Heart (Elisa album)

Heart is the sixth studio album from Italian singer–songwriter Elisa. It was released on 13 November 2009 in Italy. It has been described as a rock album, with alternative rock and electronic influences.

First studio album since Pearl Days (2004), Heart peaked at number one of the Italian Albums Chart, becoming her second number one album on the chart. The project was promoted by the collaboration "Ti vorrei sollevare" with Giuliano Sangiorgi, which peaked at number one on the Italian Singles Chart.

Background
After fifth studio album Pearl Days (2004), in 2006 Elisa published the greatest hits album Soundtrack '96–'06. whch become a commercial success in Italy, beacoming the singer first number one project and being certified diamond. The album was also published in international version Caterpillar and live version Soundtrack '96-'06 Live. In 2008, after the quiet success of the song "Dancing" in United States, Canada and United Kingdom, Sugar Music published the compilation album Dancing, as an international release, which sold over 100,000 copies in US.

Between 2008 and 2009 Elisa announced she would be in the studio for her new record project, stating that it would be in the Italian language. In May 2009 Elisa announced her pregnancy; her first daughter, Emma Cecile was born on 23 October 2009, a month before Elisa new album.

Composition and recording
The composition of the album started in January 2009, with more than 60 sample tracks including melodies, ideas and songs, written and composed since 1998. At a press conference, Elisa explained that she wanted to produce the entire album with only the collaboration of her partner Andrea Rigonat: "'Involving a producer to select the material is something you don't usually do, and something I couldn't afford anyway. Initially we needed to find a direction, to shape it. Once this first part was done, 50% of the work was already done, and calling a producer at this point would have been too easy. I also wanted to take credit for it.'"The album has fourteen tracks, of which two in Italian and a cover of the song "Mad World". Elisa explained the writing process and the decision to recorded more songs in English than in Italian: "'I got stuck in the lyrics [in Italian]. I couldn't get going, and meanwhile, the work on the CD was so smooth and exciting. So I didn't go ahead with the lyrics and put them in as they came to me: a little bit in Italian and a little bit in English. [...] It is not a concept album because it was not thought of in a global way: there are the songs that I liked best, period; [...] I chose the songs instinctively, I put rationality aside'"

Critical response
Heart received generally positive reviews from music critics, Rolling Stone's Emilio Cozzi gave Heart 4 out of 5 stars and commended Elisa: "It seems that Elisa's style has reached a balance between her instinctive expression and a lot of influences".

Commercial performance
The album became Elisa's first number-one studio album on the Italian FIMI Singles Chart, selling 50,000 copies in its first week. The Album also peaked at number 34 on the Global Albums Chart. "Heart" has sold 230,000 copies only in Italy where the album is 3× platinum.

Track listing
All lyrics written by Elisa except where noted; all music composed by Elisa except where noted.