Singer-songwriter Francesca Battistelli earned her first GMA Dove Award wins for Best Female Vocalist and Best Music Video for her hit single, “Free To Be Me,” from her debut record, My Paper Heart. “Free To Be Me” shattered records when it became the most added song by a female artist in Christian radio history, holding the number one slot for ten consecutive weeks and becoming the first number one song from a female at AC radio since 2005. Additionally, the song was the #4 most downloaded Christian Digital track for 2009.

After erupting onto the music scene, Francesca Battistelli is breaking multiple records as her radio singles rocket up the Christian charts. Francesca’s enthusiasm can’t help but find its way into her music. In fact, whether she’s talking about her accept-yourself-as-you-are anthem “Free to Be Me,” hit songs “I’m Letting Go,” “It’s Your Life,” or her newest hit song “Beautiful, Beautiful,” Francesca says, “I really love this song. It’s so much fun to sing.” That pervasive joy, along with Francesca’s adventurous musicianship and relatable songwriting makes My Paper Heart an impressive debut. The album was recently re-released as a deluxe edition with some additional recordings including an alternate version of “Beautiful, Beautiful.”

I had the great opportunity to interview Francesca recently about her current single “Beautiful, Beautiful.” This is the background she shared with me about the song:

Regarding "Beautiful, Beautiful," what's the main message of the song, in particular the lyrics “Mercy reaching to save me, All that I need, You are so Beautiful, beautiful.”

The song is all about the idea of how God’s mercy is with us no matter what is happening in our lives. The song is about God’s grace and how His mercies are new every morning. No matter what yesterday looked like, we have a new opportunity to experience God’s grace today. God can pick us up off the ground as long as we come to Him with open hearts. I’m so grateful for God’s mercy every day in my daily walk with Him.

How can listeners apply that message in their walk with God, in particular the lyrics "Now there’s a joy inside I can’t contain, But even perfect days can end in rain, And though it’s pouring down, I see You through the clouds, Shining on my face."

Our lives are a journey and there are ups and downs in our lives. Choosing to follow Christ is a choice. God doesn’t promise that we won’t have struggles, because we will always struggle in our fallen world. We can always reach out for God and we can all have our ultimate hope in Christ. There is more hope living in Christ that in any other way that we can live our lives now. This song really encourages me when I sing it and the message of the song really applies to me every day.

Do you have any Bible verses you used to write the song?

Psalm 145:8-9: The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

1 Peter 1:3-5: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

What does the song mean to you personally as you are about to be a first time mother? Is there some wisdom in the song you want to share with your baby?

That’s a great question. Yes, it can be so easy to focus on the problems of today and worry so much about the problems of our everyday lives. It’s easy to forget that God has big plans for us and that He loves us so much He wants us to let our problems go and He’ll help us no matter what.

Here are the lyrics:

Don’t know how it is You looked at me
And saw the person that I could be
Awakening my heart
Breaking through the dark
Suddenly Your grace

(Chorus)
Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need
You are so
Beautiful, beautiful

Now there’s a joy inside I can’t contain
But even perfect days can end in rain
And though it’s pouring down
I see You through the clouds
Shining on my face

(Chorus)

I have come undone
But I have just begun
Changing by Your grace

(Chorus)

We should speak of God's wondrous work of redemption while we declare His greatness. It may be truly said of our Lord Jesus Christ that His words are words of goodness and grace. He is full of compassion and His mercies are new every morning. Francesca has really captured that truth in her gorgeous song “Beautiful, Beautiful.” I sing along with this song and share that joy of knowing God will pick me up when I fall and His love for me is without condition. I loved how as I spoke with Francesca, she was close to her due date to deliver her first child. This song is a wonderful biblical truth to share with her child.

You can watch the video of the song here.


Francesca and her husband Matthew are now the parents of baby boy Matthew Elijah Goodwin, born on September 22nd. Photo by Joy Wilson Photography