Natasha Bedingfield wearing a bright-red tracksuit, standing in a garden in 1984 and recreating the image in 2026 Natasha Bedingfield in 1984 and 2026. Later photograph: Simon Webb. Styling: Andie Redman. Hair and makeup: Lisa Laudat at The Wall Group. Archive photograph: courtesy of Natasha Bedingfield

Born in London in 1981, Natasha Bedingfield is a singer and songwriter. Her 2004 debut album, Unwritten, sold more than 2.3m copies and featured the No 1 single These Words. She has released three further albums, scoring UK Top 10 hits and success in the US with Pocketful of Sunshine. Nearly two decades after it was released, her single Unwritten became a viral TikTok hit in 2021. Her new single, Dot Dot Dot, is out now.

This was taken at Hilly Fields park in south -east London. I’m dressed in a sweet little tracksuit. I was a cute kid: I sucked my thumb until I was 11 and I had a sheepskin that I sniffed. But if anyone actually said I was cute, I’d reply: “No, I’m not!” I wanted to be taken seriously.…