Be My Forever

Album: Head or Heart (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Perri had just fallen head-over-heels for a guy when she met up with One Direction collaborator Jamie Scott in London in early 2014 to pen a song. "I was the most in love I may have ever been in my whole life, which is awesome because I knew I had a happy song in me," she told Radio.com. "As much as I love the heart-wrenching stuff, I didn't want to force a happy song, and I think you can always tell when a song is fake. I remember going in the studio with this guy and him looking at me and I was glowing. And I'm like, 'I'm so sorry. I'm in love. This is going to be awful. We're never going to write a song.'"

    This was the result of their collaboration, which Perri considers to be the happiest song that she's ever written.
  • The song features Perri's friend, singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. The singer told Radio.com that the moment she wrote "Be My Forever" she knew that it would become a duet. "I was like, 'This has to be a duet and it has to be with Ed Sheeran. Please! He's my number one choice and it's all I want. It's perfect for me and him.'"

    "He doesn't really sing a lot of happy songs either," Perri added, "so we laugh about that. It's both of us doing the happiest song. He's my friend, and it just felt perfect."
  • Perri and Sheeran recorded the song in Los Angeles while Sheeran was in town on tour with Taylor Swift. "He came into the studio, and we were playing it and he was like, 'Oh my God I love this song. I want to do it.' We were like, 'Okay!' We didn't tell anyone," Perri recalled. "We didn't tell our labels. It was so organic and perfect."

    "We went into the studio and we laughed and had the best time ever," she continued. "You can hear it. We're screaming and laughing at the end. His cousin was there and says something silly at the end of the song. I feel like we captured a moment."

Comments: 1

  • Nicki Dv from HawaiiChristina - well, she is right up there with my really favourite artists - teaching a few tricks to the Adele's and the Amy's and the Avril's and the Sia's who are also really top notch.

    I first fell in love with Christina's Lovestrong album, as you know mostly sad songs - but 100% genuine - really beautiful stories of her life.

    "Be my forever" - well I'm so happy that she found love and happiness later.

    I know things have been a bit sad in her family life lately, but Holdstrong girl - keep trying, things will come right. I've been through that, also lost planned children - but things came right in their own time later, in abundance.

    signed with emo jis of big heart and many stars
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Stan Ridgway

Stan RidgwaySongwriter Interviews

Go beyond the Wall of Voodoo with this cinematic songwriter.

Loreena McKennitt

Loreena McKennittSongwriter Interviews

The Celtic music maker Loreena McKennitt on finding musical inspiration, the "New Age" label, and working on the movie Tinker Bell.

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & FireSongwriter Interviews

The longtime bassist of Earth, Wind & Fire discusses how his band came to do a holiday album, and offers insight into some of the greatest dance/soul tunes of all-time.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.