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N.B. (album)

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Untitled

N.B. is the second album by English pop singer Natasha Bedingfield. It was released by RCA Records on April 30, 2007 in the United Kingdom. According to the video for first U.S. single "Love Like This", the U.S. version of the album will be titled Pocketful of Sunshine.

The album featured collaborations with American rapper Eve and Maroon 5's lead singer Adam Levine, and was influenced by hip hop music.[1] Most of the songs focus on love and relationships, as opposed to her debut, which dealt with independence and opportunism.

N.B. debuted to mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, receiving criticism due to its redundant lyrical content. The album has produced two top ten singles in the UK so far.

As of October 2007, the album has sold over 150,000 copies in the UK, certifying it Gold.

The album will be called Pocket Full of Sunshine in the U.S. and will release in January as confirmed by Natasha at TRL.

Critical reception

N.B. received mixed reviews from pop music critics. In a review for the The Guardian, Craig McLean wrote that the album has "nothing as catchy as Unwritten, the tunes are on the airy-fairy side of breezy, and the lyrics on the naff side of plain".[2] Marie Claire magazine said that many of the album's "tracks are forgettable", but that Bedingfield's "strong voice and eccentricities elevate her above many blonde and bland popstars."[3] The album was called "good clean fun" and "entertaining" by Yahoo!, and named "Who Knows" as its best song because of its "sharp lyrical" content.[4] However, Entertainment.ie reviewer Sheena McGinley was less impressed, and wrote that it was "too embarrassing to listen to in public", rating the album two out of five stars.[5]

Chart performance

The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number nine on May 6, 2007, selling 19,500 copies in its first week.[6] The album re-entered the albums chart on July 15, 2007 at number-thirty four, climbing to number twenty-four two weeks later.[7]

Outside of the UK, the album failed to reach the top ten. In Ireland, N.B. debuted at number fourteen and in the Netherlands it reached number thirteen.[8] It peaked outside the top twenty in Switzerland.[8] In Australia, the album failed to enter the top one hundred, but peaked at number eleven on the Hitseekers albums chart.[9]

Songs

"How Do You Do", the opening track about flirting, features guitars and a horn section. "I Wanna Have Your Babies", the second track, was chosen as the lead single as it was a representation Bedingfield's shifting priorities from being a single young woman to "dating, searching for a partner" and "looking for Mr Right".[10] The song discusses a woman's battle to stop herself from rushing into relationships in an effort to find the right man to be the father of her children. The song received mixed reviews from music critics, who generally found it to be less impressive than past releases, but its release was moderately successful, reaching the top forty in most countries.[11] The second single, "Soulmate", is a ballad on which Bedingfield wonders if there is a partner for everyone.

"Who Knows", the fourth track, begins with a "reggae-pop vibe" which slowly progresses to an electro-style sound featuring a string section.[12] It received positive reviews, with one reviewer stating that it was reminiscent of "Amy Winehouse's gruff vocal style and her sassiness".[13] The fifth track and third single is "Say It Again". It is co-written with Maroon 5's lead singer Adam Levine, who also provides backing vocals on the song. "Pirate Bones" discusses the pitfalls of celebrity and fame. On the song Bedingfield commented "if you're giving up your enjoyment of life for somebody else's idea of success, it's like being a pirate who's got his hoard of treasure ]and is sitting on an island where there are no shops to spend it. It doesn't mean anything."[10]

The eighth track, "Tricky Angel", was inspired by R&B music and was composed around a series of piano loops.[13] "When You Know You Know" features an orchestra and its lyrics discuss a failing relationship. The tenth track, "(No More) What Ifs", features a rap by Eve and received negative reviews, with The Guardian describing it as "an ill-advised move for all concerned".[14] "Not Givin' Up", features a heavy urban beat with electronic sound effects in the background. The song was well received by critics because of its "near-certain crossover appeal for both sides of the Atlantic".[13] "Still Here", the twelfth track, was originally recorded for the film Rocky Balboa in 2006, but was not included on the soundtrack.[15]

For the American release of the album, Bedingfield recorded a new track titled "Love Like This" with Jamaican reggae singer Sean Kingston. The track will serve as the lead American single and will impact American pop radio on 25 September 2007. Billboard also confirmed a new track for the U.S. edition in their review of "Love Like This", called "Pocket Full of Sunshine."[1] There were also rumours of a new US track called "Wrong Direction", featuring Ne-Yo and Diddy, which remain unconfirmed. It has been confirmed that there are going to be other additional tracks that will be included in the American release of the album. A clip of a new song called "A.N.G.E.L." leaked onto the internet on October 3, 2007.

Track listing

  1. "How Do You Do?" - 3:41
  2. "I Wanna Have Your Babies" - 3:37
  3. "Soulmate" - 3:32
  4. "Who Knows" - 3:46
  5. "Say It Again" (featuring Adam Levine) - 3:29
  6. "Pirate Bones" - 3:46
  7. "Backyard" - 3:27
  8. "Tricky Angel" - 3:04
  9. "When You Know You Know" / "I Think They're Thinking" (Interlude) - 3:47
  10. "(No More) What Ifs" (featuring Eve) - 4:11
  11. "Not Givin' Up" - 3:46
  12. "Still Here" - 3:57
  13. "Smell The Roses" Includes "Lay Down" and "Loved By You" (hidden tracks) - 17:18
European/Asian bonus tracks
  1. "Unwritten" Includes "Lay Down" and "Loved By You" (hidden tracks) - 18:09
Japanese bonus tracks
  1. "Unwritten"(Manny Marroquin mix)
  2. "Unwritten" (Live at the Nokia Theatre)
  3. "What If's" Includes "Lay Down" and "Loved By You" (hidden tracks)
  4. "I Wanna Have Your Babies" music video
iTunes exclusive
  1. "The Scientist" (Live) (Pre-order exclusive)
  2. "These Words" (Dwele remix) (Pre-order exclusive)
  3. "Unwritten" (Manny Marroquin mix)
  4. "Lay Down" - 3:30
  5. "Loved By You" - 2:35
North American release (Pocketful of Sunshine)
  1. "Put Your Arms around Me
  2. "Pocketful of Sunshine
  3. "Happy
  4. "Love Like This (feat. Sean Kingston)
  5. "Craziness
  6. "Soulmate
  7. "Say It Again
  8. "Angel
  9. "Freckles
  10. "Backyard
  11. "Who Knows
  12. "Pirate Bones
  13. "Salt in My Wounds

Charts

Chart (2007) Peak
Position[8]
UK Albums Chart 9
Irish Albums Chart 14
Dutch Albums Chart 13
Swiss Albums Chart 37
Germany Albums Chart 80
Australia ARIA Albums Chart 111

Credits and personnel

The following people contributed to N.B.:[16]

Release details

These are the formats of major album releases of N.B.:

Country Date Label Format Catalog
United Kingdom 2007-04-30 RCA Records CD 88697076452[17]
Japan 2007-05-09 BMG Japan CD BVCP-24109[18]
Australia 2007-05-25 Sony BMG CD 88697077542[19]

Notes

  1. ^ "Natasha Bedingfield: Hottest Baby-Craving Stalker Ever". Blender. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
  2. ^ Craig McLean. "Natasha Bedingfield, Soulmate". The Guardian. April 22, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  3. ^ "N.B. by Natasha Bedingfield". Marie Claire. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  4. ^ Dan Gennoe. "Natasha Bedingfield -'Soulmate'". Yahoo!. May 4, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  5. ^ Sheena McGinley. "Natasha Bedingfield - Soulmate. Entertainment.ie. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  6. ^ "Sales Decline Hits Albums and Singles". chart-refugees.com (originally from Music Week). May 6, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  7. ^ UK Albums Chart (July 30, 2007). acharts.us. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  8. ^ a b c World Charts. acharts.us. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  9. ^ Australian Albums Chart. ARIA Charts. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  10. ^ a b Artist Profile. EMI Music Publishing. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
  11. ^ "I Wanna Have Your Babies" Charts. musicsquare.net. Retrieved April 22, 2007.
  12. ^ Lizzie Ennever. "Soulmate" Album Review. BBC. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
  13. ^ a b c Soulmate Album Review. IndieLondon.co.uk. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
  14. ^ Alex Macpherson. "Soulmate Album Review. The Guardian. April 27, 2007. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
  15. ^ Keith Caulfield. Charting As Easily As 'Bruising?'. Billboard.com. November 10, 2006. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
  16. ^ Credits. All Music Guide. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
  17. ^ Natasha Bedingfield N.B. Album (88697076452). eil.com. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
  18. ^ Natasha Bedingfield N.B. Album (BVCP-24109). eil.com. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
  19. ^ Natasha Bedingfield N.B. Album (88697077542). eil.com. Retrieved May 11, 2007.


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