"These Words" (also known as "These Words (I Love You, I Love You)") is a song by British singer and 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 successful song.
"These Words" was released as the album's second international single and as the lead single in North America. The single topped the charts in Ireland, Poland and the United Kingdom while reaching the top 10 in Australia, Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. It was certified platinum in the Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and was nominated for Best British Single at the 2005 BRIT Awards. The song was very well received by music critics, and was frequently deemed a highlight of the album.
Background and writing Natasha Bedingfield began recording her debut album Unwritten in mid-2003, following the signing of a recording contract with Sony BMG earlier that year."Artist Biography" . VH1. Retrieved 3 May 2007. She was determined not to be shaped into "some music biz pigeonhole" and wanted to write songs that were "organic, different and real"."Biography" . Artist Direct. Retrieved 3 May 2007. 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. 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 "These Words"' hook and its subject matter inspired by her real life difficulty writing a love song.""These Words" Song Facts" . Song Facts. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
Critical reception "These Words" was generally very well received by contemporary pop music critics. Playlouders Daniel Robson described the song as a "compelling chunk of popply joy",Robson, Daniel. "Unwritten Album Review" . PlayLouder. 9 September 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2007. 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".Loftus, Johnny. [ "Unwritten > Review"]. AllMusic. Retrieved 3 April 2007. 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.""These Words" Single Review" . BBC. Retrieved 26 August 2004. 3 April 2007. Josh Timmermann of Stylus Magazine called it "best single so far this year",Timmermann, Josh. "Singles Going Steady" . Stylus Magazine. 15 July 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2007. and David Welsh of musicOMH.com wrote that the song had a "virally-infectious chorus and (relatively) clever wordplay."Welsh, David. "Unwritten Album Review" . musicOMH.com. 6 September 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
Stylus Magazine Colin Cooper ranked "These Words" at number thirteen on his list of the Top 20 Singles of 2004Colin Cooper. "The Top 40 of 2004" . Stylus Magazine. 16 December 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2007. 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.Lamb, Bill. "Top 10 Most Memorable Pop Song Lyrics 2005" . About.com. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
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."Speaking-pronounce-mispronunciation" . 11 March 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
Commercial performance "These Words" entered the UK Singles Chart on 22 August 2004 at number one selling 68,745 copies in its first week , remaining on the chart for 13 weeks."UK Singles Top 75 (30 August 2004)" . Music Square. Retrieved 30 April 2007. It maintained the number one position for two weeks."UK Singles Top 75 (6 September 2004)" . Music Square. Retrieved 30 April 2007. In the United Kingdom, Bedingfield and her brother, pop-singer Daniel Bedingfield, became the first siblings to achieve separate number one singles."All the No. 1's" . The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 30 April 2007. The track also charted at number one in Ireland, remaining on the singles chart for 17 weeks.
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. 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."Australia Singles Top 50 (8 November 2004)" . Music Square. Retrieved 2 May 2007. On the 2004 ARIA end of the year chart, the song charted at number 49"End Of Year Charts: Top 100 Singles 2004" . ARIA Charts. Retrieved 2 May 2007. and was certified gold."ARIA Accreditations: 2004 Singles" . ARIA Charts. Retrieved 2 May 2007. In New Zealand the single performed stronger, reaching number two on the singles chart.
"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."World Chart Positions" . Music Square. Retrieved 30 April 2007. 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.[ "US Billboard Chart Positions"]. AllMusic. Retrieved 30 April 2007. "These Words" was helped on the Hot 100 by its strong digital downloads, peaking at number seven on the Hot Digital Songs chart.[ "US Billboard Chart History"]. Billboard.com. Retrieved 1 May 2007. 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.
Music videos Two music videos were produced for the international and North American markets.
International version The song's international music video was directed by Scott Lyon and Sophie Muller and premiered in July 2004.""These Words" International Version Information" . MVDBase.com. Retrieved 2 May 2007. 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, Bedingfield is wearing different outfits and haircuts, with the only constant being that she is always barefoot.
North American version 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 MVPA Awards.""These Words" Version #3" . MVDBase.com. Retrieved 19 July 2007. 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."Jim Gable Directorial Credits" . gandb.tv. Retrieved 19 July 2007. 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."The TRL Debut Archive" . Popfusion. Retrieved 2 May 2007. VH1 ranked the video at number twenty-two on its Top 40 Videos of 2005 countdown."Top 40 Videos of 2005" . VH1. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
Formats and track listingsEnhanced CD single "These Words" – 3:34 "These Words" (Bimbo Jones Remix) – 6:56 "The One That Got Away" – 4:16 "Single" (Radio 1's Live Lounge Recording) – 3:19 "These Words" (Video) "These Words" (The Making of the Video)CD single' "These Words" – 3:34 "Single" (Radio 1's Live Lounge Recording) – 3:19
Personnel The following people contributed to "These Words".Unwritten (CD liner notes). Sony BMG. September 2004.
Natasha Bedingfield – guitar, lead and backing vocals Wayne Wilkins – keyboards, engineering, programming Andrew Frampton – keyboards, programming Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
David Treahearn, Rob Haggart – mixing assistant Herb Powers – mastering Katherine Lanson – drums
Charts
Weekly charts +Weekly chart performance for "These Words"Chart (2004–2005)PeakpositionCanada CHR/Pop Top 30 (Radio & Records)3Canada Hot AC Top 30 (Radio & Records)6Croatia (HRT)3Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)3Poland (Nielsen Music Control)1Romania (Romanian Top 100)12Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)140US Pop 100 (Billboard)9 +Weekly chart performance for "These Words" (Badger remix)Chart (2024)Peakposition
Year-end charts +2004 year-end chart performance for "These Words"Chart (2004)Position Australia (ARIA) 49 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 26 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 99 CIS Airplay (TopHit) 47 CIS Airplay (TopHit) 154 Germany (Media Control GfK) 29 Ireland (IRMA) 16 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 23 Netherlands (Single Top 100) 66 New Zealand (RIANZ) 29 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 25 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 86 Sweden (Hitlistan) 35 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 95 UK Singles (OCC) 17 +2005 year-end chart performance for "These Words"Chart (2005)Position US Billboard Hot 100 81 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) 85 US Hot Dance Airplay (Billboard) 21 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 39 +2024 year-end chart performance for "These Words" (Badger remix)Chart (2024)Position US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard) 35
Certifications
Release history + Release dates and formats for "These Words" Region Date Format Label United Kingdom 16 August 2004 CD single Phonogenic 13 September 2004 Digital download Germany Sony 27 September 2004 CD single Australia 4 October 2004 Phonogenic United States 9 May 2005 Contemporary hit radio Epic 9 August 2005 Digital download These Words (I Love You, I Love You) by Natasha Bedingfield on Amazon Music - Amazon.com Italy 10 May 2024 Radio airplay (Badger remix) Adaptor
References
External links natashabedingfield.com — official website