Natasha Bedingfield

Early life

Natasha Anne Bedingfield was born in London to New Zealand parents and raised in both London and Auckland. When Bedingfield was a teenager, she and her siblings, Daniel and Nikola, formed a dance/electronic group, The DNA Algorithm. The group provided Bedingfield with the opportunity to explore different musical genres and expand her songwriting abilities. She provided vocals for the group which primarily performed dance-pop music about independence and empowerment, themes that would later be found in her own solo compositions. At age 14, Bedingfield sang vocals on Origins Refined Intricacy (Steelyard Records).

2003–2006: professional career and Unwritten

Bedingfield was introduced to Phonogenic founder and A&R Paul Lisberg by the artist's manager Gary Wilson. Lisberg was initially hesitant, later telling HitQuarters: "[They] were good but weren't right for us ... " However, it was when, at a meeting together, Lisberg heard her singing ability and creative vocal ad-libbing first-hand that he became excited by Bedingfield's potential. Label interest was later confirmed when a trial studio session together with writers Steve Kipner and Andrew Frampton produced songs that were in keeping with Lisberg's vision for Phonogenic. Bedingfield signed a recording contract with BMG UK & Ireland, through its imprint Phonogenic Records, in July 2003.

Pocketful of Sunshine

"Pocketful of Sunshine" is a song recorded by English singer Natasha Bedingfield for Pocketful of Sunshine (2008), the reissue of her second studio album. Bedingfield co-wrote the song together with American songwriter Danielle Brisebois and American musician and songwriter John Shanks; Shanks also produced the track as well as performing on most of the instruments present.

Epic Records serviced the song to the US contemporary hit radio as the second single from Pocketful of Sunshine on 15 January 2008.

Background

"Pocketful of Sunshine" was written and produced by John Shanks, while additional writing was provided by Bedingfield and Danielle Brisebois. The aforementioned songwriters were also involved in performing the background vocals present on the track. Shanks, a musician as well as a writer and producer, performed several instruments that make up the song, which include the guitar, bass and keyboards. The latter instrument was also played by Charlie Judge while Wendy Melvain performed on guitar. Jeff Rothschild was the engineer behind the recording process of "Pocketful of Sunshine", which took place at Starstruck Studios in Nashville, Tennessee and Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. He received assistance from engineers Aaron...

Composition

"Pocketful of Sunshine" is a pop song that incorporates styles of dance-pop and runs for three minutes and twenty three seconds. The song is built on an electro beat. According to the digital music sheet published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, it is written in the key of A minor. The song is set in common time and to a moderate groove with a tempo of 110 beats per minute. Bedingfield's vocals range from A3 to D5. The song follows a chord progression of Am-Gsus2-F-Dm in some parts and Am-C-G-F in other parts. Lyrically, "Pocketful of Sunshine" is about finding refuge and escape in love and the small triumphs of life. The message is amplified by the contrast between the melancholic tone of the lyrics and the exuberance of...

Critical reception

"Pocketful of Sunshine" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Matthew Chisling of AllMusic named it one of the album's highlights, commenting that it was "geared perfectly toward the mainstream American market." About.com writer Bill Lamb, in his review of the derivative album, also named it one of the album's top tracks and in his review of the single itself, praised Bedingfield's style of singing and the contrast between the melancholy tone and the lyrics aimed towards love and escape. Mike Schiller, a writer for PopMatters, praised it as being "so utterly effervescent that it could re-carbonate a seven-days-open can of soda." Julie Farmer of Blogcritics praised it as one of the album's standout tracks. Sal Cinquemani...

Music video

The music video for "Pocketful of Sunshine" was directed by Alan Ferguson, who has directed music videos for Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes, and Katy Perry. It was released on 15 April 2008 to MTV. The video opens with Bedingfield at a work building; scenes of a child drawing a picture while his parents are fighting and a teenager drawing graffiti in a parking lot are intercut through the video. After she drops off her work, Bedingfield grabs a parachute and jumps out the window. She lands on a rooftop with a change of attire and more people following suit. While Bedingfield sings, the crowd dances. Meanwhile, a teenager is spray painting on a wall until the police arrive to arrest him. The video also cuts into scenes of Bedingfield in a...