account the following day, March 30, 2011. The video was directed by Elliott Sellers, and is shot as a lyrical video.The video begins with an old fashioned typewriter
Typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
typing out the artists name and the name of the song. As the song starts, the camera moves away from the typewriter and shows a brick wall with the song lyrics written on it as a light beams upon the current lyrics being sung. As the chorus begins, the lyrics are now being shown cut through a board as light beams behind them. As the song continues, the rest of the song lyrics are shown being typed by a typewriter again, until the pages are shown being burnt on the floor with larger letters on them continuing the songs lyrics. The video ends with a closeup of a candles wax dripping, later to be blown out simulating the videos end.
Performances
Perri performed the song on her joint tour with James BluntJames Blunt
James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...
in Boston, MA at "The House of Blues".
On July 20, 2011, "The Lonely" was performed on So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
.