Unwritten (song)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2016) |
"Unwritten" | ||||
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Single by Natasha Bedingfield | ||||
from the album Unwritten | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 29 November 2004 | |||
Genre | Soft rock[1] | |||
Length |
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Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Natasha Bedingfield singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Unwritten" on YouTube |
"Unwritten" is a song by English singer
"Unwritten" was the most played song on US radio during 2006 as confirmed before her performance at the
Background and composition
This song is written in the key of
Commercial performance
"Unwritten" peaked at number five for two weeks on the Hot 100 and stayed in the chart for 38 weeks, thirteen of those inside the top ten, eventually appearing at number six on the 2006
The song also proved 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 ten weeks at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Unwritten" was not as successful in the United Kingdom as her previous chart-topping hit "These Words", but made an impressive showing on the charts, peaking at number six. It is one of her few singles to peak higher in the US than in the UK.
Music videos
Two different music videos were made to promote the song: one was shot in 2004 in the UK for international release; the other one was shot in New York in 2005 for release in North America. Both versions received airplay in Latin America.
Original version
The original version of the video, directed by Michael Gracey, shows Bedingfield as the cover of a small animated book in a large library as it climbs an amazingly large bookshelf. As it gets higher the shelf becomes more like a cliff, even snowing at the top. At the top the book sees a dove and falls off. As the small book is torn apart in the fall, people pick up the pages and look up into the sky. The video may be seen to elaborate the lyric as an oblique spiritual narrative of striving to ascend (and reach a heavenly dove), while the lyric also reflects Bedingfield's concerns at this time with the process of writing, concerns perhaps more clearly expressed in "These Words", also featured on the "Unwritten" album.
North American version
The North American version, directed by Chris Applebaum, shows Bedingfield in an elevator. As the elevator stops at each floor, she experiences different things, including running into a park from the elevator where she sings to the camera as the sun shines brightly behind her, comforting a crying woman who kisses the wall of the elevator with red lipstick before she leaves, dancing on a street with a group of children as they are sprayed by water, watching a janitor throw away his money and watches, singing with a church choir, standing next to a couple kissing madly, and finding a potential romance with a man (portrayed by Keith Carhill) who enters the elevator and follows her after she exits.
According to a TRL interview, Bedingfield chose to make the 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 during the second chorus.
Legacy
Bedingfield performed the song at the
"Unwritten" can be heard in the following feature films: Anyone but You, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Ice Princess, Because I Said So and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. 2006 World Champion figure skater Kimmie Meissner has done several exhibition programs to the song as well.[citation needed] The song is also heard on the series premiere of Ugly Betty.
It is featured on the episode "Welcome to the Dollhouse", from the series
The song appears in the video games
The song saw a resurgence in popularity with a performance given at a stoplight by Sean Kickham. The song then blossomed further following its inclusion in the film Anyone but You in late 2023; it was subsequently used to soundtrack a number of TikTok videos.[8]
Track listings
UK CD1[9]
- "Unwritten"
- "Wild Horses" (live in Sydney)
UK CD2[10]
- "Unwritten"
- "Radio 1 Live Loungerecording)
- "If You're Gonna Jump" (Paul Oakenfold 7-inch remix)
- "Unwritten" (video)
Australian CD single[11]
- "Unwritten" (radio edit)
- "The Scientist" (Radio 1 Live Lounge recording)
- "If You're Gonna Jump" (Paul Oakenfold 7-inch remix)
- "Unwritten" (album version)
- "Unwritten" (video)
US CD single[12]
- "Unwritten" (album version) – 4:19
- "Unwritten" (Johnny Vicious club mix) – 9:59
- "Wild Horses" (live at the Nokia Theatre, New York) – 5:08
- "Unwritten" (ringtone)
Personnel
- Natasha Bedingfield – lead and background vocals, vocal arrangements
- Wayne Rodrigues – producer, engineer, drum programming, keyboards, turntables, Pro Tools editing, vocal arrangements
- Danielle Brisebois – producer, background vocals, vocal arrangements
- Nick Lashley – guitars
- Kenneth Crouch – B3 organ
- Nikola Bedingfield – background vocals
- Jessi Collins – background vocals
- Ryan Collins – background vocals
- Ryan Freeland – engineer
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
- David Treahearn – mixing assistant
- Rob Haggett – mixing assistant
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
‹See Tfd›‹See Tfd›Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[76] | 6× Platinum | 420,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada)[77] | Platinum | 40,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[78] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI)[79] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
Hungary (MAHASZ)[80] | 2× Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI)[81] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[82] | 3× Platinum | 90,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP)[83] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[84] | 2× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[85] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[86] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000* |
Streaming | ||
Greece (IFPI Greece)[87] | Gold | 1,000,000† |
Ringtone | ||
United States (RIAA)[86] | Gold | 500,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label | Ref. |
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United Kingdom | 29 November 2004 | CD single | Original | Phonogenic | [88] |
17 January 2005 | Digital download | [89] | |||
Germany | Sony | [90] | |||
Australia | 24 January 2005 | CD single | [91] | ||
Germany | 7 February 2005 | [92] | |||
United States | 17 October 2005 | Epic | [93] | ||
Various | 21 June 2019 | Digital download | The 2019 Remix | We Are Hear | [94] |
Italy | 2 February 2024 | Radio airplay
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Original | Sony Italy
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[95] |
See also
- List of number-one dance singles of 2006 (U.S.)
- List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2006 and 2007 (U.S.)
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