I Bruise Easily
Encyclopedia
"I Bruise Easily" is a pop
song written by Natasha Bedingfield
, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins and Paul Herman for Bedingfield's debut album Unwritten
(2004). In the song, Bedingfield describes how relationships affect people, even when they have come to an end. The track was released as the album's fourth single
in 2005
to positive reviews from music critics. While "I Bruise Easily" failed to match the success of its predecessor "Unwritten
", it reached the top twenty in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
earlier that year. While collaborating with Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins and Paul Hermam in London
, England, they composed "I Bruise Easily", which was inspired by a relationship Bedingfield had recently ended. While recording she had found it easier to compose songs that were melancholic rather than songs that were upbeat. According to Bedingfield, the song is actually a love song
because "it's talking about vulnerability and the fact that the more you love someone, the more you have to open your heart" which means that "you could get hurt".
The international CD single
featured two B-sides
. The track "Ain't Nobody
", featuring guest vocals by Bedingfield's brother Daniel
and recorded live at the BRIT Awards
, is a cover version
of the Chaka Khan
and Rufus
1983 single. The song "You Look Good On Me" is an original Bedingfield composition.
The song was used in 2008 by electronic artist Chicane
for the song "Bruised Water". It was a mashup
between Bedingfield's song and Chicane's 1999 hit "Saltwater
". The song was featured on Chicane's The Best of Chicane - 1996 - 2008 and was credited as Chicane & Natasha Bedingfield.
stated that the song was a "worthy slow-burner highlighted by Natasha's soul-baring lyrics", and RTÉ Entertainment
commented that the "soulful ballad" was "both impressive and broadranging." Andy Gill of The Independent
gave it a very strong review, stating that the song contained some of the album's strongest lyrics that "deals sharply with the difficulties of finding Mr Right".
was directed by Matthew Rolston
and premiered on 28 February 2005. The video begins with Bedingfield entering an elevator dressed as a geisha
. She then exits the elevator and wanders down a long hall looking for her hotel room. Sitting in front of a mirror, Bedingfield slowly removes her wig and makeup, revealing the pain she had been hiding. Scenes of Bedingfield singing on her bed and in a dark room are intercut throughout the video.
Bedingfield dressed as a geisha in the music video to represent how the feelings of pain and sadness are often not shown to others when a relationship ends. Out in public Bedingfield's character covers her feelings up with makeup, but alone she removes it, exposing how she truly feels inside. The complete version of "I Bruise Easily" featured in the music video has been released commercially through CD single
s and digital download
s.
on 11 April 2005 at number twelve. It peaked at number twelve and remained on the chart for a total of seven weeks.
"I Bruise Easily" failed to make an impact in Europe. It peaked outside the top forty in Austria
, Germany, Vietnam and Switzerland
. In South Africa, the song peaked at number one on 13 August 2005 and remained on the singles chart for fourteen weeks. The song proved popular on radio stations worldwide, reaching number six on the World Chart Show airplay chart.
UK CD single
(82876681532; Released 4 April 2005)
International Maxi CD single
(Released 30 May 2005)
This was the first Bedingfield single to be released on only one CD format in the United Kingdom
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song written by Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...
, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins and Paul Herman for Bedingfield's debut album Unwritten
Unwritten (album)
Unwritten is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield. It was released in the UK on 6 September 2004, where it debuted at number one, and in the U.S. on 2 August 2005, where it debuted at number twenty-six...
(2004). In the song, Bedingfield describes how relationships affect people, even when they have come to an end. The track was released as the album's fourth single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 2005
2005 in music
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
to positive reviews from music critics. While "I Bruise Easily" failed to match the success of its predecessor "Unwritten
Unwritten (song)
"Unwritten" is a song by English singer Natasha Bedingfield. Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, and Wayne Rodriguez wrote it for her debut album, Unwritten. The single was released as the album's third UK single and second US single...
", it reached the top twenty in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Background and writing
Bedingfield began recording her debut album in mid-2003, following the signing of a recording contract with BMG UK and IrelandBMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
earlier that year. While collaborating with Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins and Paul Hermam in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, they composed "I Bruise Easily", which was inspired by a relationship Bedingfield had recently ended. While recording she had found it easier to compose songs that were melancholic rather than songs that were upbeat. According to Bedingfield, the song is actually a love song
Love song
A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...
because "it's talking about vulnerability and the fact that the more you love someone, the more you have to open your heart" which means that "you could get hurt".
The international CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
featured two B-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
. The track "Ain't Nobody
Ain't Nobody
"Ain't Nobody" is a 1983 hit single by Rufus & Chaka Khan. It was released as a studio bonus track on the band's live album Stompin' at the Savoy. It reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart and twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart...
", featuring guest vocals by Bedingfield's brother Daniel
Daniel Bedingfield
Daniel John Bedingfield is a British singer-songwriter. He is the brother of pop singers Natasha Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle.-Music career:...
and recorded live at the BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, is a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
and Rufus
Rufus (band)
Rufus was an American funk band from Chicago, Illinois best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits throughout their career, including "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," and "Ain't Nobody."-Origins:...
1983 single. The song "You Look Good On Me" is an original Bedingfield composition.
The song was used in 2008 by electronic artist Chicane
Chicane (recording artist)
Chicane is a British electronic dance music act, and the guise of British musician, composer, songwriter and record producer, Nicholas Bracegirdle....
for the song "Bruised Water". It was a mashup
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
between Bedingfield's song and Chicane's 1999 hit "Saltwater
Saltwater (Chicane song)
"Saltwater" is a song by Chicane featuring the vocals of Irish singer Máire Brennan. The track uses parts of Clannad's 1982 hit "Theme From Harry's Game" with both re-recorded and newly-written lyrics....
". The song was featured on Chicane's The Best of Chicane - 1996 - 2008 and was credited as Chicane & Natasha Bedingfield.
Critical reception
The song was generally well-received by contemporary pop music critics. Johnny Loftus of Allmusic called the song "epically romantic" and a "standout" from Unwritten. PopMattersPopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
stated that the song was a "worthy slow-burner highlighted by Natasha's soul-baring lyrics", and RTÉ Entertainment
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
commented that the "soulful ballad" was "both impressive and broadranging." Andy Gill of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
gave it a very strong review, stating that the song contained some of the album's strongest lyrics that "deals sharply with the difficulties of finding Mr Right".
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Matthew Rolston
Matthew Rolston
Matthew Russell Rolston is an American photographer and music video director. Rolston is known for his signature lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design, and has been repeatedly identified throughout his career with the revival and modern expression of Hollywood glamour...
and premiered on 28 February 2005. The video begins with Bedingfield entering an elevator dressed as a geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
. She then exits the elevator and wanders down a long hall looking for her hotel room. Sitting in front of a mirror, Bedingfield slowly removes her wig and makeup, revealing the pain she had been hiding. Scenes of Bedingfield singing on her bed and in a dark room are intercut throughout the video.
Bedingfield dressed as a geisha in the music video to represent how the feelings of pain and sadness are often not shown to others when a relationship ends. Out in public Bedingfield's character covers her feelings up with makeup, but alone she removes it, exposing how she truly feels inside. The complete version of "I Bruise Easily" featured in the music video has been released commercially through CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
s and digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
s.
Chart performance
"I Bruise Easily" was released as the fourth major single-release from Unwritten. Because it was released as the fourth single, success was very limited since many consumers had already purchased the album, which at the time had been certified triple platinum in the United Kingdom. It debuted on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 11 April 2005 at number twelve. It peaked at number twelve and remained on the chart for a total of seven weeks.
"I Bruise Easily" failed to make an impact in Europe. It peaked outside the top forty in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Germany, Vietnam and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In South Africa, the song peaked at number one on 13 August 2005 and remained on the singles chart for fourteen weeks. The song proved popular on radio stations worldwide, reaching number six on the World Chart Show airplay chart.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "I Bruise Easily".UK CD single
(82876681532; Released 4 April 2005)
- "I Bruise Easily" (Single version) 3:43
- "Ain't NobodyAin't Nobody"Ain't Nobody" is a 1983 hit single by Rufus & Chaka Khan. It was released as a studio bonus track on the band's live album Stompin' at the Savoy. It reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart and twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart...
featuring Daniel BedingfieldDaniel BedingfieldDaniel John Bedingfield is a British singer-songwriter. He is the brother of pop singers Natasha Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle.-Music career:...
3:34 - "You Look Good On Me"
- "I Bruise Easily" music video
International Maxi CD single
(Released 30 May 2005)
- "I Bruise Easily" (Single version)
- "Ain't NobodyAin't Nobody"Ain't Nobody" is a 1983 hit single by Rufus & Chaka Khan. It was released as a studio bonus track on the band's live album Stompin' at the Savoy. It reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart and twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart...
featuring Daniel BedingfieldDaniel BedingfieldDaniel John Bedingfield is a British singer-songwriter. He is the brother of pop singers Natasha Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle.-Music career:... - "You Look Good On Me"
- "I Bruise Easily" (Album version)
- "I Bruise Easily" music video
This was the first Bedingfield single to be released on only one CD format in the United Kingdom
Charts
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 46 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
13 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
46 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
17 |
| South African Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 52 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
12 |
External links
- natashabedingfield.com — official website