By Lauren Beverly

Christina Perri has returned with her sophomore album “Head or Heart.” Known for her hit single “Jar of Hearts,” Perri surprises her fans with each track, leaving them in anticipation for the next song. So, how about we get a sneak peek into Christina’s “Head or Heart”?

This amazing blend of pop and soul creates a colorful sound that will either have you singing along with Perri or perhaps crying in your pillow. For the sunny, upbeat and fun crowd, “Shot Me in the Heart,” “Be My Forever” and “Burning Gold” are the perfect choices. Perri’s duet with English crooner Ed Sheeran on “Be My Forever” is especially sweet and light hearted, enticing the audience to get up and dance. The energy in “Shot Me in the Heart” is intense and absolutely outstanding.

As awesome as this album is, a majority of it is rather disheartening. While Perri has us excited and ready for an awesome time, she also has a way of expressing her heartache of a lost or unrequited love. “Butterfly,” “Run” and “I Don’t Wanna Break” are depressing. If you’re going through a difficult breakup, these are the songs you might not want to have in your play list because they will make you feel much worse. I felt a little despondent while listening because most of these songs were more about heartbreak and longing for a lover who either isn’t there or has walked away. Songs about broken hearts have been composed for many years, but they haven’t gotten any easier to listen to.

“Head or Heart” concentrates more on the heart than the head. The entire album is focused on relationships, breakups and infatuations. As interesting as the concept is, not everyone would prefer to listen to song after song about longing for someone or the end of a relationship. This album is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Final Grade: D

About The Author

Lauren Beverly

Music Reviewer

I love to write and have been doing so since the age of eight. Fictional stories have always been a favorite of mine, because it gives me a chance to be creative and to express myself in a multitude of ways. On more than one occasion, a song proved to be the inspiration to several stories I have written. Believe it or not, some of those songs were on soundtracks! That’s mostly what I listen to, aside from hits from the 1950’s up to the 1980’s. I’ve learned that anything can be the inspiration to a story, even a poster from the 1990’s or a DVD cover.

I’ve lived in Upper Marlboro all of my life and spent much of my childhood watching cartoons of all kinds, and listening to my older sister’s cassette tapes. Growing up, I listened to everything Jackson related, Paula Abdul, Elton John, and even the controversial group Milli Vanilli. As a teenager, I continued to listen to old-school hits and that was pretty much all I liked, aside from listening to all of Michael Jackson’s music. To this day, I still love old-school hits. That hasn’t changed.

I own a variety of CDs from artists such as Styx, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack, and many others. When a soundtrack comes out, there will always be one specific song from that album that I’ll love. It never fails.

I’ve graduated from Bowie State University in December 2013 with a B.A. degree in English.

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