Stripping Natasha

By: Jefferson Cruz
email: jeff.scribbles@gmail.com

--------------------------------

Natasha Bedingfield's music defines her as a woman who refuses to be put in a cage, someone who wants to break free from oppression and escape the monotonous system of things. These characteristics are all embodied in the first single from her latest album with the same title. Bedingfield sings in a liberating way that almost sounds like a melodic tirade: Take what you want/ Steal my pride/ Build me up/ Or cut me down to size/ Shut me out/ But I’ll just scream/ I'm only one voice in a million/ But you ain't taking that from me. 

Artistic and passionate, Bedingfield is one of the few artists that is bursting with positive vibes. What makes her music soar in the charts is the way they inspire the listeners to feel good about themselves and others. This advocacy madeUnwritten from her debut album the most played song in the US in 2006. 

This optimism is also evident in Touch, her buzz cut from her latest album: Every choice we make/ And every road we take/ Every interaction/ Starts a chain reaction. Touch spells an auditory ecstasy – begins in electro-slow rhythm, turns into a party-like tempo, and fades in a blissful pace. Strip Me  is a soulful theme that starts with a relaxed and happy La la la la, jumps into a melodious outburst and ends in a satisfying La la la. It summarizes the theme of the whole album:When it all boils down/ At the end of the day/ It’s what you do and say/ That makes you who you are.

Published in Zee Lifestyle December - January 2010