Foundations (song)

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title: "Foundations (song)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2007-singles", "2007-songs", "fiction-records-singles", "geffen-records-singles", "kate-nash-songs", "songs-written-by-kate-nash", "songs-written-by-paul-epworth"] description: "2007 single by Kate Nash" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundations_(song)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 2007 single by Kate Nash ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Foundations
cover	FoundationsKateNash.jpg
border	yes
type	single
artist	Kate Nash
album	Made of Bricks
released	18 June 2007
genre	Indie pop
label	Fiction
producer	Paul Epworth
prev_title	Caroline's a Victim
prev_title2	Birds
prev_year	2007
next_title	Mouthwash
next_year	2007
misc
::

| name = Foundations | cover = FoundationsKateNash.jpg | border = yes | alt = | type = single | artist = Kate Nash | album = Made of Bricks | B-side =

• "Habanera"
• "Navy Taxi"
• "Old Dances" | released = 18 June 2007 | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = Indie pop | length =
• 4:05
• 3:44 (clean radio edit) | label = Fiction | writer =
• Kate Nash
• Paul Epworth
• Steve DaMar | producer = Paul Epworth | prev_title = Caroline's a Victim | prev_title2 = Birds | prev_year = 2007 | next_title = Mouthwash | next_year = 2007 | misc =

"Foundations" is a song by English singer-songwriter Kate Nash for her debut album, Made of Bricks (2007). It was released as the album's lead single in June 2007, her first single since signing with Fiction Records after the success of her debut single "Caroline's a Victim".

Music and structure

The song is written in C major and uses the three main chords of the key C, F, and G as the riff, which is used as a simple eight bar ostinato. It follows the A-B-A-B-A-B-C-B pattern.

During the writing process, producer Paul Epworth suggested to Nash to write "something like 'Cheree' by Suicide", which has a similar chord progression.

Music video

The music video was directed by Kinga Burza and makes use of video, still shots and stop motion animation. Colourful everyday items such as toothbrushes, shoes, socks and toys (one of which appears to be a Yellow Power Ranger) are prominent.

It follows the song closely, and is made up of several main scenes; Nash playing a card game, turning in bed, eating lemons ("you've said I must eat so many lemons, because I am so bitter"), sitting on a staircase, arm wrestling, decorating a cake and sitting in her lounge, but is not happy living with her boyfriend. The video ends as she packs her suitcase and walks out of the house.

Critical reception

The song has received almost universally positive reviews from British critics. In August 2007, The Guardian gave the song a mixed review, citing its strong comparisons to Lily Allen, but praised the "indelible chorus". In September 2007, Pitchfork Media gave a positive review of the song, citing Nash's "gift for communicating confusing romance with a keen eye for detail and scene-stealing turns of phrase".

The Los Angeles Times also cited Nash's lyrical gift in "Foundations" in their review. In January 2008, Rolling Stone gave the song a positive review stating, "The rushed verses of "Foundations" – in which Nash dissects a couple's argument – convey sadness and snarkiness at once, and those verses sound pretty inviting, too." That same month, The New York Times gave the song an overwhelmingly positive review, hailing the song as her best and continuing with "The song is bright, peppy and mercilessly perceptive". In February 2008, Slant Magazine hailed the track as "energetic and borderline sadistic". In December 2008, Slant ranked the song at No. 17 on their list of the top 25 US released singles of 2008.

Chart performance

The song spent five weeks at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, being held off by Rihanna and Jay-Z's "Umbrella", and Timbaland and Keri Hilson's "The Way I Are" for three weeks and two weeks, respectively. In the week ending 4 August 2007, "The Way I Are" beat "Foundations" to the top spot by just 16 copies, with the latter selling 33,562 copies. The song has sold 435,000 copies in the UK, as stated by the Official Charts Company.

Promotion

On 22 July 2007, Nash performed "Foundations" at 2007's T4 on the Beach in Weston-super-Mare. The single was a commercial success, ending 2007 as the year's 17th biggest-selling single in the UK. On 15 January 2008, she performed the song on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

Track listings

| all_writing = Kate Nash | headline = UK CD single | total_length = | title1 = Foundations | length1 = 4:05 | title2 = Habanera | length2 = 2:24

| headline = UK limited-edition 7-inch vinyl 1 | total_length = | title1 = Foundations | length1 = 4:05 | title2 = Old Dances | length2 = 4:26

| headline = UK limited-edition 7-inch vinyl 2 | total_length = | title1 = Foundations | length1 = 4:05 | title2 = Navy Taxi | length2 = 5:30

| headline = European maxi-CD single | total_length = | title1 = Foundations | length1 = 4:05 | title2 = Habanera | length2 = 2:24 | title3 = Navy Taxi | length3 = 5:30 | title4 = Old Dances | length4 = 4:26 | title5 = Foundations | note5 = video

| headline = US CD and digital EP | total_length = | title1 = Foundations | length1 = 4:06 | title2 = Navy Taxi | length2 = 5:35 | title3 = Caroline's a Victim | length3 = 2:54 | title4 = Habanera | length4 = 2:24

| headline = iTunes digital download | total_length = | title1 = Foundations | note1 = acoustic version | length1 = 3:21

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (2007) | Peak position | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | US Hot Singles Sales (Billboard) | |---|---|---|---| | 9 | | | | | 1 | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (2007)	Position	Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)	UK Singles (OCC)
66
66
17
::

Certifications

References

References

1. [https://www.sodajerker.com/episode-172-paul-epworth/ Sodajerker podcast, episode 172]
2. Un. "MySpace". MySpace.
3. (30 November 2007). "Kate Nash Announces Dates – 30 Nov 2007 | Clash Music Latest Breaking Music News". Clashmusic.com.
4. Petridis, Alexis. (3 August 2007). "CD: Kate Nash, Made from Bricks | Music". The Guardian.
5. [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/45226-kate-nash-made-of-bricks Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Kate Nash: Made of Bricks] {{webarchive. link. (15 December 2008)
6. Cromelin, Richard. (16 January 2008). "With 'Made of Bricks,' Kate Nash hopes to build on U.S. shores". Los Angeles Times.
7. "Made of Bricks : Kate Nash : Review".
8. Pareles, Jon. (6 January 2008). "The New York Times – 'Not Too Famous to Mind Her Mum'". The New York Times.
9. "Kate Nash: Made of Bricks | Music Review". Slant Magazine.
10. "2008: Year in Music". Slant Magazine.
11. (9 November 2007). "Firm foundations". [[Belfast Telegraph]].
12. Copsey, Rob. (28 April 2023). "The Closest Battles for Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart". [[Official Charts Company]].
13. Jones, Alan. (18 March 2016). "Official Charts Analysis: Mike Posner's I Took a Pill in Ibiza takes No.1 by slim margin". Intent Media.
14. White, Jack. (10 August 2017). "The closest ever UK chart battle happened 10 years ago this week". [[Official Charts Company]].
15. [[BBC Music]]. [https://archive.today/20090310194126/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles2007.shtml "Top 40 Singles of the Year 2007 "]. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
16. (2007). "Foundations". [[Fiction Records]].
17. (2007). "Foundations". Fiction Records.
18. (2007). "Foundations". Fiction Records.
19. (2007). "Foundations". Fiction Records.
20. (2007). "Foundations". [[Geffen Records]].
21. "Foundations – EP". [[Apple Music]].
22. "oundations (Acoustic Version) – Single". Apple Music.
23. (17 July 2007). "Hits of the World – Eurocharts".
24. Caufield, Keith. (February 22, 2008). "Ask Billboard".
25. "Jaaroverzichten 2007". [[Ultratop]].
26. "European Hot 100 Singles".
27. "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". [[Official Charts Company]].

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