"Unwritten" is a single from English singer Natasha Bedingfield. It's the third UK single (Nov 2004) and second US single (2006) from her debut album Unwritten. It proved to be a big hit for the singer in the U.S., as it climbed slowly on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, eventually reaching number five for two weeks. It is her first Top 10 hit in the US.

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.

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 video clips 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 the United States in 2006 to promote the single in North America. Both versions received airplay in Latin America.

International version: shows Bedingfield as the cover of an animated book that travels through many places, and as the animated book travels, Bedingfield's clothes change according to the weather. At the end of the video, after the animated book has climbed a tall building, it is scared by a bird and falls, with its pages being torn down. People below pick up the pages and look up to the sky.

North American and Spanish version: directed by Chris Applebaum, shows Bedingfield on an elevator, and as the elevator 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, Natasha 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 thirty-eight 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.

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, Family Guy, Because I Said So, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
• "Unwritten" is also used as the theme song for 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 also used in spots that announce the relaunch of Pantene in the United States and throughout Western Europe, including the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy and Spain.
• Bedingfield performed this song at the Concert For Diana.
• It was used during the season 7 finale of Degrassi: The Next Generation
• The song appears on the game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol.
• Unwritten is also in "Thrillville: Off the Rails."

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)"

Alternate covers

Promo	UK CD1	UK CD2 International Maxi	US Ringle (Withdrawn)

Charts

Chart (2004)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	6
Chart (2005)	peak position
Polish Singles Chart	1
Serbian Singles Chart	1
Netherlands Singles Chart	5
Ireland Singles Chart	9
New Zealand Singles Chart	15
Russia Singles Chart	18
United World Chart	18
German Singles Chart	22
Australia ARIA Singles Chart	26
Switzerland Singles Chart	26
Mexican Singles Chart	27
Sweden Singles Chart	32
Chart (2006)	peak position
Canadian Singles Chart	4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	5
U.S. Billboard Pop 100	1 [1 week]
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1 [1 week]
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	1 [10 weeks]
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Recurrents	1 [24 weeks]
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	2
Hot 100 of 2006 Year-ender charts	6
Hot Singles Recurrents	1
Brazilian Hot 40 Dance Traxx Chart	1
Chilean Singles Charts	45
Chart (2007)	Peak position
Spain	1