CR 041: Christina Perri on the Continuing Evolution of 'A Thousand Years'

The singer-songwriter discusses her new children’s book based on the hit song.

Photo courtesy of Christina Perri

In 2010, Christina Perri’s career took off when her debut single, “Jar of Hearts,” had its premiere on an episode of So You Think You Can Dance. But it’s her 2011 release, “A Thousand Years,” that became her signature song. Written for the film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, “A Thousand Years” took on new meaning for Perri when she became a mom. In 2019, she released a stripped-down version of the tune on Songs for Carmella, a collection of lullabies she recorded for her daughter. And now, she’s the proud author of A Thousand Years, a picture book that combines Perri’s lyrics with gorgeous illustrations, many of which were based on Perri’s own life.

“The illustrator [Joy Hwang Ruiz] took my real life and turned it into this beautiful story of a parent’s forever love,” Perri says. “It’s capturing that [time] between birth and going off to school, letting your child know how much you love them and walking through all their little milestones.”

Tho…