Everyone gets songs stuck in their heads that just won’t go away. They sneak into your subconscious. They are epic earworms that you find yourself humming uncontrollably, singing in the shower, or tapping the beat to with your foot or ballpoint pen when you should be working. Sometimes they even keep you awake at night. Whether they are current hits, one-hit wonders, movie soundtrack gems, holiday favorites, or songs from your youth, their catchy vocals, riffs, hooks, and choruses seem to linger for days.
Here, those songs find a home, no matter the genre. Here, those epic earworms are revisited, explained, and celebrated. Here, you may find the song that haunts you tomorrow. Here is today’s unescapable song of the day…and the story behind it.
Today’s Epic Earworm: Natasha Bedingfield — “Unwritten”
Music Video for “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, Courtesy of Phonogenic Records/Epic Records/Sony Music Entertainment
English pop singer Natasha Bedingfield released her debut album, Unwritten, in 2004. While the first two singles, “Single” and “These Words,” were chart successes, it wasn’t until the release of the title track that the album really took off. “Unwritten” landed in the Top 10 in six countries. It was certified septuple platinum in Australia, quadruple platinum in New Zealand, and triple platinum in the U.K. and U.S. The song earned Bedingfield a Grammy nomination in the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance category. This epic earworm was the second most played song on U.S. radio in 2006.
The Birthday Gift That Keeps On Giving
Bedingfield originally wrote the song for her brother’s 14th birthday. She claimed in an article for the LA Times that the song was advice that she thought a 14-year-old needs to hear—advice she wishes someone would have given her at that age. She was on the road at the time, but felt that her brother needed to know that “pressures and expectations” in life don’t have to dictate your choices.
The song’s popularity continues to be rekindled by use in other media. “Unwritten” was used as the theme song for MTV‘s reality show “The Hills” and the eventual revival “The Hills: New Beginnings.” It has been featured prominently in movies like “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” “Because I Said So,” “Ice Princess,” “The Da Vinci Code,” and “Anyone But You.” The latter caused the song to re-enter the Billboard charts in 2024. The song has also been used in ad campaigns for brands like Applebee’s, Pantene, and T-Mobile. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving…
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