Some 20 years after her debut release, Natasha Bedingfield is back in the spotlight with two songs in the Top 30 and also features on a remix of a further Top 20 hit. I was a fan back then and am excited to see what is next for the singer/songwriter, but for music-lovers who are only just discovering her now, I’ve got ten songs that will help you get to know Natasha. First though, I’m actually starting with a bonus video of her brother, Daniel:
The eldest of four children, it was actually her big brother Daniel that was first out of the blocks with a music career. His self-produced, in his bedroom, debut ‘Gotta Get Through This’ became a massive number 1 when it was released late in 2001 and led to him being signed to Polydor records and releasing the multi-platinum album of the same name. Whereas the first single was garage inspired, he showcased soaring vocals on his second No.1 ‘If You’re Not The One’. The album also went Gold in the US, in a time when it was much harder for artists to achieve global success without spending many months doing promo in each country. Anticipation for Natasha’s music was heightened by Daniel’s success and he would often mention his little sister (she is the second eldest child) in interviews, saying how incredible she was.
Join me in a trip back through her musical career in 10 Songs to get to know Natasha Bedingfield.
1. ‘Single’
As Daniel began recording his second album, sister Natasha was also in the studio working on her debut. She signed to label imprint Phonogenic through BMG and began writing with Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton and Wayne Wilkins who between them, had worked on a wide range of pop acts from Steps to Westlife, Victoria Beckham to Christina Aguilera. Natasha’s first release was called ‘Single’ released in May 2004. An anthem about being single and being completely happy about it. It reached No.3 on the UK singles chart.
2. ‘These Words’
It was Natasha’s second single that cemented her as a superstar on the rise. ‘These Words’ was again co-written by Natasha with the same trio with whom she wrote ‘Single’. An uplifting, quirky pop track ‘These Words’ shot straight in at No.1 on the UK Official Charts in August and spent two weeks at the top. Fast forward to today and DJ/Producer Badger has remixed the track which is shooting up the UK Official Singles Chart.
Natasha released her debut album ‘Unwritten’ on 6th September and it also went straight in at No.1 on the UK Official Charts and has since been certified triple platinum and is a UK million seller.
With recording underway for her second album, Natasha found US success, with ‘Unwritten’ the single ending 2006 as the sixth biggest song on Billboard’s Hot 100 of the Year. The parent album was certified Gold stateside and both ‘These Words’ and ‘Single’ also charted on Billboard Hot 100.
3. ‘I Wanna Have Your Babies’
The first track from the second UK album would prove to be slightly controversial for Natasha. Released two years after ‘I Bruise Easily’ (the fourth and final single from her debut album), the new track was perhaps just too quirky for some and ‘I Wanna Have Your Babies’ peaked at #7 in the UK. Thematically it was a tongue-n-cheek song about a woman looking for Mr Right and immediately telling him she wanted to start a family with him. The track did not get a release in the States as a single nor did it feature on the US version of the second album (more on that below).
Follow up single ‘Soulmate’ was a more straight forward, heartfelt ballad, written by Natasha with Norwegian writer Mads Hague (Pixie Lott) and David Tench (Musical director who can currently be seen on The Voice). It also peaked at #7 in the UK and her second album ‘N.B.’ was released shortly after at the end of April 2007. Unfortunately, a combination of Natasha spending much of her time promoting in the US and a muted reaction to the first two singles, the album peaked at #9 in the UK and, apart from a third, download only, single ‘Say It Again’ (which features backing vocals and was co-written by Adam Levine from Maroon 5), the campaign pretty much stopped in the UK whilst the focus shifted to the US.
4. ‘Love Like This’ (feat. Sean Kingston)
New songs were written and ‘Love Like This’ featuring Sean Kingston became the first official single in the States from her second US album. A laidback, summery track, it was released in September 2007 and peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 being certified Platinum by the following Spring. It was then released in the UK as a standalone single and peaked at #20 on the Official UK Charts.
5. ‘Pocketful Of Sunshine’
The second US single was the title track of her second US album ‘Pocketful Of Sunshine’ and was released in February 2008. She reteamed with Danielle Brisebois who had co-written ‘Unwritten’ and producer John Shanks (The Corrs/Michelle Branch) also worked on the track. It became a Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hit and the 18th biggest song of 2008 stateside. The album launched off the back of the single and reached No.3 on the Billboard 200. It featured 6 tracks from ‘N.B.’ including ‘Soulmate’ and ‘Say It Again’, alongside 7 brand new tracks including the Darkchild produced single ‘Angel’.
6. ‘Strip Me’
In 2010, after extensive touring Natasha released her third album in the US, ‘Strip Me’, which she described as being about ‘stripping down who we are as humans.’ The lead single saw Natasha upping the tempo for ‘Touch’, and co-write with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder for the second single and album title track ‘Strip Me’. The latter gave her another Billboard Hot 100 hit, peaking at #91.
7. ‘Easy’ (Rascal Flatts feat. Natasha Bedingfield)
It would be some years before Natasha would release her fourth studio album, but she kept the music coming by collaborating with other artists such as Simple Plan (Jet Lag), Nicki Minaj (Last Chance) and US country rockers Rascal Flatts ‘Easy’, as well releasing a one-off festive track ‘Shake Up Christmas’ and several one-off tracks from various film soundtracks and other projects.
8. ‘Kick It’
In 2019, Natasha announced her fourth studio album, ‘Roll With Me’, would be released and led with the track ‘Roller Skate’. The album was written predominantly by Natasha and 4 Non Blondes singer and songwriter extraordinaire, Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera/P!nk) and contained the single ‘Kick It’ and one of my personal favourites ‘Everybody Come Together’.
9. ‘Lighthearted’
In 2021, Natasha released two new tracks that hinted that a possible new album was on the horizon in the form of ‘Lighthearted’ and ‘Adorable’ but alas an album never appeared. Both tracks were written by Natasha with long-term collaborator Wayne Wilkins and Simon Wilcox; the latter has worked on tracks for Demi Lovato, Britney Spears, Carly Rae Jepsen and many more.
10. ‘Unwritten’
Bringing things right back to today and the song ‘Unwritten’ has found a whole new set of fans some 20 years after it’s original release. Much of the renewed interest is thanks to rom-com film ‘Anyone But You’ featuring the song heavily as one of the main character’s ‘serenity’ song; sparking another viral effect on social media (a remix and dance routine reignited interest in 2020). The track suddenly reappeared in the UK Top 30 and has, so far, spent 17 weeks inside the Top 40 peaking as high as No.12 (It originally peaked at No.6 in 2004).
Natasha has just announced a gig at London’s Koko in September, which sold out in less than 24 hours, and will be celebrating 20 years of her debut album ‘Unwritten’ releasing it on vinyl for the first time.
You can also hear Natasha on a remix of Rudimental and Ella Henderson’s ‘Alibi’ where she sounds fantastic. It’s so good to hear her voice on new music as well as be reminded of her great catalogue of work. Hopefully, she is feeling inspired to make more new music and would love a new album in 2025. The rest is still unwritten…
