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Poland "A thousand years"
A thousand years
Own Eurovision Song Contest 22 entry
Country Poland
Artist(s) Christina Perri
Language English
Finals performance
Final result 12th, 124 points
Appearance chronology
◄ Flirt (21)   
Ślad (23) ►


"A thousand years" is a song by American-Polish singer Christina Perri. The song was internally selected to represent Poland in Own Eurovision Song Contest 19. However it was later decided that Christina would represent the country in the 22nd edition instead.

Background[]

An official lyric video of the song was premiered on October 17, 2011 via Perri's official Facebook and Twitter pages as well as her official website. On October 26, 2011, she released an official video for the song on her YouTube channel. The video begins with Perri holding a candle. It features a few clips from the movie interspersed between scenes with Perri singing in a room with a floor full of candles. The video may include the voices from Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson saying they love each other while in a wedding and also they can be heard in the background before the bridge. She ends the video singing into a sunset.

Critical reception[]

Critics praised the song for its lyrics as well as Perri's voice. Bill Lamb from About.com gave the song 4 stars (out of 5) saying that, "Initially, it sounds just a bit sappy and even a bit twee, however, stick with it and as the Waltz time begins to sway more and more the song moves into a bridge that is stunningly gorgeous. It then melts back down into a gentle place before sweeping along into a pleasing conclusion." He also praised Perri's voice, stating, "She uses her voice to a great effect sounding almost as if we were sitting with a friend who chose to speak to us in a song instead of everyday speech patterns. Instead of pushing her voice to power through a huge chorus, she lets the backing track do the speaking."

Chart performance[]

On the week of October 23, 2011, the song debuted at No. 74 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 70 on Canadian Hot 100. It has reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Christina her second top 40 hit.

As of December 2012, the song has sold over 2 million digital downloads in the US.

Charts and certifications[]

Weekly charts[]

Chart (2011–12) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) 13
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 19
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders) 44
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 70
Czech Republic (IFPI) 13
Denmark (Tracklisten) 27
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) 19
Ireland (IRMA) 7
New Zealand (RIANZ) 11
Scotland (Official Charts Company) 11
Spain (PROMUSICAE) 26
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 21
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 13
US Billboard Hot 100 31
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 11
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard) 7
US Pop Song (Billboard) 22
US Latin Pop Songs (Billboard) 24

A Thousand Years, Pt. 2[]

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) 39
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 40
France (SNEP) 66
Germany (Media Control AG) 26
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100) 80
New Zealand (RIANZ) 31
US Billboard Hot 100 53

Certifications[]

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA) 3× Platinum 210,000^
Canada (Music Canada) Platinum 10,000^
New Zealand (RIANZ) Platinum 15,000*
United States (RIAA) 2× Platinum 2,000,000^
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Year-end charts[]

Chart (2012) Position
US Billboard Hot 100 87
US Adult Contemporary 21
US Adult Pop Songs 24

Release history[]

Country Date Format Label
United States October 18, 2011 Digital download Atlantic
Canada WEA International Inc.
Australia
United Kingdom November 7, 2011 Digital download (album only) Atlantic
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