"Single" is a song by British singer-songwriter

Natasha Bedingfield Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British and New Zealand singer, songwriter and record producer. She released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R& ...

, released as her debut single. Written by

Steve Kipner Stephen Alan Kipner (born 1950) is an Australian songwriter and record producer. He has produced a number of international hit songs such as Olivia Newton-John's "Physical (Olivia Newton-John song), Physical", Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words ...

, Andrew Frampton,

Wayne Wilkins Wayne Wilkins is a British record producer, songwriter, record engineer and record mixer. He has produced and written for artists such as Rick Astley ("Cry for Help"), Natasha Bedingfield (" These Words", " Single" and " Love Like This"), Bey ...

, and Bedingfield and produced by the former three, the song is lyrically about being single and not needing a partner. The song was released through

Phonogenic A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

on 3 May 2004 as the lead single from Bedingfield's debut studio album ''Unwritten'' (2004) and later on 24 April 2006 as the third single from the album in the US. It received a positive reception from

music critic '' The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of m ...

s. The song became a hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart and also entering the top ten in Ireland, Scotland, and the

Tipparade The Dutch Top 40 () is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, wh ...

chart in the Netherlands. Due to the success of the title track in the United States, "Single" became a minor success, only reaching number 57 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Commercial performance

"Single" entered the UK Singles Chart on 10 May 2004 at number three, remaining on the chart for 10 weeks. The track also entered the top 10 in Ireland, where it reached number seven. In continental Europe, it reached number 16 in Norway and number 17 in Sweden. In North America, "Single" debuted at number 72 on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

on 24 June 2006 and reached a peak of number 57, remaining on the chart for six weeks. It did well on pop-oriented charts, reaching number 38 on the

Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles ...

Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles"">"Natasha Bedingfield > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles"

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

. Retrieved 20 December 2007. and number 26 on the

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for "Single" was directed by

Jake Nava Jake Nava is a British director, mostly known for his work in music videos for Beyoncé, Arctic Monkeys, Adele, Britney Spears and The Rolling Stones. He also directs TV commercials, notably for Guinness and Levi Strauss & Co. Early life and ed ...

and premiered on 26 March 2004 in the United Kingdom. The video features four sequences. It begins with Bedingfield waking up and getting ready to go out. She is then shown walking down the street past various shops, stopping at a

photo booth A photo booth is a vending machine or modern kiosk that contains an automated, usually coin-operated, camera and film processor. Today, the vast majority of photo booths are digital. History The patent for the first automated photography m ...

to take photographs with a guy she had met on the street. Dressed in jeans and a silver jacket, she is next shown performing a choreographed dance with three female dancers in a tunnel. The final sequence of the video features Bedingfield at a party sitting outside on a patio, singing to herself. As the video concludes, she is shown staring at the camera as her image gradually fades. In North America, a slightly different music video was released. The North American version featured extended photo booth and party scenes. The guy who Bedingfield meets at the photo booth is featured more prominently in the video, with Bedingfield singing the song to him. The music video, as well as

behind-the-scenes https://www Googlefinans.co= In filmmaking, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK ( ...

footage, was released commercially on the song's CD single.

Track listings and formats

Australian maxi CD single # "Single" – 3:57 # "Single" (Delinquents "Right Now" refix) – 5:03 # "Single" (

Martijn ten Velden Martijn ten Velden (born circa 1972) is a Dutch house music DJ and producer from Haarlem. Biography Born and raised in Haarlem,K-Gee Karl Clive Gordon, known by the stage name K-Gee, is a British Disc jockey, DJ, Record producer, producer, rapper and songwriter and former member of the Outlaw Posse. Gordon was brought up listening to reggae by his father and was inspired t ...

remix) – 3:44

Personnel

Personnel are lifted from the '' Unwritten'' liner notes. * Natasha Bedingfield – lead and backing vocals *

– keyboards,

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

programming Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...

* Kate Jeynes – keyboards, engineering, programming * Andrew Frampton – keyboards *

Mark "Spike" Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & the Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sheeran, ...

– mixing * David Treahearn – mixing assistant * Rob Haggart – mixing assistant * Herb Powers – mastering * Sarah Powell –

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2004 songs 2004 debut singles 2006 singles Music videos directed by Jake Nava Natasha Bedingfield songs Phonogenic Records singles Songs written by Andrew Frampton (songwriter) Songs written by Natasha Bedingfield Songs written by Steve Kipner Songs written by Wayne Wilkins