Unwritten (song)
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“Unwritten” | ||
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Single by Natasha Bedingfield from the album Unwritten |
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Released | November 29, 2004 February 7, 2005 August 2, 2005 |
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Format | CD single, digital download, airplay | |
Genre | R&B, soft rock | |
Length | 4:19 | |
Label | Sony BMG | |
Writer(s) | Natasha Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, Wayne Rodriguez | |
Producer | Danielle Brisebois | |
Certification | Platinum (RIAA) | |
Natasha Bedingfield UK singles chronology | ||
"These Words" (2004) |
"Unwritten" (2004) |
"I Bruise Easily" (2005) |
Natasha Bedingfield U.S. singles chronology | ||
"These Words (I Love You, I Love You)" (2005) |
"Unwritten" (2006) |
"Single" (2006) |
"Unwritten" is a single from English singer Natasha Bedingfield.
Contents |
[edit] Song history
Unwritten is the third UK single (Nov 2004) and second US single (2006) from her debut album Unwritten. It proved to be a big hit for the singer in the U.S., as it climbed slowly on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, eventually reaching number five for two weeks. It is her second Top 20 hit and first Top 10 hit in the US.
As of March 2006, "Unwritten" was certified platinum in the U.S., making it one of the best selling digital tracks; and one of very few singles to sell in excess of a million copies to date.
Unwritten was also the most played song on U.S. radio during 2006 as confirmed before her performance at the Diana concert.[citation needed]
It was also written by former child star Danielle Brisebois, formerly of New Radicals.
[edit] Music video
Two different video clips were made for the promotion of the song: one was shot in 2004 in the UK to promote it internationally; the other one was shot in the United States in 2006 to promote the single in North America. Both versions received airplay in Latin America.
International version: shows Bedingfield as the cover of an animated book that travels through many places, and as the animated book travels, Bedingfield's clothes change according to the weather. At the end of the video, after the animated book has climbed a tall building, it is scared by a bird and falls, with its pages being torn down. People below pick up the pages and look up to the sky.
North American and Spanish version: directed by Chris Applebaum, shows Bedingfield on an elevator, and as the elevator stops, she experiences new things in her life on some floors of the building (singing with a church choir, seeing a couple kiss madly, watching a janitor throw away his money and watches, comforting a gothic who later grows happy and shares her joy with a man who comes in the elevator) and even finds a love interest (that stops with her in the first floor, with their end being "unwritten"). According to an TRL interview, Natasha chose to make a scene where she gets wet because while filming the North American version of her "These Words" video it was a very hot and sunny day in Rio de Janeiro. This scene occurs the second time Bedingfield sings "Feel the rain on your skin." She and several children jump and dance as they are sprayed by water.
[edit] Chart performance
Peaking at number-five for two weeks in the United States, "Unwritten" charted at number six on the 2006's Hot 100 year-end chart. "Unwritten" stayed in the Hot 100 for thirty-eight weeks, thirteen of those inside the top ten, estimated sales in the United States for "Unwritten" are 2,007,000 as of January 30, 2008.
The song also proved to be very popular in other radio formats in the United States. The Johnny Vicious and Hani Club Mixes peaked at number one on the Dance Club Play and number two on the Dance Radio Airplay chart, while the original version went to number two on the Adult Top 40 and spent 10 weeks at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart. It spent 13 weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100.
[edit] TV commercial use
- On the fifth season of American Idol, contestant Ayla Brown sang "Unwritten" just before being eliminated from the show. *"Unwritten" was also played in the following motion pictures: Ice Princess, The Da Vinci Code, Family Guy, Because I Said So, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
- 2006 World Champion figure skater Kimmie Meissner has done multiple exhibition programs to the song as well.
- This song is also used as the theme song for MTV's reality show The Hills.
- It was also used in spots that announce the relaunch of Pantene in the United States and throughout Western Europe, including the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy and Spain. It reached number one in the Spanish iTunes chart, in the Airplay chart and in los 40 chart, in 2007.
- Bedingfield performed this song in the Concert For Diana.
[edit] Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Unwritten".
UK 2-Track CD
(Released November 29, 2004)
- "Unwritten [Album Version]"
- "Wild Horses [Live In Sydney]"
UK Maxi CD
(Released November 29, 2004)
- "Unwritten [Album Version]"
- "The Scientist [Live At BBC Radio One Live Lounge]"
- "If You're Gonna [Paul Oakenfield Remix 7" Remix]"
- "Unwritten [Video]"
International CD Maxi
(Released February 7, 2005)
- "Unwritten [Radio Edit]"
- "The Scientist [Live At BBC Radio One Live Lounge]"
- "If You're Gonna [Paul Oakenfield Remix 7" Remix]"
- "Unwritten [Album Version]"
- "Unwritten [Video]"
US Ringle CD
(Released October 23, 2007)
- "Unwritten [Album Version]"
- "Unwritten [Johnny Vicious Club Mix]"
- "Wild Horses [Live at the Nokia Theatre, New York]"
- "Unwritten [Ringtone]"
Remixes/Official Versions
- "Unwritten (Johnny Vicious Club)"
- "Unwritten (Johnny Vicious Radio)"
- "Unwritten (Johnny Vicious Warehouse)"
- "Unwritten (Johnny Vicious Mixshow Edit)"
- "Unwritten (Hani Num Club)"
- "Unwritten (Hani Num Radio)"
- "Unwritten (Hani Num Dub)"
- "Unwritten (Ultimix Pt. 1)"
- "Unwritten (Ultimix Pt. 2)"
[edit] Alternate covers
Promo | Single 2 | Unwritten Ringle (US) | Single 3 |
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[edit] Charts
Chart (2004) | Peak position |
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UK Singles Chart | 6 |
Chart (2005) | peak position |
Polish Singles Chart | 1 |
Serbian Singles Chart | 1 |
Netherlands Singles Chart | 5 |
Ireland Singles Chart | 9 |
New Zealand Singles Chart | 15 |
Russia Singles Chart | 18 |
United World Chart | 18 |
German Singles Chart | 22 |
Australia ARIA Singles Chart | 26 |
Switzerland Singles Chart | 26 |
Mexican Singles Chart | 27 |
Sweden Singles Chart | 32 |
Chart (2006) | peak position |
Canadian Singles Chart | 4 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 1 [1 week] |
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 [1 week] |
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 [10 weeks] |
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Recurrents | 1 [24 weeks] |
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 2 |
Hot 100 of 2006 Year-ender charts | 6 |
Hot Singles Recurrents | 1 |
Brazilian Hot 40 Dance Traxx Chart | 1 |
Chilean Singles Charts | 45 |
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
Spain | 1 |
Preceded by "Number 1" by Goldfrapp |
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single February 11, 2006 |
Succeeded by "In My Mind" by Heather Headley |
Preceded by "So Sick" by Ne-Yo |
Billboard Pop 100 number-one single April 1, 2006 |
Succeeded by "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter |
Preceded by "Las de la Intuición" by Shakira |
Spain Los 40 number-one song June 23, 2007 |
Succeeded by "How to Save a Life" by The Fray |
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