Hey There Delilah

In 2002, Plain White T's frontman Tom Higgenson met Delilah DiCrescenzo, a nationally ranked steeplechase and cross country runner, through a mutual friend. He later admitted he told her a song about her already existed, even though none did. DiCrescenzo turned him down, but the two kept in touch, and a year later Higgenson had actually written the song, imagining what he would want to tell her if they were together. In late 2004 he handed her a disc with the finished track.

The song appeared in 2005 on the band's third album, All That We Needed, then was reissued in 2007 as a single from Every Second Counts with string instrumentation added. Recorded and produced by Ariel Rechtshaid in North Hollywood, the new version featured a string section written and performed by Eric Remschneider. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 2007, the first chart-topper for Hollywood Records and Disney Music Group, and hit number two in the UK, where it finished the year as the 14th biggest-selling single. It went on to sell over four million digital copies in the US and earned Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 50th Grammy Awards.

DiCrescenzo found the attention difficult, describing how the song seemed to follow her everywhere. She attended the 2008 Grammy gala as Higgenson's guest.