Christina Perri Thought Long and Hard About Every Song on ‘Lovestrong’

Edgy singer-songwriter Christina Perri -- complete with a sprinkling of random tattoos -- released her debut album 'Lovestrong' this week. And, like a mother giving birth to her first child, Perri is incredibly proud of the record.

"'Lovestrong' is something that I'm unbelievably proud of putting out into the world," says Perri, who is originally from Philadelphia and sports a sprinkling of random tattoos all over her chest and arms. "I thought very long and hard about which songs I wanted to put on there. I mean, I wrote every song on the album. All the songs are about love because that is what inspires me, and all the songs have this element of strength."

The song that put Perri, who also plays piano and guitar, on the map is the contemplative yet powerful 'Jar of Hearts.' The song aired on the dance competition series 'So You Think You Can Dance' on June 30, 2010 and the rest, as they say, is history. "From that moment, my whole life changed," Perri admits. "I was a waitress before, and the 10 years before that, and then the next day I wasn't a waitress anymore. I flew to New York City, I met every record label [and] I signed with Atlantic." The song has since gone on to be used on an episode of 'Glee,' signaling that Christiana Perri has indeed arrived.

It was a dream come true for the 24 year old, who knew she wanted to be a musician since birth. "I sang for people in churches, I sang for people at my parents' barber shop — whether they wanted to hear me or not — and I really haven't stopped since then," she said.

We can't stop listening either, Christina!

Watch Christina Perri’s Full Interview With MTV