unwritten

"Unwritten"
Single by Natasha Bedingfield
from the album Unwritten
Released	November 29, 2004 (2004-11-29) (see Release history)
Format	CD single, digital download, airplay
Genre	Pop, soul (influences)
Length	4:19 (Album Version) 3:51 (Radio Edit)
Label	BMG/Phonogenic, Epic/Phonogenic (US)
Writer(s)	Natasha Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, Wayne Rodriguez
Producer	Danielle Brisebois
Certification	2x Platinum (RIAA)
Natasha Bedingfield European singles chronology
"These Words" (2004)	"Unwritten" (2004)	"I Bruise Easily" (2005)
Natasha Bedingfield U.S. singles chronology
"These Words" ([2005)	"Unwritten" (2006)	"Single" (2006)

"Unwritten" is a song by English singer Natasha Bedingfield. Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, and Wayne Rodriguez wrote it for her debut album, Unwritten. The single was released as the album's third UK single (Nov 2004) and second US single (2006). It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first Top 10 hit in the United States.

Song history

As of March 2006, "Unwritten" was certified platinum in the U.S.

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.

Unwritten is Bedingfield's most successful single in the US along with Pocketful of Sunshine; both songs have peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Bedingfield also wrote the song for her youngest brother, Joshua.

Music video

Two different music videos 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 New York in 2006 to promote the single in North America. Both versions received airplay in Latin America.

International version: directed by Michael Gracey, shows Bedingfield as the cover of an small animated book in a large library as it climbs a amazingly large bookshelf(as it gets higher the shelf becomes more like a cliff, even snowing at the top)at the top it 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.

North American and Spanish version: directed by Chris Applebaum, shows Bedingfield on a lift, and as the lift 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, Bedingfield 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.

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 38 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. This was the third highest ranking for a female artist for 2006 behind "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira and Wyclef Jean, and "Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado and Timbaland.

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. "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 U.S. than in the UK.

Uses in media

• On the fifth season of American Idol, contestant Ayla Brown sang "Unwritten" just before being eliminated from the show.
• "Unwritten" has been featured in the following motion pictures: Ice Princess, The Da Vinci Code, Because I Said So, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
• "Unwritten" is also used as the theme song to MTV's reality show The Hills.
• 2006 World Champion figure skater Kimmie Meissner has done multiple exhibition programs to the song as well.
• It was in spots for the movie Take the Lead.
• It was also used in spots that announce the relaunch of Pantene in the United States,Asian countries,Pakistan,Saudi Arabia and throughout Western Europe, including the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Israel and Spain. In India, the song is used in advertisements for Pantene featuring Sushmita Sen.
• Bedingfield performed this song at the Concert For Diana.
• Natasha performed this, along with Pocketful of Sunshine in the season 7 finale of Degrassi: The Next Generation
• The song appears on the game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol.
• Unwritten is also in the video game, "Thrillville: Off the Rails."
• It is used for Pantene adverts in the UK, Australia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, France, Canada, Belgium, Poland and the Philippines.

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)

1. "Unwritten [Album Version]"
2. "Wild Horses [Live In Sydney]"

UK Maxi CD
(Released November 29, 2004)

1. "Unwritten [Album Version]"
2. "The Scientist [Live At BBC Radio One Live Lounge]"
3. "If You're Gonna [Paul Oakenfield Remix 7" Remix]"
4. "Unwritten [Video]"

International CD Maxi
(Released February 7, 2005)

1. "Unwritten [Radio Edit]"
2. "The Scientist [Live At BBC Radio One Live Lounge]"
3. "If You're Gonna [Paul Oakenfield Remix 7" Remix]"
4. "Unwritten [Album Version]"
5. "Unwritten [Video]"

US Ringle CD
(Released October 23, 2007)

1. "Unwritten [Album Version]"
2. "Unwritten [Johnny Vicious Club Mix]"
3. "Wild Horses [Live at the Nokia Theatre, New York]"
4. "Unwritten [Ringtone]"

Remixes/Official Versions

1. "Unwritten (Johnny Vicious Club)"
2. "Unwritten (Johnny Vicious Radio)"
3. "Unwritten (Johnny Vicious Warehouse)"
4. "Unwritten (Johnny Vicious Mixshow Edit)"
5. "Unwritten (Hani Num Club)"
6. "Unwritten (Hani Num Radio)"
7. "Unwritten (Hani Num Dub)"
8. "Unwritten (Ultimix Pt.1)"
9. "Unwritten (Ultimix Pt.2)"

Release history

Charts