Natasha Bedingfield joined Ella Henderson onstage at Radio One’s Big Weekend yesterday (Friday May 24). Check out footage below.
The ‘These Words’ singer performed her viral hit ‘Unwritten’ with the X Factor star during Henderson’s main stage set at Stockwood Park in Luton.
Ahead of inviting her to the stage to duet on her Rudimental-collaboration ‘Alibi’, Henderson said: “This song means so much to me. It’s about grit, empowerment and revenge.
“I thought to myself ‘this doesn’t feel right just doing it on my own. Surely there’s a version I can do with another female on it that’s really empowering and strong, and someone that I admire and look up to’.”
Before performing ‘Alibi’, they treated the Luton audience to a duet of ‘Unwritten’, a song which Henderson said she “grew up listening to and would sing into a hairbrush in her bedroom.”
After sharing a hug, they performed ‘Alibi’, including a new verse from Bedingfield, who recently announced a show at KOKO in London and a vinyl-re-release of ‘Unwritten’ to celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary.
After she left the stage, Henderson said: “I love that girl.
“Do you know what’s crazy? The ‘Unwritten’ album is literally one of the first that I sang in my bedroom with a ghetto blaster and a hairbrush in my hand, so that was wild.”
Reaching the Number One spot upon release in 2004, Bedingfield’s debut album featured th hits ‘These Words’, ‘Single’, ‘Wild Horses’ and ‘I Bruise Easily’, as well as ‘Unwritten’ which recently enjoyed a resurgence after appearing in the Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell rom-com Anyone But You.
It entered the charts for the first time in 19 years on January 12, peaking at Number 12.
Commenting on the track’s resurgence, Bedingfield said: “I’ve had songs in movies before but this time I really love the way it’s been used in such a special way that it makes you feel joyful. People are actually singing it as they leave the theatre!
“Over the years ‘Unwritten’ has somehow become an anthem to sing at the top of your lungs. This makes me the happiest girl in the world as I have always felt that a good pop song is actually something you can belt. Like a good football song!”
BBC Radio One’s Big Weekend continues with performances from Coldplay, London Grammar, The Last Dinner Party, Vampire Weekend, RAYE, Aitch, Charli XCX, AJ Tracey, CMAT and many more.