If You're Not the One

"If You're Not the One" is a song by English singer Daniel Bedingfield. It was released on 25 November 2002 as the third single from his debut studio album Gotta Get Thru This (2002).

"If You're Not the One"
Single by Daniel Bedingfield
from the album Gotta Get Thru This
Released25 November 2002
Recorded2002
Genre
Length4:19
Label
Songwriter(s)Daniel Bedingfield
Producer(s)Mark Taylor
Daniel Bedingfield singles chronology
"James Dean (I Wanna Know)"
(2002)		 "If You're Not the One"
(2002)		 "I Can't Read You"
(2003)
Audio sample
Daniel Bedingfield - "If You're Not the One"
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Alternative covers
American cover
Alternative cover
French cover

The single entered the top 20 on the majority of charts that it appeared on, including being a number-one hit in the UK Singles Chart,[1] and reaching number 15 in the United States.

Background and writing

"If You're Not the One" is written as a love ballad.[2] Bedingfield claims to have been inspired by the band Westlife, when writing and recording the song.[3] Bedingfield himself believes that the song is "cheesy."[4] Bedingfield admitted he began writing the song because he realized that material he considered more "complex", was unlikely to get him a record deal.[4] "Commercialism, sappy lyrics and meek tunes are the things I hate most in the universe, but I'm not sure even Bob Dylan could get record company interest without hooks these days", Bedingfield recalled in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.[4] "It's a different age. You need to go some kind of populist route. So, about three years ago, I sat down with a Westlife song and tried to write something similar."[4]

Bedingfield also admitted that he didn't even want to put the song on his album.[5] He said, "I didn't want to put "If You're Not the One" on the album as I thought it was too cheesy. I thought it sounded like Westlife. But she (Natasha Bedingfield, his sister) loved it. Women that hear it go all soft and think it's lovely"[5]

Composition

"If You're Not the One" plays for 4 minutes and 19 seconds, in common time. It is in the key of B-flat major, and the chorus features Bedingfield singing falsetto, where he hits the note E♭5.[6]

Critical reception

"If You're Not the One" received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. On the positive side, Peter Robinson, in the Gotta Get thru This album review for the New Musical Express (NME), wrote "If You're Not the One [recalls] every chart-mauling uber-ballad you've ever heard".[7] Nedd Raggett of AllMusic commented in his album review "When it comes to ballads, they work best in sudden moments – the soaring end to If You're Not the One".[8] About.com ranked the song at number 27 on its list of the 'Top 100 Pop Songs of 2002', two places behind the album's title track.[9] The song was again ranked at number 27 on the 2003 list, due to it being released in the United States during that year.[10] Music Week felt that the song showed Bedingfield's "sensitive side", and that the song "showcases his vocal range to stunning effect."[2] The magazine even considered it "beautifully crafted."[2]

However, the track also received some negative feedback. PopMatters' Nikki Tranter wrote "surely you would think with his obviously overwhelming ability to compose utter claptrap cleverly disguised as serious prophesizing, his lyrics might contain something a little more expressive than 'If you're not the one / Why does my heart feel glad today / If you're not the one / Then why does my hand fit yours this way.'"[11] In his review for musicOMH, Michael Hubbard was even less positive, stating, "If You're Not the One is as vomit-inducing as anything the man in the plastic mask has ever wretched (sic) forth at the world".[12]

Chart performance

When the song was released as a single, it was picked up by radio stations. It was the most added pop song on the radio for the week of 20 February 2003.[13] In the US, the song was the most added song in the Adult Contemporary market for the week of 7 April 2003.[14] In the US, the song was his highest debuting single, debuting at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100.[14] The single proved to be a successful release for Bedingfield, providing him with several worldwide number ones and reaching the top 20 in all but one of the charts that it appeared on. It debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart, knocking Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty" from the top spot.[15]

Music video

The music video was produced by A1 singer Mark Read. It begins with a series of images of Bedingfield singing in various positions against a black backdrop. When the chorus starts he is seen singing with clouds in the background. The initial sequence is repeated for the second verse. However, half-way through, he starts to write on a wall. The rest of the song follows the same pattern.

For the US market, a separate video was made. This version features Bedingfield singing the song while drunk one night after a house party, trying to remember who "the one" is. Several of his and the woman's scenes are shown in split-screen format, and exactly match one another. In the end, it is morning, and she returns to him.

Track listings

UK CD1[16]

  1. "If You're Not the One" (Album Version)
  2. "James Dean (I Wanna Know)" (Acoustic Version)
  3. "If You're Not the One" (Metro Mix)
  4. "If You're Not the One" (Music Video)

UK CD2[17]

  1. "If You're Not the One" (Radio Edit)
  2. "If You're Not the One" (Metro Mix Radio Edit)
  3. "James Dean (I Wanna Know)" (ATFC's Committed Vocal Mix)
  4. "Gotta Get Thru This" (Music Video – U.S. Version)
  5. "If You're Not the One" (Music Video – Metro Mix)

American CD single[18]

  1. "If You're Not the One" (Radio Edit)
  2. "If You're Not the One" (Metro Mix Radio Edit)
  3. "Album Medley"

Credits and personnel

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[53] Gold 35,000^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[54] Gold 4,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[55] Platinum 10,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[56] Platinum 600,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References
  1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 680. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. "Daniel Bedingfield: If You're Not the One". Music Week. 9 November 2002. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  3. Sullivan, Caroline (23 March 2003). "Daniel Bedingfield". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  4. McCormick, Neal (6 March 2003). "Daniel Bedingfield". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  5. "Gotta Get Over Snub". Daily Record. 27 February 2003. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  6. ""If You're Not the One" by Daniel Bedingfield – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. EMI Music Publishing. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  7. Robinson, Peter (20 August 2002). "Daniel Bedingfield: Gotta Get Thru This". New Musical Express. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  8. "AllMusic review". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  9. Lamb, Bill. "Top 100 Pop Songs of 2002". About.com. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  10. Lamb, Bill. "Top 100 Pop Songs of 2003". Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  11. Tranter, Nikki (1 November 2002). "Popmatters music review". PopMatters. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  12. Hubbard, Michael (26 August 2002). "musicOMH review". musicOMH. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  13. "Daniel Bedingfield's Single 'If You're Not The One' #1 Most Added at Pop Radio! Acclaimed Artist Nominated for a Grammy Award for 'Best Dance Recording' for Hit Song 'Gotta Get Thru This'". PR Newswire. 20 February 2003. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  14. "Second Breaker at US Singles for 'Super-Priority' Bedingfield". Music Week. 7 April 2003. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  15. "Bedingfield goes top again". BBC News. 1 December 2002. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  16. "If You're Not The One: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  17. "Images for Daniel Bedingfield - If You're Not The One". Discogs. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  18. "If You're Not the One: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  19. "Australian-charts.com – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  20. "Austriancharts.at – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  21. "Ultratop.be – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  22. "Daniel Bedingfield Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  23. "Danishcharts.com – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One". Tracklisten.
  24. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20 no. 51. 14 December 2002. p. 11. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  25. "Lescharts.com – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One" (in French). Les classement single.
  26. "Offiziellecharts.de – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  27. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – If You're Not the One". Irish Singles Chart.
  28. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 18, 2003" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  29. "Dutchcharts.nl – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  30. "Charts.nz – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One". Top 40 Singles.
  31. "Norwegiancharts.com – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One". VG-lista.
  32. "Swedishcharts.com – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One". Singles Top 100.
  33. "Swisscharts.com – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One". Swiss Singles Chart.
  34. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  35. "Daniel Bedingfield Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  36. "Daniel Bedingfield Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  37. "Daniel Bedingfield Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  38. "Daniel Bedingfield Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  39. "Daniel Bedingfield Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  40. "Daniel Bedingfield Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  41. "Daniel Bedingfield Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  42. "The Official UK Singles Chart 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  43. "2003 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  44. "Jaaroverzichten 2003" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  45. "Best of 2003". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  46. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2003". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  47. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2003" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  48. "End of Year Charts 2003". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  49. "Årslista Singlar, 2003" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  50. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  51. "Billboard Top 100 – 2003". Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  52. Radio 1 Chart of the Decade, as presented by Nihal on Tuesday 29 December 2009
  53. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2003 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
  54. "Danish single certifications – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One". IFPI Denmark.
  55. "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  56. "British single certifications – Daniel Bedingfield – If You're Not the One". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type If You're Not the One in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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