Wunderkind (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Wunderkind


Caption =
Artist = Alanis Morissette
from Album =
A-side =
B-side =
Released = Early 2006 (Asia)
Format = Radio single
Recorded =
Genre = Pop
Length = 5:19
Label = Walt Disney
Writer = Alanis Morissette
Producer = Mike Elizondo
Certification =
Chart position = * #35 (Tokio Hot 100)
Last single = "Crazy"
(2005)
This single = "Wunderkind"
(2006)
Next single = "Underneath"
(2008)
Misc =Extra track listing
Album =
Type = soundtrack
prev_track = "Can't Take It In"
by Imogen Heap
prev_no = 14
this_track = "Wunderkind"
by Alanis Morissette
track_no = 15
next_track = "Winter Light"
by Tim Finn
next_no = 16

"Wunderkind" is a song written and recorded by Alanis Morissette, and produced by Mike Elizondo for the soundtrack of the 2005 film "" (see 2005 in music).

Morissette was inspired to write the song after watching a rough cut of the film; according to her, the song seemed to flow from her and "really touches me deeply". She wrote it on a Friday, recorded it on Saturday, and handed it in on Sunday. [http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/goldenglobes/2005-12-13-gg-reactions_x.htm "Reactions to Golden Globe nominations"] . Associated Press via "USA Today". December 13 2005. Retrieved April 9 2007.] After the release of "Wunderkind", Morissette enlisted producer Mike Elizondo to co-produce her tenth album. [Baltin, Steve. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/alanismorissette/articles/story/9147093/alanis_writing_memoir_album "Alanis Writing Memoir, Album"] . "Rolling Stone". January 13 2006. Retrieved April 9 2007.] The protagonist of the song, which is written from the point of view of the character of Lucy Pevensie, [Brennan, Mike. [http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=169 "Exclusive - The Chronicles of Narnia - First Listen"] . SoundtrackNet. November 14 2005. Retrieved April 9 2007.] describes herself as "a magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment", "a wunderkind" and "a princess on the way to [her] throne" during the chorus.

Release and reception

IGN Music wrote that it was "equally captivating" as Imogen Heap's soundtrack contribution "Can't Take It In", with Morissette "letting her warble drip delicately over a piano driven lament. It's one of the best things she's done in a long time." [D., Spence. [http://uk.music.ign.com/articles/678/678133p1.html "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe Original Soundtrack"] . IGN Music. December 23 2005. Retrieved April 9 2007.] "Sci Fi Weekly" also described it as "captivating", writing "Morissette delivers [it] with a depth of feeling that makes one sit up and take notice." [Sirois, A.L. [http://www.scifi.com/sfw/sound/sfw14694.html "The Chronicles of Narnia Soundtrack"] . "Sci Fi Weekly". January 18 2007. Retrieved April 9 2007.] Movie Music UK called the song "wholly unremarkable ... it doesn't help that Alanis Morissette can't pronounce the word 'wunderkind' properly - it comes out as "wander" (as in walk around aimlessly) and "kind" (as in being nice to someone)." [ [http://www.moviemusicuk.us/narniacd.htm "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"] . Movie Music UK. Retrieved April 9 2007.] Similarly, Filmtracks.com wrote "wait until you hear Alanis Morissette belt out her classless pronunciation of ' [w] underkind'", and compared it to Annie Lennox's "Into the West", a song on the soundtrack of the 2003 film "". [ [http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/chronicles_narnia.html "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"] . Filmtracks.com. Retrieved April 9 2007.]

"Wunderkind" was nominated for the 2006 Golden Globe for "Best Original Song" (see 63rd Golden Globe Awards nominees). After the nominations were announced, Morissette's home was inundated with phone calls, leading her to assume that "something must be wrong, somebody must be hurt"; she later said she was "excited that some light is being shown on [the song] ." Morissette lost the award to lyricist Bernie Taupin for "A Love That Will Never Grow Old", recorded by Emmylou Harris for the soundtrack of the film "Brokeback Mountain" (see 63rd Golden Globe Awards). [ [http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/awards/goldenglobe/2006/ "Playback - Bernie Taupin Wins Golden Globe"] . ASCAP. 2006. Retrieved April 9 2007.]

The song was premiered on AOL Music on November 18 2005 (see 2005 in music), [ [http://www.narniaweb.com/news.asp?id=606 "Hear Alanis Morissette's 'Wunderkind' on AOL"] . NarniaWeb.com. November 18 2005. Retrieved April 9 2007.] ahead of the December release of the film and of the soundtrack album "", on which it is featured. It was subsequently released as a radio single in some parts of Asia in early 2006 (see 2006 in music). In Japan it entered the Tokio Hot 100 radio chart in late February 2006, peaking at number thirty-five in mid-March; it remained on the chart for five weeks. [ [http://www.mariah-charts.com/chartdata/PAlanisMorissette.htm "Alanis Morissette"] . MARIAH-Charts.com. Retrieved April 9 2007.] The single reached the top five on the playlist of the radio station Jam 88.3 in the Philippines. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20060222082651/http://www.jam883.fm/onthecharts.htm "On The Charts"] . Jam 88.3. February 3 – February 10 2006. Retrieved from the Internet Archive. Retrieved April 9 2007.]

Notes