Torn - The Best of Natalie Imbruglia
For a debut single that transmogrified an Aussie soap actress into an overnight global pop sensation, Torn had already put in serious hard yards by the time Imbruglia scored its most spectacular touchdown in 1997. Originally written for LA post-grunge band Ednaswap, Torn was first recorded in Danish by Lis Sørensen, the singer of a pop-rock group called – we shit you not – Shit & Chanel. In 1996 it was a minor hit in Norway for Trine Reine.
Written by Ednaswap members Scott Cutler and Anne Preven along with sometime Cure member Phil Thornalley (thank Phil for that double bass slap on The Lovecats), Imbruglia’s version of Torn sold 4m copies worldwide, received a Grammy nomination, and famously made Imbruglia “successful, rich and terribly unhappy.”
Cutler and Preven were none too pleased either, at least not at first, thinking very little of Imbruglia’s version. But it was a “massive financial windfall” for the duo, who went on to write for huge names such as Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry. Launching Pulse Publishing in 2007, they moved into records last year. Their first label signing? Viral pop-R&B sensation Tommy Richman, with his prophetically titled breakout hit Million Dollar Baby.
Whatever Natalie’s relationship to Torn, it has come to occupy an enduring place in popular culture far beyond what even she could have predicted. In 2010 it was the first song performed on The X Factor by nascent boyband One Direction, who reprised it in BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge five years later. In 2021 Lorde cited Natalie as an influence on her sun-kissed album Solar Power, and even pop queen-du-jour Olivia Rodrigo invited her on stage in 2022 to perform the song.
With that kind of cultural impact it’s only a matter of time before a Conservative politician comes along and tries to claim the credit, as former defence secretary Liam Fox somewhat bewilderingly did this summer, telling LBC that he helped Natalie pick Torn out as a single. Rumours that Fox is being courted by Pulse Recordings as their new Head of A&R could not be confirmed at the time of writing!
