Christina Perri at Koko

Koko is packed – like, London-Underground-at-rush-hour packed – and the crowd is buzzing with anticipation: American pop singer-songwriter Christina Perri is wrapping up her European tour with a big finish in London. She rose to fame back in 2010 with the catchy Jar of Hearts, and her current tour is all about her second album, Head or Heart, released earlier this year. 

Perri lets the anticipation build before opening with Shot Me in the Heart, then shifts into Arms, the second single from her debut album. Perri herself is bursting with excitement: she tells the crowd animatedly about how much she’s been looking forward to this particular date, as she wrote most of her second album here in London. Though there are a few in the crowd who urge her to just keep playing, most are enchanted by her love for the city.

The crowd is hooked from start to finish, Perri’s particular brand of endearing enthusiasm winning over even the less eager tag-alongs. True, she loses the interest of those less familiar with her work by playing two slower songs – The Words and Butterfly – in a row, but she quickly grabs them again with the more upbeat Lonely Child. The true magic happens when she plays the chirpy Be My Forever (an album track sung with Ed Sheeran, who does not make an appearance, much to the disappointment of some audience members) and A Thousand Years back-to-back. At times Perri stops singing completely, letting the audience take over for her. Hearing almost the entirety of Koko singing back to her is a very powerful moment.

She ends on a high note, playing I Believe – the first song released from her new album – before coming back on to finish with Jar of Hearts. The crowd goes on cheering long after she’s left the stage. Perri’s heartfelt lyrics and poppy tunes may not be particularly unique, but her passion and down-to-earth attitude set her apart from many in her genre, and made this a truly wonderful evening.

Natasha Furlong

For further information about Christina Perri and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Burning Gold here: