Unsent

1999 single by Alanis Morissette

"Unsent"

Single by Alanis Morissette
from the album  Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
Released| March 18, 1999 (1999-03-18)[1]
Recorded| Mid-1998[1]
Studio| Royaltone (Los Angeles)[1]
Length| 4:08
Label|

* Maverick
* Reprise

Composer(s)|

* Alanis Morissette
* Glen Ballard

Lyricist(s)| Alanis Morissette
Producer(s)|

* Alanis Morissette
* Glen Ballard
* Nick Rasculinecz

Alanis Morissette singles chronology
| "So Pure"
(1999)  | "Unsent"
(1999)  | "That I Would Be Good"
(1999)

|
|

Music video
"Unsent" on YouTube

"Unsent" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette from her fourth studio album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (1998). The lyrics were written by Morissette, who also composed the music with Glen Ballard.[2] It was released as the album's third single on March 18, 1999. It was one of the few Junkie tracks on which she played her harmonica. Morissette directed the music video for the song. Without a chorus or hook, "Unsent" has an unconventional song structure. The lyrics consist of letters addressed to Morissette's former boyfriends and friends. The single became a moderate hit, reaching number nine in Canada, number 28 in New Zealand, and number 58 in the United States.

## Background

[edit]

While introducing the song on VH1's Storytellers special in 1999, Alanis Morissette said:

> This is a song called "Unsent". And I wrote this song last summer, started off by writing the first verse and.... once I wrote about this one particular person in a letter that I had not had the courage to send to them, I realized that there were about fifty people that I could write about but I wasn't sure that I wanted to write a song that was going to be an hour long so... I got the top five or six people that I really wanted to have closure with and I think it's... it was one of the most... closure-inducing songs to say the least, and some of them I actually finished the record and couldn't sleep for a long time because well there were several things on the record that made it so that I couldn't really sleep very well knowing that I was about to share it with a bunch of people. But this song in particular... I felt like I needed to call a few people before I actually released this song, so I did. And the song itself actually forced me to deal directly with these people because it's so easy to write a song about something... In the past something would happen to me and I would run somewhere and write about it, and not necessarily talk directly to the person. It was very convenient and it resulted in a lot of release but not necessarily in a lot of closure so, this song I thought I was gonna get away with that once again, and because I couldn't sleep I knew that I was, my plans were foiled. So I had to actually call these people and they were all very very sweet about it, they appreciated the fact that I called them. And now when I sing it I know that I can sing it with permission and blessing, really.[3][4]

A demo version of the song included lyrics about Morissette's former touring drummer, Taylor Hawkins.[5]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote positively of "Unsent", naming it the most affecting single out of all the Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie singles. He called Morissette's vocals "lovely" and that it would bring the singer back to "a dominant place on the playlists of modern rock, adult, and mainstream top 40."[6]

## Music video

[edit]

Morissette herself directed the song's music video. Its format reminds of a movie, with subtitles portraying everything that the characters are saying. It opens with "Matthew" playing the guitar to Morissette, who feels she's bothering him and says she should leave. He says she should, but in a kind way. Alanis looks happy, but uncomfortable and leaves. The second act shows Morissette, with curly hair, sitting with "Jonathan" at a bar, asking if she could come to wherever he is going the next day. She's concerned girls are coming on the trip too. He says she can, but doesn't look too interested.

The third act shows Alanis and "Terrance" (played by Josh Hopkins[7]) by the lake, having a conversation about whether he is coming to visit her, to which he jokingly responds that he's "too busy". They laugh and look happy. "Marcus" is the fourth to be shown. They kiss on a sofa, and he says he is very proud of Alanis. "What for?" she replies, and he says "[to be] open to testing different waters at the same time". Morissette looks confused, awkward, and sad. The last scene shows Morissette entering a car driven by "Lou". They say "hi" to one another, but the only other dialogue is when Lou says "What are you thinking?" at the very end of the video.

A 10-minute movie of the video is available with no music and no subtitles, but the actors speak this time. It shows extended footage of all five stories.[8]

## Usage in media

[edit]

In the American television show Cougar Town, Season 4 Episode 10 'You Tell Me', the video is referenced due to character Grayson Ellis', (played by Josh Hopkins), appearance as Terrance, which he wants to keep a secret. The secret gets out and another character Andy Torres, (played by Ian Gomez),[9], shares his secret that he appeared in the Alanis Morissette Video 'Hands Clean' as the Music Executive.

## Track listing

[edit]

Canadian and Australian CD single[2][10]

1. "Unsent" (album version) – 4:08
2. "Are You Still Mad" (BBC/Radio One live) – 3:59
3. "London" (Bridge School Benefit live) – 4:46

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1999)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (ARIA)[11] | 85
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] | 8
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[13] | 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] | 28
US Billboard Hot 100[15] | 58
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[16] | 14
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[17] | 21
US Adult Alternative (Radio & Records)[18] | 29
US CHR/Pop (Radio & Records)[19] | 16
US Hot AC (Radio & Records)[18] | 12
US Pop/Alternative (Radio & Records)[20] | 14

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1999)  | Position

|

Canada Top Singles (RPM)[21] | 42
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[22] | 61
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[23] | 58
US Hot AC (Radio & Records)[24] | 62

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie". alanis-m.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
2. ^ a b Unsent (Canadian CD single liner notes). Alanis Morissette. Maverick Records. 1999. CDW 44633.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
3. ^ "Alanis Morissette - About 'Unsent' (1999 Storytellers)". YouTube. September 20, 2022. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
4. ^ "Alanis Morissette -- VH1 Storytellers Transcript". Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
5. ^ "Alanis Morissette - Dear Taylor". YouTube. September 11, 2020. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022.
6. ^ Taylor, Chuck (January 23, 1999). "Reviews & Previews — Singles: Alanis Morissette, "Unsent"". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 4\. New York, NY: Prometheus Global Media. p. 26\. ISSN 0006-2510.
7. ^ "Josh Hopkins". IMDb.com. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
8. ^ "Unsent movie – video Dailymotion". Dailymotion.com. July 13, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
9. ^ Cite error: The named reference `songfacts` was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
10. ^ Unsent (Australian CD single liner notes). Alanis Morissette. Maverick Records. 1999. 9362446332.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. ^ "ariaNET The Chart! Top 100 Singles – Week Commencing 5th April 1999". ARIA. Retrieved September 13, 2016 - via Imgur.
12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7494." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
13. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7493." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
14. ^ "Alanis Morissette – Unsent". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
15. ^ "Alanis Morissette Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
16. ^ "Alanis Morissette Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
17. ^ "Alanis Morissette Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
18. ^ a b "R&R The Back Pages – National Airplay Overview: February 19, 1999". Radio & Records. No. 1287\. Los Angeles, California. February 19, 1999. pp. 126–127\. ISSN 0277-4860.
19. ^ "R&R The Back Pages – National Airplay Overview: February 26, 1999 – CHR/Pop". Radio & Records. No. 1288\. Los Angeles, California. February 26, 1999. p. 106\. ISSN 0277-4860.
20. ^ "Pop/Alternative Top 20". Radio & Records. No. 1286\. Los Angeles, California. February 12, 1999. p. 37\. ISSN 0277-4860.
21. ^ "RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved August 31, 2019 - via Library and Archives Canada.
22. ^ "RPM 1999 Top 100 Adult Contemporary". RPM. Retrieved August 31, 2019 - via Library and Archives Canada.
23. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52\. December 24, 1999. p. 47.
24. ^ "Top 99 of 1999 – Hot AC". Radio & Records. No. 1329\. Los Angeles, California. December 10, 1999. p. 90\. ISSN 0277-4860.

* v
* t
* e

Alanis Morissette

* Awards and nominations
* Discography
* Songs

Studio albums|

* Alanis
* Now Is the Time
* Jagged Little Pill
* Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
* Under Rug Swept
* So-Called Chaos
* Flavors of Entanglement
* Havoc and Bright Lights
* Such Pretty Forks in the Road
* The Storm Before the Calm

Compilation albums|

* Feast on Scraps
* iTunes Originals
* The Collection

Other releases|

* Space Cakes
* The Singles Box

Live releases|

* Jagged Little Pill, Live
* MTV Unplugged
* Live in the Navajo Nation
* Feast on Scraps
* Jagged Little Pill Acoustic
* Live at Montreux 2012

Concert tours|

* Junkie Tour
* 5 ½ Weeks Tour
* One Tour
* Au Naturale Tour
* The Diamond Wink Tour
* Flavors of Entanglement Tour
* Guardian Angel Tour
* Intimate and Acoustic

Musicals|

Jagged Little Pill

Related articles|

* Wade Morissette (brother)
* Jagged (documentary film)

* v
* t
* e

Alanis Morissette songs

Discography

Alanis|

* "Feel Your Love"
* "Too Hot"
* "Walk Away"

Now Is the Time|

* "An Emotion Away"
* "No Apologies"

Jagged Little Pill|

* "All I Really Want"
* "You Oughta Know"
* "Hand in My Pocket"
* "You Learn"
* "Head over Feet"
* "Ironic"

Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie|

* "Thank U"
* "That I Would Be Good"
* "Unsent"
* "So Pure"
* "Joining You"

MTV Unplugged|

* "King of Pain"

Under Rug Swept|

* "21 Things I Want in a Lover"
* "Hands Clean"
* "Flinch"
* "So Unsexy"
* "Precious Illusions"
* "Surrendering"
* "Utopia"

So-Called Chaos|

* "Eight Easy Steps"
* "Out Is Through"
* "Everything"

The Collection|

* "Crazy"

Flavors of Entanglement|

* "Underneath"
* "Not as We"
* "In Praise of the Vulnerable Man"

Havoc and Bright Lights|

* "Guardian"
* "Lens"
* "Receive"

Such Pretty Forks in the Road|

* "Reasons I Drink"
* "Smiling"

Soundtrack songs|

* "Still"
* "Uninvited"
* "Wunderkind"

Other songs|

* "My Humps"

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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