Jump to content

These Words

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the album by Angela Aki, see These Words (album).

"These Words"
Single by Natasha Bedingfield
from the album Unwritten
B-side"The One That Got Away"
Released16 August 2004
Genre
Length3:36
LabelPhonogenic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Steve Kipner
  • Andrew Frampton
  • Wayne Wilkins
Natasha Bedingfield singles chronology
"Single"
(2004) 		"These Words"
(2004) 		"Unwritten"
(2004)
Music video
"These Words" on YouTube

"These Words" (also known as "These Words (I Love You, I Love You)") is a song by British singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield. It was written by Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins and Bedingfield for her 2004 debut album, Unwritten. The song is the album's opening track, and was released as its second single. "These Words" details Bedingfield's lack of inspiration and her reaction to pressure from her record label to produce a hit song.[1]

"These Words" was released as the album's second international single and as the lead single in North America. The single sold well, reached the top 40 worldwide, and topped the charts in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. It was certified platinum in the United States and Australia, and was nominated for "Best British Single" at the 2005 BRIT Awards. The song was very well received by music critics, and was frequently cited as a highlight of the album.

Background and writing

[edit]

Bedingfield began recording her debut album in mid-2003, following the signing of a recording contract with Sony BMG earlier that year.[2] She was determined not to be shaped into "some music biz pigeonhole" and wanted to write songs that were "organic, different and real".[1] Bedingfield began collaborating with Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton and Wayne Wilkins in London and Los Angeles, but their sessions were largely unproductive due to Bedingfield's writer's block and the pressure that she felt to produce a hit song.[1] Frustrated, she began to sing "I love you, I love you, I love you" over and over. She was at "wit's end and just wanted to say what I meant in a simple way, without using all those flowery words." The line that Bedingfield sang out of frustration became the song's hook and its subject matter inspired by her real life difficulty writing a love song.[3]

Critical reception

[edit]

"These Words" was generally very well received by contemporary pop music critics. PlayLouder's Daniel Robson described the song as a "compelling chunk of popply joy",[4] while AllMusic wrote that the track was "near-perfect" and merged "the rhythms and flavors of hip-hop and R&B with unique melodies and Bedingfield's vocal confidence".[5] The BBC called it a "classic love song" with a "really catchy tune", and commented that it was worthy of reaching number one on the UK singles chart.[6] Josh Timmermann of Stylus Magazine called it "best single so far this year",[7] and David Welsh of musicOMH.com wrote that the song had a "virally-infectious chorus and (relatively) clever wordplay."[8]

Stylus Magazine's Colin Cooper ranked "These Words" at number thirteen on his list of the Top 20 Singles of 2004[9] and About.com ranked the song at number five on its list of the Top 10 Most Memorable Pop Song Lyrics 2005. The website wrote that Bedingfield's naming of the famous poets George Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats in the song enables the listener to "almost hear the classic poetry over a drum machine" as Bedingfield sings.[10]

Bedingfield's mispronunciation of "hyperbole" as "hyperbowl" has been regularly pointed out throughout the years, including in The Guardian ten years after the song's release.[11]

Commercial performance

[edit]

"These Words" entered the UK Singles Chart on 22 August 2004 at number one, remaining on the chart for 13 weeks.[12] It maintained the number one position for two weeks.[13] In the United Kingdom, Bedingfield and her brother, pop-singer Daniel Bedingfield, became the first siblings to achieve separate number one singles.[14] The track also charted at number one in Ireland, remaining on the singles chart for 17 weeks.[15]

Across Europe, "These Words" was largely successful, reaching number one in Poland, number two in Austria, Germany and Norway, and the top 10 in the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.[15] Elsewhere, the song peaked within the top 10 on the majority of the charts it entered. In Australia, "These Words" debuted at number six and reached a peak position of number five three weeks later.[16] On the 2004 ARIA end of the year chart, the song charted at number 49[17] and was certified gold.[18] In New Zealand the single performed stronger, reaching number two on the singles chart.[15]

"These Words" also performed well in North America. The single debuted at number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 2 July 2005 and reached a peak position of number 17, remaining on the chart for 20 weeks.[15] The song did even better on pop-oriented charts, reaching number nine on the Pop 100 and number 10 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart.[19] "These Words" was helped on the Hot 100 by its strong digital downloads, peaking at number seven on the Hot Digital Songs chart.[20] The single had crossover success in the dance charts, reaching number one on the Hot Dance Airplay chart and number 35 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.[20]

Music videos

[edit]

Two music videos were produced for the international and North American markets.

International version

[edit]

The song's international music video was directed by Scott Lyon and Sophie Muller and premiered in July 2004.[21] The video features several sequences. It opens with Bedingfield sitting at a table in her Spanish villa, in Málaga, frustrated by her inability to find inspiration to write a song. Afterwards, there are multiple scenes which include her walking and dancing through the villa in colorful outfits, sitting by the swimming pool, lying on the beach and being surrounded by dancing chairs, dancing radios, dancing books in the library, and multiple versions of herself on a sofa. The video concludes with Bedingfield scribbling in her notebook on the roof of her villa. Her scribblings lead her boyfriend to her home where she goes to the balcony, telling him "I love you, is that okay?".

During each sequence of the video, Natasha is wearing different outfits and haircuts, with the only constant being that she is always barefoot.

North American version

[edit]

The North American music video was directed by Chris Milk and filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in March 2005. The music video, however, was discarded by the record label, though this version won four Annual MVPA Awards.[22] The video begins with Bedingfield waking up next to a boombox, dressing, brushing her teeth and leaving her home with the boombox. While performing on Copacabana beach, she kicks her boombox, which comes alive and begins to dance, and she leaves the beach and walks down the street. The video concludes with Bedingfield arriving back home to a house full of dancing boomboxes in the bedroom.

An alternate version of the North American video was directed by Jim Gable using much of the footage from the original.[23] The boomboxes featured in the video are animated to look like drawings and a performance by Bedingfield in a room with flowing white drapery has been added. The video debuted in June 2005 and proved successful on US video chart programs. It debuted on MTV's Total Request Live on 28 July 2005 at number ten and remained on the program for a total of six days.[24] VH1 ranked the video at number twenty-two on its Top 40 Videos of 2005 countdown.[25]

Formats and track listings

[edit]

Personnel

[edit]

The following people contributed to "These Words".[26]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications and sales for "These Words"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[85] Platinum 70,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[86] Gold 5,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[87] Gold 5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[88] Platinum 600,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[89]
Badger Remix 		Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[90] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for "These Words"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
United Kingdom 16 August 2004 CD single Phonogenic [91]
13 September 2004 Digital download [92]
Germany Sony [93]
27 September 2004 CD single [94]
United States 9 May 2005 Contemporary hit radio Epic [95]
9 August 2005 Digital download [96]
Italy 10 May 2024 Radio airplay (Badger remix) Adaptor [97]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Biography" Archived 3 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Artist Direct. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
  2. ^ "Artist Biography" Archived 19 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine. VH1. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
  3. ^ ""These Words" Song Facts" Archived 17 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Song Facts. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
  4. ^ Robson, Daniel. "Unwritten Album Review" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. PlayLouder. 9 September 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  5. ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Unwritten > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  6. ^ ""These Words" Single Review" Archived 19 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine. BBC. Retrieved 26 August 2004. 3 April 2007.
  7. ^ Timmermann, Josh. "Singles Going Steady" Archived 14 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Stylus Magazine. 15 July 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  8. ^ Welsh, David. "Unwritten Album Review" Archived 18 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine. musicOMH.com. 6 September 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  9. ^ Colin Cooper. "The Top 40 of 2004" Archived 14 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Stylus Magazine. 16 December 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  10. ^ Lamb, Bill. "Top 10 Most Memorable Pop Song Lyrics 2005" Archived 16 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine. About.com. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  11. ^ "Speaking-pronounce-mispronunciation" Archived 7 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  12. ^ "UK Singles Top 75 (30 August 2004)" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Music Square. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  13. ^ "UK Singles Top 75 (6 September 2004)" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Music Square. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  14. ^ "All the No. 1's" Archived 16 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  15. ^ a b c d "World Chart Positions" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Music Square. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  16. ^ "Australia Singles Top 50 (8 November 2004)" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Music Square. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
  17. ^ "End Of Year Charts: Top 100 Singles 2004" Archived 20 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. ARIA Charts. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
  18. ^ "ARIA Accreditations: 2004 Singles" Archived 4 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. ARIA Charts. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
  19. ^ "US Billboard Chart Positions". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  20. ^ a b "US Billboard Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
  21. ^ ""These Words" International Version Information" Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. MVDBase.com. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
  22. ^ ""These Words" Version #3" Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. MVDBase.com. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
  23. ^ "Jim Gable Directorial Credits" Archived 23 September 2003 at the Wayback Machine. gandb.tv. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
  24. ^ "The TRL Debut Archive" Archived 2 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Popfusion. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
  25. ^ "Top 40 Videos of 2005" Archived 8 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. VH1. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
  26. ^ Unwritten (CD liner notes). Sony BMG. September 2004.
  27. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  28. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  29. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  30. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  31. ^ "Radio & Records Magazine – CHR/Pop Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1622. 2 September 2005. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  32. ^ "Radio & Records Magazine – Hot AC Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1622. 2 September 2005. p. 46. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  33. ^ Natasha Bedingfield — These Words. TopHit. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  34. ^ "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on 2 November 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  35. ^ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 36. 4 September 2004. p. 41. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  36. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield: These Words" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  37. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  38. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  39. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  40. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – These Words". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  41. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  42. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 45, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  43. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  44. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  45. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words". VG-lista. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  46. ^ "Nielsen Music Control". Archived from the original on 24 October 2007.
  47. ^ "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 46, saptamina 15.11 – 21.11, 2004" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 19 January 2005. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  48. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: Oct 28, 2004". TopHit. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  49. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  50. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  51. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  52. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield – These Words". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  53. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  54. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  55. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  56. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  57. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  58. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  59. ^ "Pop 100". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 35. 27 August 2005. p. 60.
  60. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  61. ^ "Badger – These Words" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  62. ^ "Badger – These Words". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  63. ^ "Badger – These Words". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  64. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  65. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  66. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  67. ^ "Australian Web Archive Year End Charts 2004" (PDF). ARIA Charts. Australian Web Archive. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 December 2004. Retrieved 13 February 2003.
  68. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2004 – Austriancharts.at" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  69. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2004 (Flanders)" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 14 September 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2003.
  70. ^ "Top Radio Hits 2004". Tophit. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  71. ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2004" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  72. ^ "Best of 2004 – Ireland". International Recording Media Association. Archived from the original on 27 February 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  73. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2004". Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  74. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2004" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  75. ^ "End Of Year Charts 2004". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  76. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart: 2004". TopHit. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  77. ^ "Årslista Singlar – År 2004" (in Swedish). Hitlistan. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  78. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2004 – swisscharts.com" (in German). Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 6 November 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  79. ^ "ChartsPlus Year-End 2004" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  80. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2005". Billboardtop100of.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  81. ^ "2005 The Year in Charts: Top Adult Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 13, no. 50. 16 December 2005. p. 31.
  82. ^ "2005 The Year in Music & Touring: Hot Dance Airplay". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 52. 24 December 2005. p. YE-60.
  83. ^ "2005 The Year in Charts: Top Mainstream Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 13, no. 50. 16 December 2005. p. 26.
  84. ^ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2024". Billboard. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  85. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  86. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Natasha Bedingfield – These Words". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  87. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  88. ^ "British single certifications – Natasha Bedingfield – These Words". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  89. ^ "British single certifications – Badger & Natasha Bedingfield – These Words". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  90. ^ "American single certifications – Natasha Bedingfield – These Words". Recording Industry Association of America.
  91. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 14 August 2004. p. 29.
  92. ^ "These Words by Natasha Bedingfield on Amazon Music - Amazon.co.uk". Amazon UK. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  93. ^ "These Words : Natasha Bedingfield: Amazon.de: Digital Music". Amazon Germany. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  94. ^ "These Words - Bedingfield, Natasha: Amazon.de: Musik-CDs & Vinyl". Amazon Germany. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  95. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  96. ^ These Words (I Love You, I Love You) by Natasha Bedingfield on Amazon Music - Amazon.com
  97. ^ "Badger, Natasha Bedingfield - These Words (Radio Date: 10-05-2024)". 7 May 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.riteme.site/w/index.php?title=These_Words&oldid=1263753922"