"The Lonely" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Christina Perri
Christina Judith Perri (born August 19, 1986) 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 relea ...
. The song was first released to
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
on March 29, 2011, the same day that its accompanying lyric video premiered on ''
Teen Vogue
''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since ...
''.
The video was uploaded onto her official
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
account the following day.
The song is included on Perri's debut album, ''
Lovestrong
''Lovestrong'' (stylized as ''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 rele ...
''. It was released as the first
promotional single
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
of the album.
The song draws inspiration from Perri's life, written about a relationship she had with the emotion of being lonely. Many critics found themselves divided over the song. Most of them positively reviewed the song's chilling tone and powerful lyrics, but many noted that "The Lonely" didn't compare to Perri's lead single, "
Jar of Hearts
"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 Session ...
".
Background and release
"The Lonely" was co-written by Christina Perri and
David Hodges
David Hall Hodges (born December 5, 1978) is an American songwriter and record producer from Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a studio contributor to the rock band Evanescence from 2000–2002. He has since had success co-writing and co–produci ...
. One month prior to the release of ''
Lovestrong
''Lovestrong'' (stylized as ''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 rele ...
'', Perri revealed that three promotional singles were set to be released via
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
leading up to the album's release. The first of these was "The Lonely" on March 29, 2011.
The two other promotional singles were "Penguin" and "Tragedy". Perri released an official
karaoke
Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...
version of the song onto iTunes on April 5, 2011.
Music and lyrics
Perri wrote "The Lonely" in August 2010 in her driveway at two o'clock in the morning after coming back from a dinner event. She says that when she pulled into her driveway, she realized how alone she was and "cried her eyes out" while writing the song. Perri wrote the song about her relationship with "nobody or with this ghost of somebody". "The Lonely" was intended to be a
personification
Personification occurs when a thing or abstraction is represented as a person, in literature or art, as a type of anthropomorphic metaphor. The type of personification discussed here excludes passing literary effects such as "Shadows hold their b ...
of
loneliness
Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. Loneliness is also described as social paina psychological mechanism which motivates individuals to seek social connections. It is often associated with a perceived lack ...
- "the saddest, quietest, most painful kind." While revealing the track to ''
Teen Vogue
''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since ...
'', Perri gave more insight into the song's message, saying "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."
"The Lonely" places different periods and events in Perri's past on a "very clear timeline".
Perri's voice in the song has been described as somber, complementing its piano melody, which grows louder as the song progresses.
The lyrics of the song begin emotionally 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."
Critical reception
"The Lonely" garnered mixed review by critics, most of whom favored the chilling tone set in the song and compared the song to Perri's lead single "
Jar of Hearts
"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 Session ...
". Bill Lamb of ''
About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
'' included the song in a list of the "Top 10 New Pop Songs", "The Lonely" coming in at number five. Lamb complimented the song, describing it as "another beautiful ballad".
Naming the song the "power ballad" of ''Lovestrong'', Jody Rosen of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' complimented the song as "bombastic", including it 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'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863.
Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corporat ...
'' described the song as a "gorgeous anthem". Chad Grischow of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' gave the song a negative review, describing it as a sappy string-laced piano ballad that attempted to recreate the "magic" of "
Jar of Hearts
"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 Session ...
" but lacked its "emotional heart".
Music video
Lyric video
To promote the song, Christina Perri released a lyric video, directed by Elliott Sellers.
The video debuted on ''
Teen Vogue
''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since ...
s website on March 29, 2011, the day of the song's
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
release.
The video was released on Perri's official
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
account the following day, March 30, 2011.
The video begins with an old-fashioned
typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectivel ...
typing out the artist's name and the name of the song. As the song starts, the camera moves away from the typewriter to show a brick wall. A light beams upon the song's lyrics on the wall. As the chorus begins, the lyrics are cut into a board as light beams from behind them. As the song continues, the song lyrics are again typed by a typewriter, until pages are shown burning on the floor with larger letters on them continuing the lyrics. The video ends with a closeup of a candle's wax dripping. The candle is later blown out, signifying the end of the video.
Performances
Perri performed the song on her joint tour with
James Blunt
James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After l ...
in
Boston, MA
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
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'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...
.
Perri also performed the song as part of her first tour, the
Lovestrong Tour
''Lovestrong'' (stylized as ''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 rele ...
, in 2011–2012.
Chart performance
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lonely, The
2011 songs
Pop ballads
Songs written by David Hodges
Christina Perri songs
Songs written by Christina Perri
Atlantic Records singles
2010s ballads
Songs about loneliness
Soul ballads