Songwriter Linda Perry Turns Inward for Her Most Personal Work Yet, 'Let It Die Here' [Exclusive]

Few songwriters of the past four decades have shaped pop music quite like Linda Perry, whose deeply emotional lyrics and fearless creative instincts helped define hits for herself and some of music's biggest stars. From vulnerable ballads to powerhouse anthems, Perry's songwriting has left an unmistakable mark on generations of artists and listeners alike.

Perry's latest LP, Let It Die Here, a collection of 17 songs, is her first solo album in more than 25 years. The deeply personal and sonically rich project finds the acclaimed songwriter reflecting on heartbreak, healing, and self-discovery with the same raw honesty that has long defined her work.

Additionally, the songwriter will be honored with the Special International Award at the 2026 Ivor Novello Awards. The Ivors are the most prestigious peer-judged songwriting awards, recognizing excellence in the field.

However, Perry sees herself less as an iconic songwriter and more akin to a "channel" that allows words and music to flow. In an interview with Parade Magazine, the songwriter discussed her craft, her response to being called a legend, and the full-circle moment shared with her child, Rhodes.

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Perry's Ivors recognition is just one chapter in a career that has unfolded organically through decades of fearless creativity and emotional honesty. Rather than forcing the songwriting process, she says she simply "hears" a song and writes it "because it's there for me to write. I'm more like a channel."



"You know, I don't sit here and think I'm the greatest songwriter and I'm putting together these poetic statements. It's like, I've had a big life. I am constantly in a struggle of some sort. I come from that background, and so my words might be a little deeper, they might be a little more honest, but that's all I know. I don't write about things I don't know."

Perry continued, "I'm not intentionally trying to do anything. I'm just going with the flow. And if there's a song to be written, it shows up, and I write it."

"I don't walk into my studio and go, 'Okay, today I'm going to write a song.' It's like, either I am, or I'm not. I'm, I'm always in my flow." She calls herself "very creative, because I remain open to any, any of the possibilities."

This constant creative flow led to the creation of a documentary, Let It Die Here. Subsequently, the film led to an LP of the same name.

Perry admitted, "I didn't make a plan that said, Okay, at 61 years old. I'm going to release an album. That'd be, like, the last thing I would do, but it obviously was meant to be, and I'm just going with the flow. That's the way I live, that's the way I always have. I do things very intentionally, but without premeditated thoughts."

Perry has written some of the most iconic songs of the past four decades, including 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up?" as well as songs for Christina Aguilera ("Beautiful"), P!nk ("Get the Party Started"), Gwen Stefani ("What Are You Waiting For"), and Alicia Keys ("Superwoman"). However, when questioned if she understood the importance of her songwriting to others, she grew silent before answering.

"I don't, and maybe I wish I knew a little bit more, but I don't. But part of me not really knowing that and living in that space is kind of what continues to drive me. Maybe, if I knew too much, maybe I would change; maybe I'd be a little more cocky about, like, being a songwriter. I just don't want to be that. So I want to try to remain as true and my authentic self without all the noise getting in my way and distracting me and navigating me in a place I don't want to be."

In 2026, Perry revisited one of her most beloved compositions, "Beautiful," recording the song for the first time since Aguilera's 2002 version topped the charts. She told Parade that "it was a full circle moment."

"It felt like part of my story," Perry admitted. "It wasn't planned. I think I recorded it in less than an hour."

But recording the heartbreaking song wasn't enough. Perry wanted to make a music video because "it made sense" due to its familiarity with listeners.

She asked her ex-wife, The Conners star Sara Gilbert, to direct the project. Once she agreed, she expressed her desire for their child, Rhodes, to star in it.

"[Sara] wanted to tell me what the synopsis was. I'm like, I don't care, we'll make the video you want to make. Tell me when I'm supposed to be there, tell me what you want me to wear, and tell me what you want me to do. But other than that, it's your video. Make the video you want to make. And she made that video, she edited it. I had no say in it. I didn't want any say in it. And she did a phenomenal job."

Additionally, Perry expressed her pride in Rhodes' performance. "I was so proud of Rhodes, and really just stepped up on that stage and that platform so naturally. And Sara just did an amazing job with the direction and the visual and the editing and the storyline, the costumes, everything; like she killed it."

The video for "Beautiful" is currently nominated at the Tribeca Film Festival in the music video category.

The 71st Ivor Novello Awards are set to celebrate excellence at London's Grosvenor House on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Linda Perry's latest LP, Let It Die Here, was released May 8. A documentary of the same name is set for theatrical release throughout May and in London on June 21.

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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 12:25 PM.