Arms (song)

Last updated
"Arms"
Christina-Perri-Arms.jpg
Single by Christina Perri
from the album Lovestrong
ReleasedMarch 15, 2011 [1]
Recorded2009-2010
Genre Folk-pop [2] [3]
Length4:21 (album version)
4:00 (radio edit)
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s) Christina Perri
Christina Perri singles chronology
"Jar of Hearts"
(2010)		"Arms"
(2011)		"A Thousand Years"
(2011)

"Arms" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri, and was the second single released from her 2011 debut album Lovestrong . The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 94. The song's accompanying music video debuted on April 28, 2011 on VH1 . "Arms" briefly made a comeback in 2017, reaching #36 on the iTunes chart.

Contents

Background

"Arms" was written by Perri with musical arrangements from J. Barrera. [4] The song was released onto iTunes March 15, 2011 and was additionally released in a karaoke form, the same day as the single release. [1]

Composition

"Arms" is Perri's first song to be recorded with a full band, as Perri's one previous single, "Jar of Hearts", contained no drums. Like "Jar of Hearts", "Arms" is built around a piano melody. [5] Although the song "packs a little less venom" than Perri's lead single, it still lyrically contains the "crazy" lovesick emotions typically referred to Perri's style of music. [2] The song begins as a slow love song and transforms into an up-tempo track as kick-drums enter the song midway through. [5] Lyrically, Perri begins the song in a happy tune, singing "I never thought that you would be the one to hold my heart / You came around and you knocked me off the ground from the start." [5] More into the song, Perri begins to question the relationship, ultimately finding comfort as she ends the song repeating the hook. [5] "Arms" progresses from a folky ballad to a melodic love song, incorporating timpani drums. [2]

Perri stated that "'Arms' is about the fight between your heart and your mind. Your heart wants to be loved but your head is always telling you reasons not to be with him or her, or how you are not worth the love. It's about the struggle and finally giving in when you're wrapped in their arms. Then you get it. Then you feel loved and love wins." [6]

Critical reception

"Arms" garnered generally positive reviews by critics, most of which favored the change in pace for Perri. AOL Music compared the song to the music of Ingrid Michaelson and Natalie Merchant. [6] In his review of the album, Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly listed "Arms" as a mandatory download from the album, calling it "chiming". [7] A.D. Amorosi of The Philadelphia Inquirer enjoyed Perri's hushed voice and changing backup spare arrangement on "Arms". [8] Chad Grischow of IGN stated that the song's "dusty gallop of guitar and jangling piano", alongside "Perri's innocent, melodic vocals" made it one of the better love songs off Lovestrong. [9]

Music video

The music video for the single was filmed in what Perri described as "a two-day shoot that kicked my ass so hard." [10] Perri had co-written the video treatment herself. [10] Perri stated that she took a physical pummeling as she played a super-hero during the shoot, jokingly adding, "I don't know why I think I'm an action hero." For the flying scenes, she was involved in weeks of training. [10] The song music video premiered on VH1 on April 28, 2011. [11] The video then appeared all weekend on VH1's "Top 20 Countdown", April 30, May 1 and May 3. [11] The video was added to Perri's official YouTube account the day following its official release. [12]

Synopsis and reception

The video begins with Perri lying down in a bed with her boyfriend (played by actor and model John Andersson) as she sings the song looking directly into the camera. As the camera zooms out, it shows that the bed is located in a mountain meadow. As Perri closes her eyes to sleep, the video then begins to take on a dream-sequence theme. [13] In her dream, Perri is being carried away in her bed sheets over a body of water where she is dropped. Scenes of Perri bothered as she sleeps are interlaced into the video as it continues. As Perri continues to dream, she emerges from the water into a stormy night and is pulled onto a boat by two unknown men who begin to play instruments to the song's beat. [13] As Perri performs on the boat, a cluster of black balloons wrap a black ribbon around Perri's arm, and carry her away into the sky over London and then over an open field. As Perri approaches the open field, she frees herself from the balloons' ribbon and falls safely onto a BMW Mini. Perri then drives the Mini back to the location of her bed and runs into the arms of her boyfriend.

VH1 stated that conceptually, the video is a "winner", adding that the most enjoyable parts of the video are the vocal close-ups. [13] VH1 dismissed the rain sequence of the video as Perri is rescued onto the boat, saying it "doesn't seem particularly necessary" but complimented the addition of the band. [13]

As of June 2021, the video has been viewed 74.6 million times on Perri's YouTube account. [13]

Lyric video

Perri revealed a lyric music video for the single as well, released on March 15, 2011. [14] The video was directed by Elliot Sellers, who additionally made lyric videos for others songs released by Perri. [14] The video took over 3,000 photos to make. [14] The entire video is shot behind an old fashioned projector, where the song's lyrics are projected upon a blank tent-side.

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nothing (Janet Jackson song)</span> 2010 single by Janet Jackson

"Nothing" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson. It was released on March 23, 2010 by A&M Records and So So Def Recordings as a soundtrack single from the film Why Did I Get Married Too?, which starred Jackson. The song was later included on Jackson's compilation album Icon: Number Ones. It was written by Jackson, Johntá Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri and produced by Jackson, Cox, and Dupri. Initially titled "Trust in Me", the song was written about the different character's personas and emotions in the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Thousand Miles</span> 2002 single by Vanessa Carlton

"A Thousand Miles" is the debut single by American pop singer Vanessa Carlton. Produced by Curtis Schweitzer and Ron Fair, the song was released as the lead single for Carlton's album Be Not Nobody (2002). First released to US radio in February 2002, it became Carlton's biggest hit in the United States and her only single to reach the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number five. The song also experienced commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, the top five in Ireland, and the top 10 in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Never Told You</span> 2010 single by Colbie Caillat

"I Never Told You" is a song by the American pop singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her second album Breakthrough (2009). The song was released on February 16, 2010 in the United States as the second single. The song is a power ballad in E-flat major and was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves and Kara DioGuardi and produced by DioGuardi. The song talks about the love the singer still has for her lover they felt strongly about at one point in their life. The song received positive reviews from music critics. In the charts, the song has performed moderately well, it has peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Adult Pop Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jar of Hearts</span> 2010 single by Christina Perri

"Jar of Hearts" is the debut single by American singer Christina Perri. The song was released onto iTunes July 27, 2010, a week after its debut on So You Think You Can Dance. The song was included on Perri's debut EP, The Ocean Way Sessions (2010), and appeared on Perri's debut studio album, Lovestrong (2011). The song was co-written by Perri, Drew Lawrence, and Barrett Yeretsian. Perri drew inspiration for the song from a real-life experience with a love interest who wanted to rekindle a broken relationship. After its debut, the song was released onto iTunes where it later rose to the Top 20 spot in one week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Perri</span> American singer-songwriter

Christina Judith Perri is an American singer and songwriter. After her debut single "Jar of Hearts" was featured on the television series So You Think You Can Dance in 2010, Perri signed with Atlantic Records and released her debut extended play, The Ocean Way Sessions. Her debut studio album, Lovestrong (2011), followed soon after and has since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<i>No Gravity</i> (Shontelle album) 2010 studio album by Shontelle

No Gravity is the second studio album by Barbadian recording artist Shontelle, released on September 21, 2010 by SRC Records. Initially scheduled for an August 2010 release the album had been in production since August 2009 and was pushed back by one month to include additional recording sessions with Rodney Jerkins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Lost Me</span> 2010 single by Christina Aguilera

"You Lost Me" is a song by American recording artist Christina Aguilera from her sixth studio album Bionic (2010). It was written by Aguilera, Sia, and producer Samuel Dixon. "You Lost Me" was released on June 25, 2010 by RCA Records as the third single from Bionic. The track is a down-tempo ballad that talks about an unfaithful man, who has left Aguilera's world "infected".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right Thru Me</span> 2010 single by Nicki Minaj

"Right Thru Me" is the second official single from rapper Nicki Minaj's Young Money debut album, Pink Friday (2010). The song was released as a digital download on September 24, 2010, before being serviced to urban and rhythmic radio on October 5, and then mainstream radio on November 2, 2010. The song charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night Is Young</span> 2010 single by Nelly Furtado

"Night Is Young" is a song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado. It was written by Furtado, Salaam Remi and StayBent Krunk-a-Delic, and produced by the latter pair for Furtado's greatest hits compilation album, The Best of Nelly Furtado (2010). The song follows a dance and electronic style, which Furtado said that she is happy with because she never had a straightforward dance-pop song. The lyrics to the song were written by Furtado, who said it is "not necessarily a love song" but is about "having a good time and enjoying life."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blow (Kesha song)</span> 2011 single by Kesha

"Blow" is a song by American singer and songwriter Kesha from her first extended play (EP), Cannibal (2010). The song was released on February 1, 2011. It was written by Kesha, along with Klas Åhlund and the producers, Dr. Luke, Kool Kojak, Benny Blanco, and Max Martin. According to Kesha the song's lyrics are representative of herself and her fans. "Blow" is dominantly an electropop and dance-pop song and is described as a party anthem as it portrays a simple message of having a desire to have a good time at a club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uncharted (song)</span> 2011 single by Sara Bareilles

"Uncharted" is a song written and recorded by the American singer Sara Bareilles. The song was produced by Neal Avron. It was the second single of her album Kaleidoscope Heart.

<i>Lovestrong</i> 2011 album by Christina Perri

Lovestrong is the debut studio 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lonely (Christina Perri song)</span> 2011 promotional single by Christina Perri

"The Lonely" is a song by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri. The song was first released to iTunes on March 29, 2011, the same day that its accompanying lyric video premiered on Teen Vogue. The video was uploaded onto her official YouTube account the following day. The song is included on Perri's debut album, Lovestrong. It was released as the first promotional single of the album.

<i>The Ocean Way Sessions</i> 2010 EP by Christina Perri

The Ocean Way Sessions is the debut extended play (EP) by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri. The EP serves as the first official release by Perri, signed to Atlantic Records. The EP contains live recordings of Perri performing at the Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Perri discography</span>

American singer-songwriter and musician Christina Perri has released four studio albums, three extended plays, eleven singles, seven promotional singles, and thirteen music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Thousand Years (Christina Perri song)</span> 2011 single by Christina Perri

"A Thousand Years" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Christina Perri, and written by Perri and David Hodges, for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1. The song was released as a digital download on October 18, 2011, worldwide, and serves as the second single for the movie. Perri re-recorded the song with vocals from Steve Kazee for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

"Distance" is a song by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri. The new version of the track featuring Jason Mraz is the third official single taken from the deluxe version of her debut studio album Lovestrong (2011) released on March 20, 2012. It was written by Perri and co-written and produced by David Hodges. It is a midtempo ballad about "loving someone at the wrong time in your life" and "being around that one whom your heart longs for without being able to show your true feelings".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human (Christina Perri song)</span> 2013 single by Christina Perri

"Human" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri for her second studio album, Head or Heart (2014). The song was written by Perri and Martin Johnson, who also produced the song. It was released on November 18, 2013, as the lead single for the album. Released to generally positive reviews, "Human" has since become a Top 10 Adult Pop hit in the United States, as well as her third top 40 entry on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified Platinum by RIAA in June 2014.

<i>Head or Heart</i> 2014 studio album by Christina Perri

Head or Heart is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri, released on April 1, 2014, via Atlantic Records. It was originally expected to be released on March 11, 2014, but was pushed back to April 1, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall in Line</span> 2018 single by Christina Aguilera

"Fall in Line" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera for her eighth studio album Liberation (2018), featuring guest vocals from American singer Demi Lovato. It was released as the album's second single on May 16, 2018 by RCA Records, impacting hot adult contemporary radio and contemporary hit radio on June 19 and May 28, respectively. Aguilera co-wrote the song with Johnny Simpson, Mark Williams, Audra Mae, Raul Cubina and Jon Bellion, while the production was handled by the latter.

References

  1. 1 2 "Arms (Official Karaoke Version) - Single by Christina Perri - Download Arms (Official Karaoke Version) - Single on iTunes". itunes.apple.com. 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  2. 1 2 3 Jayvee. "Music Video: Christina Perri's "Arms" | The Round Table". Theroundtableonline.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-24. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  3. ↑ Dolan, Jon (15 March 2011). "Christina Perri "Arms" Song Review". Rolling Stone . Wenner Media. Archived from the original on March 18, 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  4. ↑ "Arms". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Scott Shetler (2011-03-29). "Christina Perri, 'Arms' - New Song". AOL Radio Blog. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  6. 1 2 "Christina Perri, 'Arms (Official Lyric Video)' - Exclusive - AOL Music Blog". Blog.music.aol.com. 2011-03-15. Archived from the original on 2011-08-22. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  7. ↑ Kyle Anderson (2011-05-04). "lovestrong review - Christina Perri". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  8. ↑ A.D. Amorosi (2011-04-25). "Heartwarming home opener for Perri | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/25/2011". Philly.com. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  9. ↑ Chad Grischow. "Christina Perri: lovestrong. Review - Music Review at IGN". Music.ign.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-20. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  10. 1 2 3 "Christina Perri talks "action hero" Arms video, wants to be Superman : Beatweek Magazine". Beatweek.com. 2011-04-04. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  11. 1 2 ""Arms" Music Video Debuts On VH1! - Blog Detail". ChristinaPerri.com. Archived from the original on 2011-05-01. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  12. ↑ "Watch: Christina Perri - Arms (Official Music Video) - Blog Detail". ChristinaPerri.com. Archived from the original on 2011-05-02. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 VH1 (2011-04-28). "Video Premiere: Christina Perri, "Arms" | Vh1 Blog". Blog.vh1.com. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  14. 1 2 3 ""Arms" Available Today + Official Lyric Video On AOL! - Blog Detail". ChristinaPerri.com. 2011-03-15. Archived from the original on 2011-05-04. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  15. ↑ "Media Forest Week 21, 2012". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest.
  16. ↑ "Christina Perri Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  17. ↑ "Christina Perri Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  18. ↑ "Christina Perri Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  19. ↑ "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.