So Natural (song)

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"So Natural"
Single by Lisa Stansfield
from the album So Natural
Released11 October 1993 (1993-10-11)[1]
Genre
Length5:05
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)
  • Lisa Stansfield
  • Ian Devaney
Producer(s)Ian Devaney
Lisa Stansfield singles chronology
"In All the Right Places"
(1993) 		"So Natural"
(1993) 		"Little Bit of Heaven"
(1993)
Music video
"So Natural" on YouTube

"So Natural" is a song by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield from her third album, So Natural (1993). It was released as the first proper single in the United Kingdom on 11 October 1993 by Arista Records. The song was written by Stansfield and her husband Ian Devaney, and produced by Devaney. It received remixes by Roger Sanchez, DJ Duro, Frankie Foncett and Vassal Benford. The single peaked at number fifteen on the UK Singles Chart. Its music video was directed by Marcus Nispel.

In 2003, the song was included on Biography: The Greatest Hits. In 2014, the remixes of "So Natural" were included on the deluxe 2CD + DVD re-release of So Natural (also on The Collection 1989–2003).[2]

Chart performance[edit]

"So Natural" was a notable hit on the charts in Europe, entering the top 20 in the UK. The song peaked at number 15 in its first week on the UK Singles Chart on 17 October 1993.[3] It stayed at that position for two weeks, before dropping to number 31 and then leaving the UK Top 40. "So Natural" also peaked at number seven on the Music Week Dance Singles chart, and was a top-20 hit in both Italy (25) and Spain (25). Additionally, the single entered the top 40 in Iceland (36), as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number 38 in November same year. It also was a top-70 hit in Germany, while outside Europe, it charted in Australia, peaking within the top 70 also there (69).

Critical reception[edit]

Upon the release, Larry Flick from Billboard complimented the song as "quite nice".[4] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton stated, "It's her tenth Top 20 hit in all and a natural Top Tenner for next week I would say."[5] Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote that "what Marvin requested, Lisa delivers. She seduces the lyrics in an almost underplayed way, only to see the slow rhythm teasingly broken by a vintage Barry White bridge."[6] In a separate review, they also described it as "sophisticated" and "sensual".[7] Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five, praising it as "another slow sophisticated track [that] provides a warm showcase for the exceptional Stansfield voice".[8] R.S. Murthi from New Straits Times felt that the singer-songwriter "acquits herself with style and grace" on tunes like "So Natural".[9]

Retrospective response[edit]

Retrospectively, Quentin Harrison from Albumism stated that the song "emphasizes Stansfield’s rich, honeyed tone; the plush arrangement recalls the pinnacle of early-to-mid ‘70s soul."[10] In an 2015 review, Pop Rescue noted that "her breathy, soulful vocals, usher in this gentle ballad", and declared it as "a perfect showcase of her rich vocals".[11]

Music video[edit]

The accompanying music video for "So Natural" was directed by German feature film director and producer Marcus Nispel. It was later made available on Stansfield's official YouTube channel in 2009.[12]

Track listings[edit]

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for "So Natural"
Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[13] 69
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[14] 38
Europe (European Hit Radio)[15] 14
Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 67
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[17] 36
Italy (Musica e dischi)[18] 25
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[19] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 47
Spain Radio (PROMUSICAE)[21] 25
UK Singles (OCC)[22] 15
UK Dance (Music Week)[23] 7
UK Club Chart (Music Week)[24] 21

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. 9 October 1993. p. 27.
  2. ^ "Lisa Stansfield – The Collection: tracklists". lisa-stansfield.com. 2 October 2014. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
    - "Exclusive: First pictures takes you inside the reissues 'The Collection 1989–2003'". lisastansfield.net. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 75 17 October 1993 - 23 October 1993". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  4. ^ Flick, Larry (6 November 1993). "Dance Trax: Face It: Cheeks Is Back, And She's 'So In Love'" (PDF). Billboard. p. 38. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  5. ^ Masterton, James (17 October 1993). "Week Ending October 23rd 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  6. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 41. 9 October 1993. p. 10. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Lisa Stansfield Sings R&B So Naturally" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 46. 13 November 1993. p. 9. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  8. ^ Jones, Alan (9 October 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 18. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  9. ^ Murthi, R.S. (22 December 1993). "Sermon of soul from Rev Green". New Straits Times. p. 28. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  10. ^ Harrison, Quentin (6 November 2018). "Lisa Stansfield's 'So Natural' Turns 25: An Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Review: "So Natural" by Lisa Stansfield (CD, 1993)". Pop Rescue. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Lisa Stansfield - So Natural (Jazz Version)". YouTube. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  13. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 265.
  14. ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  15. ^ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 47. 20 November 1993. p. 28. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Lisa Stansfield - So Natural" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  17. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (02.12.1993-08.12.1993)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 2 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Lisa Stansfield".
  19. ^ "Lisa Stansfield - So Natural" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  20. ^ "Lisa Stansfield – So Natural" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  21. ^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  22. ^ "Lisa Stansfield: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  23. ^ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 23 October 1993. p. 22. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  24. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 9 October 1993. p. 4. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
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