About Francesca Battistelli For singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up since she was six years old.  Battistelli grew up in a musical family with both of her parents involved in musical theatre.   After seeing “The Secret Garden” on Broadway with her parents, the decision was ultimately a no-brainer. “There was just something about live theater – especially musical theater – that has always resonated with me,” Francesca says. “So I thought that was it. I was going to be Mary Lennox in ‘The Secret Garden’.” When she was 15, however, she became a member of the Orlando all-girl mainstream pop group Bella. The group's touring performances included singing and dancing; "two things I loved", she said. After the group disbanded, Battistelli picked up the guitar and began writing songs.  Francesca says she was thankful for an opportunity to clear her head. “Not long after, I recharged my batteries by going to this youth ministry that I absolutely loved,” Francesca shares. “It was there where the Lord really captured my heart for Christian music. I started playing guitar and really longed to bring something authentic to the scene that even non-Christians could listen to.”
As an independent artist in 2004, Battistelli released her debut album, Just a Breath. In early 2008, she released the I'm Letting Go EP exclusively through iTunes on Fervent Records which contains four songs, including the title track. All four songs were included on her first major label studio album, My Paper Heart, which was released on July 22, 2008. And while pouring out your heart doesn’t always come easy for some, the songwriting process has been both cathartic and fun for Francesca. Describing it as “the most fun she’s ever had professionally,” Francesca’s enthusiasm can’t help but find its way into her music. In fact, whether she’s talking about the spirited, funk-laden title track or the buoyant, accept-yourself-as-you-are anthem “Free to Be Me,” Francesca bookends her commentary with “I really love this song. It’s so much fun to sing.” And that pervasive joy, along with Francesca’s adventurous musicianship and relatable songwriting make My Paper Heart an impressive debut. Battistelli's music has been given several different genre labels. A reviewer once said that "Battistelli's soulful piano-pop sound resembles a blend of her music interests—jazz, rock, gospel and R&B." Battistelli stated that when she first began writing music, "I really longed to bring something authentic to the Christian music scene that even non-Christians could listen to."