The world may know pop singer Natasha Bedingfield for her hits like “Unwritten”, “Pocketful of Sunshine”, and “These Words” (just to name a few), but she’s so much more than her radio hits. The British chanteuse recently teamed up with skin care purveyors Philosophy to record and release her latest single “Hope”, the sales of which benefit the company’s Hope & Grace Initiative, an effort to raise funds for community mental health organizations. The song is much more than a fundraiser though—it shows that there are people that are listening, and who want to help.
Natasha chatted with me recently about the song, her work with the initiative, and when we can expect to hear more from her in the near future.
How did you come to be involved in the Hope & Grace Initiative?
Philosophy approached me asking if I would join forces to help support their Hope & Grace Initiative, which is focused on providing support for women struggling with mental health illnesses. Philosophy is a brand that I already happen to love, and one of the things that really draws me to the brand is that they understand that words are really powerful. Words are really important to me because they move people and they have the power to really affect people. I was so motivated by Philosophy’s work with this initiative and their efforts towards becoming the first beauty company to place a concentrated focus on mental health and well being, that writing a song came very easy to me.
Natasha Bedingfield debuting her new song "Hope" (Photo by Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)
Love the song! What inspired you to record it?
Thank you. I was so touched by the stories and the facts about how prominent mental health is in our society that within a day I had written a song that I felt really embodied the spirit of hope that we collectively wanted to bring to this issue. There is a lot of hopelessness and shame that women face when dealing with mental health issues. With this song, we want them to know there is support out there and they are not alone.
You've been quiet for a little while musically—what have you been doing in the past few years?
I've been doing a few shows here and there but mostly I've been hiding away in the studio working on my new album, which is nearly finished.
What do you have coming up in the way of new music?
I'm on some cool records from artists I greatly admire, and of course I plan to release my own project as soon as its finished and ready. Sometimes it takes a while before the whole thing comes together.
Who are you working with on new music?
B.O.B., Big Sean, Linda Perry, Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins and a few other exciting collabs that I can’t yet talk about.
Has your style changed at all? What can we expect it to sound like?
I write songs that are songs. They sound good on the guitar or with electronic beats. I always aim for them to be accessible to a non-musician yet quirky and soulful with a sense of humour. I write about real things.
