New Track

"People have asked me about that second-album syndrome, but I haven't concerned myself with it," Bedingfield said. "There's a confidence that comes when your work does well. 'Unwritten' was really the perfect title for my first album because I knew I had a lot more in me. No, I'm not nervous."

On "N.B.," released in Europe at the end of April and aiming for an October 30 U.S. street date via Epic, she is turning the page to a new life chapter. "This time, it's about the need we have for relationships and the fact that all involve ups and downs — you can't have one without the other — and the questions that come up in sharing your life," she said.

Overseas, the first two singles from "N.B." have already achieved robust success: The album launched with "I Wanna Have Your Babies," which reached No. 7 on the U.K. singles chart, followed by "Soulmate," which went to No. 6 on the U.K. airplay chart. In the States, a new track not on the European version of "N.B." will likely be released as the first radio single.

Both overseas singles demonstrate Bedingfield's versatility as a songwriter. "I Wanna Have Your Babies" has little to do with what its title might imply to the casual listener; it's actually a tongue-in-cheek observation that it's natural enough to project far into the future when meeting potential suitors, wondering if he or she could be the one. The video clearly puts the message across.

"It's not serious at all," Bedingfield said. "Girls tend to get too full-on too quick. I'm not like that personally; I like to make the guy work a bit, but it's fun to sing about something everyone can relate to — trying to gauge where the other person is."

Last year, Bedingfield's song "Unwritten" reached No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart during an unprecedented five separate stints for a total of 11 weeks at the top. It set a second record in the format, revisiting the summit in its 51st week, the latest in chart life a title has ever led the AC list.

Bedingfield said, "Music in America is so beat-driven, and 'Unwritten' doesn't fit that mold. But it connected."

This summer, Bedingfield is touring overseas with Justin Timberlake. She'll return in the fall to the States — where she recorded the majority of the new album — to promote

"N.B."

"When I first came here, after already having a No. 1 album in the U.K., I was performing at radio stations and singing for crowds of 20 winners eating pizza. I could never be sure if they were more interested in the pizza or me," Bedingfield recalled. "But even though I had to prove myself all over again, in America, people respect your dream as long as you believe in yourself."