Natasha Bedingfield

"Take me away/ a secret place/ a sweet escape," sings Natasha Bedingfield on the title track to her sophomore effort, and with crisp beats and a handful of upbeat, chirpy songs, she's created just such a place. The centerpiece of this set is "Freckles," a tune about stepping outside your circumstances long enough to come to terms with your true self, and it sounds as though Natasha has done quite a bit of that, as Pocketful of Sunshine brims with a poised, carefree exuberance. Other infectious favorites include "Happy," "Piece of Your Heart" and "Say It Again."

England's Natasha Bedingfield became a star overseas thanks partly to smitten songs like
"These Words," a bright dance-pop number in which the big-voiced Christian sang "I love
you" thirty-three times. On Pocketful of Sunshine, her second U.S. release, Bedingfield is
still love-struck: Judging by exuberant cuts like the lead single, "Love Like This," she must
be, like, the happiest person alive. Unfortunate as Bedingfield's bubbliness can b... More >