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Posted Saturday, January 05, 2008
View All Blog Posts submitted by RJ (SoundScoop)

   

 

   2007 wasn't a successful year for Natasha Bedingfield. Why did her creative team decided to release "Babies" as the first single? It was generic. The instrumental was dated. The lyrics were crude and the drum loop resembled the noise of nails against a blackboard.

 

   The image that Natasha worked so hard to build up had instantly been disposed of after this track emerged. We had come to associate her as a quirky, empowered songstress with a strong voice. She felt comfortable in her own skin and she promoted a good message to the young generation. Natasha's videos were all about lyrics and vocals, never about sex. I presume her creative team felt she couldn't compete with Amy and Lily, so they went for the oldest strategy in the book: "Sex Sells". Except it wasn't really sexy, it was just creepy. Then the album emerged with a sinister artwork cover and tacky title. This was the final nail in the coffin for critics and fans. On the other hand, there were many good tracks on the album ("Not Givin Up", "Pirate Bones, "Say It Again, "Soulmate"). The problem was releasing "Babies" first and including it on the album, prevented the buying public from discovering the other songs.

 

   Then she disappears to America and finally sorts herself out. Welcome back Natasha. "Love Like This" featuring Sean Kingston fired into the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made it to the top 10 on the pop charts. She renamed the album “Pocketful of Sunshine", a much better choice; this title reflects her bright personality. Generic tracks were ditched. Great new tracks were added. Furthermore, there is a fantastic new album artwork (see below).

 

   "Pocketful of Sunshine" is one of the new tracks. In my opinion it is the best Natasha Bedingfield song to date. If "Love Like This" can reach the top 20 in America, "Pocketful" is a surefire top 5 mainstay. I can place a high bet on Natasha achieving great success in the US this year. This will mean the UK will take notice again and Natasha will return to the pedestal she slipped off. If only she realized this time last year that she is just as important as Lily or Amy, all she needs to do is be herself.

 

"Pocketful of Sunshine" is released on January 22nd (This may be subject to change)

 

 Click Here "Pocketful of Sunshine"