Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Bedingfield

Bedingfield performing in 2008
Background information
Birth name Natasha Anne Bedingfield
Born 26 November 1981 (1981-11-26) (age 29)
Surrey, England, UK
Genres Pop, Contemporary Christian, blue-eyed soul, R&B
Occupations Singer-songwriter
Years active 2004–present
Labels Phonogenic, Epic (US)
Associated acts The DNA Algorithm
Website www.natashabedingfield.com

Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is an English pop singer and songwriter.

Based in Book St., London, Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield recorded rock and gospel songs for the Hillsong London Church, while Daniel went on to enjoy success with hits "Gotta Get Thru This" and "If You're Not The One".

Bedingfield recorded her first album Unwritten in 2004. The album contained primarily uptempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music;[1] it enjoyed international success with over 2.3 million copies sold worldwide. [2] In 2007, she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the song "Unwritten".[3] Bedingfield's second album N.B. (2007) yielded the singles "I Wanna Have Your Babies", "Soulmate" and "Say It Again". Bedingfield has achieved five top ten singles in the United Kingdom and, as of April 2008, she has sold over 2 million albums worldwide.

Contents

Early life

Bedingfield was born in Surrey (later moving to the Lewisham district of London) to New Zealand-born Molly and John Bedingfield who are both charity workers. She has three siblings; brothers Daniel and Joshua, and younger sister Nikola. Her interest in music was encouraged by her parents and she took guitar and piano lessons when she was younger.[4] When Bedingfield was a teenager, she and her siblings, Daniel and Nikola, formed the dance/electronic group, The DNA Algorithm.[5] The group provided Bedingfield with the opportunity to explore different musical genres and expand her songwriting abilities.[6] She provided vocals for the group which primarily performed dance-pop music about religion, independence and empowerment, themes that would later be found in her own solo compositions. The DNA Algorithm performed at several Christian music festivals before disbanding.[7]

Bedingfield attended a year at the University of Greenwich, where she studied psychology,[4][8] then left to concentrate on singing and songwriting. At first she recorded demos in the garages of friends who had recording studios, which she presented to record companies.[9] Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield composed and recorded songs for the Hillsong London Church. In 2004, her recordings appeared on the church's live album Shout God's Fame and the children's album Jesus Is My Superhero by Hillsong Music Australia.[10]

Music career

At age 14, Natasha sang vocals on Origins Refined Intricacy (Steelyard Records).

2004–2006: Unwritten

Bedingfield signed a recording contract with BMG UK & Ireland, through its imprint Phonogenic Records, in 2003.[11] Her first album Unwritten was released in September 2004 and features collaborations with Steve Kipner, Danielle Brisebois, Wayne Rodrigues, Nick Lachey, James Reilly, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins, Kara DioGuardi, Guy Chambers, Patrick Leonard and the rapper Bizarre. The album contained uptempo pop rock songs and influences from R&B music.[1] Bedingfield's lyrics focused on independence, opportunism and female empowerment.[4] Reviews of the album were generally positive and it was described as a "well-made pop album for the new millennium" by Allmusic.[1] The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number one and reached the top thirty in the United States.[12] It sold well, reaching multi-platinum status in the United Kingdom[13] and Gold status in the U.S.[14] The first single released from the album was "Single", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.[15] The song's lyrics, and its accompanying music video, depict Bedingfield's single lifestyle.[16] "These Words" was released as the album's second single. The song became Bedingfield's first UK number one and U.S. top twenty single.[17] "Unwritten" was released as the album's third single in 2004, the song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart and it also became the most played song on U.S. radio in 2006.[18] "I Bruise Easily" was released as the album's fourth single, it did not perform as well as its predecessors but was still a moderate success, reaching number twelve on the UK Singles Chart.

In 2004, Bedingfield also appeared on the Girls Of FHM single, "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", alongside Tina Barrett (formerly of S Club 7) and Liz McClarnon (formerly of Atomic Kitten). The single peaked at number ten in the UK Top 40 charts.

At the 2005 Brit Awards, Bedingfield was nominated for four awards, though did not win any of her nominated categories. She was also nominated for an award at the 2006 Brit Awards, and in 2007 she was nominated for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" at the 2007 Grammy Awards, though was again unsuccessful in winning in any of her nominated categories.[3][19]

In November 2006, Bedingfield released the DVD Live in New York City, which contained a live concert performance as well as music videos and a documentary. That month she recorded the Diane Warren-penned song "Still Here" for the film Rocky Balboa.[20] The song, however, did not appear on the soundtrack although it was included on her second album.

2007–2008: N.B. and Pocketful of Sunshine

Bedingfield in Toronto, Canada on 3 October 2007

Bedingfield's second album N.B. was released in Europe in April 2007. In North America (the U.S. and Canada), the album was released under the title "Pocketful of Sunshine" in January 2008. Bedingfield again collaborated with Kipner along with Eve, Wayne Wilkins, and Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine. The album takes influence from a variety of music styles such as R&B, reggae and electronica.[21] Bedingfield commented that it differed from Unwritten because it represented her shifting priorities from being a single young woman to "dating, searching for a partner" and "looking for Mr Right".[4] The album received mixed reviews by critics and peaked at number nine in the UK.

"I Wanna Have Your Babies", the album's lead single, was about finding the right man to father her children and was criticized by fans and critics alike.[22] The song was moderately successful, reaching number seven in the UK, number eight in Ireland and the top fifty in various other markets.[23] "Soulmate" was released as the album's second single on 2 July 2007 and also peaked at number seven in the UK.[24] "Say It Again" was confirmed as the third single to be released from N.B. on 8 October 2007, but this failed to chart.

In July 2007, Bedingfield appeared in an online YouTube music video of Esmée Denters singing "Unwritten". Bedingfield sang backing vocals off-screen for most of the video, but joined Denters in front of the camera at the end of the song.[25] In September 2007, it was announced that the lead single "I Wanna Have Your Babies" would in fact not be the lead single in North America. A new track titled "Love Like This" would serve as the lead American single. The track, which features Jamaican reggae act Sean Kingston did not appear on the original pressings of N.B. The song was also released in the UK where it peaked at number 20 in March 2008.

To promote N.B., Bedingfield embarked on the FutureSex/LoveShow tour in May 2007, supporting Justin Timberlake[26] and on 1 July 2007, Bedingfield performed "Unwritten" at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London.[27]

Bedingfield's live session at Abbey Road Studios was recorded for Live from Abbey Road and the performance was screened on an episode shared with Iron Maiden and Gipsy Kings. The show was screened on Channel 4 in the UK and the Sundance Channel in the United States.

On 3 October 2007, Bedingfield won an award for "Best Pop Artist" at the 2007 BT Digital Music Awards held at The Roundhouse in Camden, North London. She also performed her latest single "Say It Again" at the ceremony.

The North American version of her second album featured six songs from N.B. along with seven new ones. The album was released on 22 January 2008, after the lead single, "Love like This", was released in September 2007 and charted at #11 on the Billboard hot 100, #9 on the Pop 100 and #1 on the US dance chart.

The title track was released as the second single in February 2008 and was played on the season finale of MTV's The Hills. The single peaked at #5 on the Billboard hot 100, #5 on the Pop 100 and #1 on the US dance chart.

On 18 January 2008, Bedingfield's UK tour was cancelled for the second time, one month before it was supposed to start, so she could spend more time promoting her album in the U.S.[28] She recently signed on to become the opening act on the recently reunited New Kids On The Block Fall Tour of 2008 in the US.

In February 2008, Bedingfield was invited by EA Games to re-record the single Pocketful of Sunshine in Simlish, with a music video released as part of a viral advertising campaign for the release of The Sims 2: FreeTime.[29][30]

The third single taken from the album was "Angel", which peaked at number #63 on the Billboard Hot 100, #35 on the Pop 100 and #1 on the US dance chart. On 18 September 2008, Bedingfield performed the song on America's Got Talent.

A fourth single, "Soulmate", was released in December 2008 but debuted two months before its release at #103 on the Billboard Hot 100, #74 on the Pop 100 and #1 on the US Dance Chart (becoming her fifth #1 dance single).

2009-present: Strip Me

Bedingfield has stated on her blog that she will start work on her new album in early 2009.[31] She has confirmed to be writing for the new album while on holiday in New Zealand, she says "I'm here for a couple of weeks to do a bit of writing. It is such an inspiring place to write music. I love coming here as often as I can, usually once a year to fuel up on ideas for my next album".[32] She has also confirmed she is working with Brian Kennedy who produced Rihanna's hit single "Disturbia" and has been writing songs with him while on tour[33][34] with a view to having the album released by the end of 2009.[35] Bedingfield has also stated that Wyclef Jean, Sam Sparro and Mike Elizondo will also be working on the record,[36]

Bedingfield has confirmed that the album will be ready for fall 2010.[37] In an interview with IN:DEMAND Producer, Ryan Tedder said "I'm gonna try and bring Natasha Bedingfield back here in the UK with some quirky, kinda weird stuff".[38] On 18 March Natasha stated on her official site that she's in L.A. and she is putting the finishing touches on her album.[39] "Touch", the lead single from the album, will officially be sent to U.S. radio stations on 29 June 2010.[40][41] Bedingfield performed "Touch" on The Ellen Degeneres Show on 24 May 2010[42] and on July 15th Bedingfield announced via Twitter that the title of her new album will be Strip Me. The album was announced to be released on November 9, 2010[43].

Non-musical projects

Bedingfield at the Frosted Pink With a Twist women's cancer charity event in San Diego, 2008
Bedingfield in the 2006 Red Dress collection for The Heart Truth campaign

Bedingfield is a philanthropist who has donated time and money to organizations such as the Global Angels, an international children's charity founded by her mother, Molly Bedingfield.[44] She became associated with the organization in 2006 because of her celebrity status, which she could use to help "people around the world, particularly children, who live in conditions that would horrify us".[45]

Bedingfield is now an ambassador for Global Angels and in November 2006 she visited India for three weeks in support of the charity. She visited an orphanage in Kolkata and a refugee camp for former child prostitutes in Mumbai to learn more about the situation and the conditions in these areas. Bedingfield later expressed her shock at what she had witnessed.[7] Video diaries filmed during her trip were posted on her official website in early 2007.[46] She is also an advocate for Stop the Traffik, a global coalition which works to end human trafficking[44] and a member of the (RED) campaign.[4] In a 2008 rockumentary, Call+Response, headed by Justin Dillon, Bedingfield performed acoustic versions of "Unwritten" and "Soulmate" in support of the film's cause: a movement against current slavery and human trafficking.[47]

In 2004, Bedingfield showed interest in acting and made her debut in the James Bond video game From Russia with Love in November 2005. She lent her voice to the character Elizabeth Stark, the British Prime Minister's daughter who is kidnapped in the opening sequence.[48] Bedingfield commented that she would like to do more acting, but only if the film "was good enough, and it was a role that [would] fit me."[48] Bedingfield is not set to appear in any forthcoming films in the near future.

She has made an appearance in the seventh season finale of the hit Canadian television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.[49] Bedingfield also guest starred on Nickelodeon's mockumentary series The Naked Brothers Band's Christmas Special, alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Leon Thomas III. She has made guest appearances on the NBC series Lipstick Jungle.[50]. More recently, she guest starred on Nickelodeon's True Jackson, VP in November 2009. She sang the song "These Words".

Personal life

In 2006, the media incorrectly reported that Bedingfield was dating Nick Lachey and Maroon 5 lead singer, Adam Levine. Referring to the media reports, Bedingfield commented that "Adam is lovely but I didn't date him or Nick. As soon as you talk to a famous guy, you're immediately linked with him."[51] Bedingfield is married to Matt Robinson,[52] a businessman and documentary filmmaker from California. The couple wed in Malibu on 21 March 2009.[52]

She lists Audrey Hepburn, Debbie Harry and Brigitte Bardot as her "celebrity style icons".[53]

Discography

Awards and nominations

awards and nominations
Awards and nominations
Award Wins Nominations
The Brit Awards
 0 4
Grammy Awards
 0 1
MTV Europe Music Awards
 0 1
TMF Awards
 1 1
BT Digital Music Awards
 1 1
Capital FM Awards
 2 2
Glamour Awards
 1 1
Totals
Awards won 5
Nominations 11

Bedingfield's debut album Unwritten contains primarily uptempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music.[1] It enjoyed international success with over three million copies sold worldwide.[55] In 2007, she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the song "Unwritten", the third single from the album of the same name.[3] Bedingfield's second album N.B. yielded the singles "Soulmate"; "Say It Again"; and "I Wanna Have Your Babies", written and produced by Natasha Bedingfield, Wayne Wilkins, Andrew Frampton, and Steve Kipner.[56] Bedingfield has received four nominations from the BRIT Awards but has won none.[57] As of July 2008, she has won five awards from eleven nominations.

BRIT Awards

The BRIT Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. Bedingfield has received four nominations.[57]

Year Nominated work Award Result
2005 Natasha Bedingfield Best British Female Solo Artist Nominated
British Breakthrough Artist Nominated
Best Pop Act Nominated
"These Words" Best British Single Nominated

BT Digital Music Awards

The BT Digital Music Awards honour music distributed digitally by methods such as mobile devices, online downloads, and blogging. Bedingfield has won one award.[58]

Year Nominated work Award Result
2007 Natasha Bedingfield Best Pop Artist Won

Capital FM Awards

The Capital FM Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Capital 95.8, a London radio station owned by GCap Media. Bedingfield has won two awards from two nominations.[59]

Year Nominated work Award Result
2005 "These Words" Best Single Won
Natasha Bedingfield Best Newcomer Won

Glamour Awards

The Glamour Awards is an annual awards ceremony hosted by Glamour, a women's magazine. Bedingfield has won one award.[60]

Year Nominated work Award Result
2005 Natasha Bedingfield UK Solo Artist of the Year Won

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Bedingfield has received one nomination.[3][61]

Year Nominated work Award Result
2007 "Unwritten" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Nominated

MTV Europe Music Awards

The MTV Europe Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1994 by MTV Europe. Bedingfield has received one nomination.[62]

Year Nominated work Award Result
2004 Natasha Bedingfield Best U.K. and Ireland act Nominated

TMF Awards

The TMF Awards is an annual television awards show broadcast live on The Music Factory. Bedingfield has received one award.[63]

Year Nominated work Award Result
2005 Natasha Bedingfield Best International New Artist Won

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Johnny Loftus. Review of Unwritten. Allmusic. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  2. ↑ Stuart Clarke. Staggered Plan for Bedingfield Return. Music Week. 10 June 2006. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 2007 Grammy Award Nominations. Grammy Awards. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Artist Profile: Natasha Bedingfield. EMI Music Publishing. Retrieved 8 March 2007.
  5. ↑ Natasha Bedingfield. BMI. 22 February 2006. Retrieved 8 March 2007.
  6. ↑ Bill Lamb. Natasha Bedingfield Biography. About.com. Retrieved 10 June 2007.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Liz Jones. "Is Natasha Bedingfield God's gift to pop music?". you.co.uk. 12 May 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  8. ↑ John Harlow. Bill Gates Puts Bedingfield in His Xbox. The Sunday Times. 26 March 2006. Retrieved 8 March 2007.
  9. ↑ Simon Cage. Sister Doing It For Herself. The Scotsman. 19 December 2004. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
  10. ↑ Tony Cummings. Hillsong London: Shouting God's Fame and Proclaiming Jesus Is. Cross Rhythms. 12 November 2006. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
  11. ↑ Biography. VH1. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  12. ↑ Unwritten World Charts. acharts.us. Retrieved 10 June 2007.
  13. ↑ Certified Awards. The BPI. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
  14. ↑ Searchable Database. The RIAA. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
  15. ↑ "Single" World Charts. musicsquare.net. Retrieved 11 June 2006.
  16. ↑ Elle J. Small. "Natasha Bedingfield: Capital Gains". Blues and Soul Music Magazine. Issue 997. Retrieved 11 June 2006.
  17. ↑ "These Words" World Charts. musicsquare.net. Retrieved 11 June 2006.
  18. ↑ "Nielsen Issues Most Popular Lists for 2006". nielsenmedia.com. 20 December 2006. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
  19. ↑ Achievements. natasha-b.com. Retrieved 19 June 2007.
  20. ↑ Keith Caulfield. Charting As Easily As 'Bruising?'. Billboard. 10 November 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  21. ↑ Lizzie Ennever. "N.B." Album Review. BBC. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
  22. ↑ "An Open Letter to Natasha Bedingfield". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
  23. ↑ "I Wanna Have Your Babies" Charts. Music Square. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
  24. ↑ "New Single - Coming Soon". natashabedingfield.com. 9 May 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2007.
  25. ↑ Videos. esmeeworld.com. Retrieved 29 July 2007.
  26. ↑ "Bedingfield to tour with JT". ITV News. 16 May 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  27. ↑ Performers. concertfordiana.com. Retrieved 19 June 2007.
  28. ↑ "Natasha scraps tour number 2. The Sun. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  29. ↑ The Sims 2 FreeTime Music Video feat. Natasha Bedingfield on YouTube
  30. ↑ Natasha Bedingfield Interview on learning Simlish on YouTube
  31. ↑ http://www.natashabedingfield.com/gb/news/gb/2008/12/14/a_holiday_note_from_natasha_1
  32. ↑ http://www.natashabedingfield.com/gb/news/gb/2009/01/03/a_new_years_note_from_natasha
  33. ↑ http://www.natashabedingfield.com/global/blog/2008/09/29/engagement_blog
  34. ↑ http://www.ascap.com/playback/2008/FALL/ACTION/kennedy.aspx
  35. ↑ http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-06-voa25.cfm
  36. ↑ http://www.natashabedingfield.com/gb/blog/2009/05/04/update_from_natasha
  37. ↑ http://kaysblog.dailymail.co.uk/2009/06/natasha-bedingfield-glad-to-be-back-in-england-although-she-lives-in-la.html
  38. ↑ http://www.indemand.fm/Article.asp?id=1630730&spid=30958
  39. ↑ http://www.natashabedingfield.com/global/news/global/2010/03/18/an_album_update_from_natasha
  40. ↑ http://www.allaccess.com/top40-mainstream/future-releases
  41. ↑ http://www.natashabedingfield.com/global/news/global/2010/05/20/exclusive_natasha_bedingfield_new_track_touch_now_available_on_itunes_u.s._
  42. ↑ Natasha Bedingfield performs Touch
  43. ↑ http://www.natashabedingfield.com/global/news/global/2010/08/27/new_single_strip_me_from_natasha_bedingfield
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 "Natasha Bedingfield Becomes An Ambassador for 'Global Angels'". Sony BMG UK. 5 April 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2007.
  45. ↑ Ambassadors. Global Angels. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  46. ↑ Oh Baby! Natasha Bedingfield Comes Back With Super-Cute New Single + Album. Sony BMG Australia. 20 February 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2007.
  47. ↑ http://www.callandresponse.com
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Patrick Garratt. Natasha Bedingfield: EA's Latest Bond Girl. Eurogamer. 8 November 2005. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  49. ↑ http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071205/bedingfield_preview_071205/20071205?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky CTV.ca
  50. ↑ http://www.nbc.com/Lipstick_Jungle/recaps/#cat=2&mea=211&ima=56654
  51. ↑ Woman We Love. Cosmopolitan UK. February 2007.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20267176,00.html
  53. ↑ Allure magazine, January 2008 issue, page 112.
  54. ↑ http://twitter.com/natashabdnfield/statuses/18598694361
  55. ↑ "Staggered plan for Bedingfield return". MusicWeek. 2006-10-06. 
  56. ↑ "Artist Chart History". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=622537&aid=903137. Retrieved 2008-07-21. 
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 "Brits 2005: The winners". BBC. 2005-02-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4162591.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-18. 
  58. ↑ "Bedingfield win at digital awards". BBC. 2007-10-03. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7026432.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-20. 
  59. ↑ "Top Trading Tips". BBC. 2005-03-23. http://www.bbc.co.uk/celebdaq/news/news/2005/03/23/21166.shtml. Retrieved 2008-07-20. 
  60. ↑ "Glammed up for awards". The Sun. 2005-06-08. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/online/article219243.ece. Retrieved 2008-07-20. 
  61. ↑ "Grammy Awards 2007". Virgin Media. http://www.virginmedia.com/music/pictures/awards/grammyawards2007.php?ssid=4. Retrieved 2008-07-18. 
  62. ↑ "Natasha Bedingfield". Ask Men. http://www.askmen.com/women/singer_250/253_natasha_bedingfield.html. Retrieved 2008-07-18. 
  63. ↑ "Tiesto crowned king of tmf awards". Elle. 2005-04-03. http://celebrity.elle.com/news/music/story/tiesto_crowned_king_of_tmf_awards/. Retrieved 2008-07-29. 

External links

Natasha Bedingfield
Discography
Studio albums
Unwritten · N.B. / Pocketful of Sunshine · Strip Me
Singles
"Single" · "These Words" · "Unwritten" · "I Bruise Easily" · "I Wanna Have Your Babies" · "Soulmate" · "Say It Again" · "Love Like This" · "Pocketful of Sunshine" · "Angel" · "Touch" · "Strip Me"
Featured singles
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" · "Bruised Water" · "Just Stand Up!"
Concert tours
Verizon VIP Tour
Video releases
Live in New York City
Hillsong musicians
Darlene Zschech - Geoff Bullock - Brooke Fraser - Nigel Hendroff - Joel Houston - Reuben Morgan - Jonas Myrin - Marty Sampson - Tulele Faletolu - Miriam Webster