Natasha Bedingfield
Template:Infobox musical artist 2 Natasha Bedingfield (born November 26, 1981) is a British pop singer, and the sister of another pop singer Daniel Bedingfield. Her debut single,"Single", was released in 2004, followed by the worldwide hit "These Words", which charted at #1 in the UK. Her current American single, "Unwritten", peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Childhood and beginning
Bedingfield was born in Sussex[1] but raised in Lewisham to New Zealand parents.
As a teenager, Natasha, Daniel and younger sister Nikola formed the Christian worship band, The DNA Algorithm. In it they experimented with a variety of music, from R&B to garage rock, and occasionally they would perform small gigs.
After school Bedingfield decided to attend university instead of an art college, as the college noted that she seemed to be more interested in the emotional content of her artwork, leading her to study psychology. Bedingfield commented on her choice stating: "But even then, I was interested in psychology because I knew that'd make me a better songwriter. It'd give me a deeper insight into people. I was sick of empty music - people whip up a melody then any kind of words to fit. I'm not interested in lines that go 'blah blah blah.' I want something that provokes me as well as the listener."
Recording and performing career
Natasha Bedingfield was signed by Phonogenic Records and her debut album, Unwritten, peaked at number one in the United Kingdom. The album spawned her debut single "Single", the title track "Unwritten", "I Bruise Easily", and the worldwide success "These Words," which was her first #1 single in the United Kingdom. The song was also her debut single in North America, where it peaked at #17 on the U.S. Hot 100.
When "Unwritten" (her third U.K. single and second U.S. single) was released in the United States, it became her first top 10 hit, peaking at #5 for two weeks on the Hot 100 and at #1 on the Pop 100 Charts. Her U.S. video for Unwritten reached #1 on the VH1 countdown. In a very interesting twist, her debut single in the United Kingdom is now her third release in the United States, almost two years after it peaked at #3 in her homeland. "Single", was officially released to Mainstream radio stations on April 24, 2006. However, the song "The One That Got Away" is currently climbing Billboard's Dance/Club Play chart and this week climbs to number 9. This song appears on the North American version of Unwritten.
Bedingfield became the third female solo singer in UK history to have a number-one debut album, but she and her brother Daniel Bedingfield were documented in the Guinness Book of World Records as the only brother and sister to have solo number-ones in UK chart history. She is also known for voicing Elizabeth Stark, a Bond girl and daughter of the Prime Minister, whom Bond rescues in the pre-title sequence From Russia with Love, a video game by Electronic Arts.
Bedingfield became the 1st UK female artist to get a number one on the Pop 100, and her single Unwritten has now been certified five platinum with sales exceeding 1,000,000 copies being downloaded, making this her first single to break the coveted one million download mark. This accomplishment has only been accomplished by very few artists.
Selected discography
Albums
-
Unwritten
- Unwritten (2004) #1 UK (3x Platinum, sales: 912,000) #26 US (Gold, on Shippments over 500,000 Sales: 556,625), Europe: Platinum
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | UK | IRL | AUS | US | US Pop | US Dance | US Dance Airplay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004/06 | "Single" | Unwritten | 3 | 7 | - | - | 87 | - | - |
| 2004/05 | "These Words" | Unwritten | #1 | #1 | 5 | 17 | 9 | 35 | #1 |
| 2004/05 | "Unwritten" | Unwritten | 6 | 9 | 26 | 5 | #1 | #1 | 2 |
| 2005 | "I Bruise Easily" | Unwritten | 12 | 17 | 28 | - | - | - | - |
| 2006 | "The One That Got Away" | Unwritten | - | - | - | - | - | 9 | - |
RIAA Certifications
| Year | Title | RIAA Certification | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "These Words" | 2x Platinum | #17 |
| 2006 | "Unwritten" | 5x Platinum | #5 |
| 2006 | "Single" | TBC | TBA |