Natasha Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer-songwriter and composer who is best known for the eponymous single of her debut album Unwritten as well as her song "Pocketful of Sunshine". Both songs enjoy massive popularity to this day, to the point of regularly being featured in the soundtracks of films and series, prominent examples being Easy A and Anyone but You.
Bedingfield has been nominated for several awards, and won the 2008 AC Female Artist of the Year, the 2007 Best Pop Artist, the 2006 AC Single of the Year, the 2005 Best International New Artist, the 2005 UK Solo Artist, the 2005 Best Use of Mobile, and the 2004 Hot New Talent.
She's also had some acting roles, including a Bond girl in the 007: From Russia with Love video game (one of her songs, in remixed form, was used for the previous Bond game, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent); she also participated in The Masked Singer as Pepper (being eliminated in the eighth episode) and in Cimorelli's cover of "Unwritten". She's also created songs for The Pirate Fairy and Tangled: The Series, and has done her bit of voice acting.
She has sold over 20 million records worldwide, and was ranked by VH1 at #66 on their list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music.
Her older brother Daniel Bedingfield, is also a musician best known for his debut single "Gotta Get Thru This".
Tropes found across her artistic production:
- Age-Progression Song: "Love Like This" shows young children growing up to high-school age and then to the present (assuming mid-20s).
- Alternate Music Video:
- "Unwritten" consists of two versions. The North American version
has her standing in the elevator and observes on several people and during the chorus, she stops over different floors leading to outdoor spaces like a park or children dancing. The International version has herself contained inside a book as the book itself climbs up the library ceiling. - "These Words" also has two versions. The international version has her in Málaga frustrated by her inability to find inspiration for songwriting, while she walks and dances in colorful outfits, ending with her boyfriend arriving at her home with the help of her scribblings. The North American version, filmed in Brazil, features Bedingfield with boomboxes that come alive and dance.
- "Unwritten" consists of two versions. The North American version
- Bad to the Bone: "Unwritten" is played for pretty much any product marketed to women for pretty much all of 2007.
- Common Time: Averted in "Easy", a duet with Rascal Flatts.
- Distant Duet: "Jet Lag" is sung from the perspective of a couple who are separated by continents, to the point where he (Simple Plan's vocalist) is waking up just as the sun is setting where she (Natasha Bedingfield) is.
- Dramatic Choir Number: A choir begins to sing the last pre-chorus of "Unwritten" before she joins in at the chorus. A choir is also shown in the US version of the music video.
- Escapism: "Pocketful of Sunshine" is about women who dream of a world where there they are not demeaned and misunderstood by the men in their lives. This is complimented by the music video.There's a place that I go that nobody knows
Where the rivers flow and I call it home
And there's no more lies
In the darkness there's light
And nobody cries
There's only butterflies
Take me away (Take me away)
A secret place (A secret place)
A sweet escape (A sweet escape)
Take me away (Take me away)
Take me away (Take me away)
To better days (To better days)
Take me away (Take me away)
A hiding place (A hiding place) - Gift of Song: "Unwritten" was created as a birthday present for her brother who was turning 14 at the time.
- Gospel Choirs Are Just Better: "Unwritten".
- "How I Wrote This Article" Article: "These Words" is about the difficulty of writing a love song that really expresses how she feels about the person she's dedicating it to.Trying to find the magic,
Trying to write a classic,
Waste-bin full of paper,
Clever rhymes, see you later. - Hurt/Comfort Fic: "Angel" could be used to describe that trope."If I could be your angel
(Your angel, your angel)
Protect you from the pain
I'll keep you safe from danger
You'll never hurt again" - No Points for Neutrality: "If You're Gonna Jump" is about a woman wanting to become Hot-Blooded and suffuse passion in everything she does. In short, never aim for the so-called golden middle ground because it's useless to go halfway.If you're gonna play a guitar, you gotta play 'til you blister [snip]
No half-baked apples for my tea
It's hot or cold no in between - Outlandish Device Setting: Her heart megaphone is set on eleven. It Makes Sense in Context.
- Rearrange the Song: "If You Wanna Jump" was remixed by British DJ Paul Oakenfold for GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.
- Special Guest:
- In the English version of Simple Plan's "Jet Lag".
- In Degrassi: The Next Generation.
- Truck Driver's Gear Change: "Easy" is a particularly odd variant: the key jumps up a minor third (C♯ minor to E minor) halfway through the second verse.
- Vehicle Title: "Jet lag".
- Word Salad Title: "Bruised Water" is named so since it's a mashup of Chicane's "Saltwater" and Bedingfield's "I Bruise Easily".
