The Sweet Escape

Infobox Album
Name = The Sweet Escape
Type = studio
Artist = Gwen Stefani


Released = December 4, 2006 (UK)
Recorded = 2005–2006
Genre = Dance-pop, pop
Length = 47:46
Label = Interscope
Producer = Tim Rice-Oxley, Akon, Sean Garrett, Nellee Hooper, Tony Kanal, The Neptunes, Swizz Beatz, Giorgio Tuinfort
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:5t66mp9w9f7o link]
*"Entertainment Weekly" (B-) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/music/0,6115,1564580_4_0_,00.html link]
*"The Guardian" Rating|4|5 [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1960973,00.html link]
*"NME" (4/10) [http://www.nme.com/reviews/gwen-stefani/8100 link]
*"Okayplayer" Rating|3|5 [http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/index.php/weblog/more/the_sweet_escape/ link]
*Pitchfork Media (6.5/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/40049/Gwen_Stefani_The_Sweet_Escape link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|2|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/gwenstefani/albums/album/12640869/review/12811225/the_sweet_escape link]
*"Slant Magazine" Rating|3|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1025 link]
Last album = "Love. Angel. Music. Baby."
(2004)
This album = "The Sweet Escape"
(2006)
Next album =
Misc = Singles
Name = The Sweet Escape
Type = studio
single 1 = Wind It Up
single 1 date = October 31, 2006
single 2 = Yummy Promotional Single [http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=385929] [http://www.juno.co.uk/ppps/products/300155-01.htm] [http://991.com/Buy/ProductInformation.aspx?StockNumber=385929]
single 2 date = November 11, 2006
single 3 = The Sweet Escape
single 3 date = January 1, 2007
single 4 = 4 in the Morning
single 4 date = June 21, 2007
single 5 = Now That You Got It
single 5 date = September 17, 2007
single 6 = Early Winter
single 6 date = October 1, 2007

"The Sweet Escape" is the second solo album by American pop and rock singer Gwen Stefani, released by Interscope Records in December 2006 (see 2006 in music). Having originally intended to return to No Doubt after her 2004 solo album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby.", Stefani decided to record a second album as a way to release some of the material left over from the "L.A.M.B." writing sessions. The album musically resembles its predecessor while exploring more modern pop sounds. It was released to generally negative reviews from contemporary music critics, receiving criticism for its strong similarities to "L.A.M.B."

It was preceded by the lead single "Wind It Up", which charted moderately across the world, and produced the follow-up single "The Sweet Escape", which proved more successful worldwide. "The Sweet Escape" has reached the Canadian, U.S, & Australian top five and has peaked inside the top twenty in the UK. The Sweet Escape Tour, started in April 2007, covered North America, Central America, Australia, Asia and Europe.

Background

Following the release of her debut album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby.", Stefani announced that she had intended to return to No Doubt and record a sixth studio album with the band. [ [http://www.nme.com/news/gwen-stefani/21477 "No Doubt 'will return'"] . "NME". 10 November 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2007.] After the commercial success of "L.A.M.B.", she decided to release several leftover tracks from the album as an EP or as extra tracks on a DVD.Vineyard, Jennifer; Pak, SuChin; and Reid, Shaheem. [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1513575/20051111/stefani_gwen.jhtml "Gwen Cheats On Gavin To Make Family-Affair LP With Pharrell"] . MTV News. 11 November 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2007.] However, Pharrell Williams, with whom she had collaborated to write "Hollaback Girl", convinced Stefani to create "a "L.A.M.B." part two", and the two recorded several songs during sessions in Miami, Florida in July 2005. [ [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1506360/20050725/stefani_gwen.jhtml "For The Record: Quick News On Gwen Stefani, Gang Of Four, Korn, Christina Aguilera, Jewel, 'Idol' & More"] . MTV News. 25 July 2005. Retrieve 12 May 2005.]

The two produced "Wind It Up", "Orange County Girl", "Yummy", "Breaking Up", and "Candyland" during these sessions, and the songs were used for a fashion show premiering the 2006 collection of Stefani's fashion line L.A.M.B. [Vineyard, Jennifer. [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1543813/20061023/stefani_gwen.jhtml "Gwen Stefani's New LP, "The Sweet Escape", Set For December"] . MTV News. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2007.] She included performances of "Wind It Up" and "Orange County Girl" when she embarked on the Harajuku Lovers Tour in October 2005. [Stevenson, Jane. [http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/S/Stefani_Gwen/ConcertReviews/2005/12/10/1346779.html "Air Canada Centre, Toronto - December 9, 2005"] . "Toronto Sun. Retrieved from "Jam!" 13 May 2007.] Stefani put the project on hold in December 2005 when she discovered that she was pregnant, [Vineyard, Jennifer. [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1519189/20051222/stefani_gwen.jhtml "Gwen Stefani Confirms Pregnancy While Onstage In Florida"] . MTV News. 24 December 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2007.] but returned to the studio in August 2006. [Salmon, Chris. [http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/story/0,,2024172,00.html "'I just want to make music and babies'"] . "The Guardian". 2 March 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007.] The album's working title was "Candyland", sharing its name with a song used as a bonus track on some editions. The title was changed to "The Sweet Escape", the title of the second track, to emphasize the album's themes of wanting to escape to a better life. [Swift, Jacqui. [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2006140003-2007080743,00.html "Has Gwen really got it all?"] . "The Sun". 23 February 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2007.]

Album cover

The album cover was taken by photographer Jill Greenberg. The image was part of a series of promotional images taken by Greenberg, inspired by her previous "End Times" exhibition. To create "End Times", Greenberg gave lollipops to toddlers but took them back after several moments, provoking emotional outbursts. Greenberg used the images as a representation of American politics and society. [Glaister, Dan. [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1830213,00.html "Critics call foul over LA exhibition"] . "The Guardian". 26 July 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2007.] Greenberg was accused of child abuse for the photo shoots; Stefani, however, commented, "I didn't think 'child abuse' -- I just thought, 'That's beautiful.' Every kid cries. Other people reacted like, 'Oh my God. That's so disturbing,' or 'That's so sad.' I guess that's what art's all about. It's supposed to make you think." [Doherty, Mike. [http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/artslife/story.html?id=d5ff3ef3-a858-4588-9d48-f6607e660c1a&k=2319&cid=1111636538&ei=nkN2RbrmI4e6pwKivdyFCQ "The thrills are alive: Gwen Stefani's new disc"] . "National Post". 5 December 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2007.]

Stefani's appearance on the album cover is inspired that of by Elvira Hancock, a coke whore portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1983 film "Scarface". Stefani first gained inspiration for the style when making the music video for "Cool". During the shoot, Stefani saw her No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal and his girlfriend, who had on a "long, peach, polyester [late-1970s style] dress". It was this dress that got Stefani thinking "about Michelle Pfeiffer and how amazingly styled she was [in "Scarface"] ", which in turn drew inspiration for the cover. [Collins, Clark. [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1562569,00.html "Holla Back"] . "Entertainment Weekly". 22 November 2006. Retrieved 23 May 2007.] The pair of oversized sunglasses on the album cover is intended to represent her "guarded exterior", and the other images symbolize her various emotions. [Stefani, Gwen. [http://www.gwenstefani.com/faq/default.aspx "FAQs"] . Universal Music Group. Retrieved 13 May 2007.] Gwen Stefani quotes herself on her FAQ page, "My initial inspiration for the artwork was seeing Jill Greenberg’s End Times exhibit. I fell in love with the beautifully lit, emotional images. The photos looked hyper real and perfectly perfect even though the emotions were slightly disturbing. The shots with sunglasses on the cover represent our guarded exterior while the interior shots show the real emotions we all have inside. "

Critical response

"The Sweet Escape" received mostly negative responses from critics. [Wener, Ben. [http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/music/features/article_1663622.php "Pop Life: A critic gets locked out"] . "OC Weekly". 20 April 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.] Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote for Allmusic: "From the stilted production to the fashion fetish, all the way down to her decision to rap on "far" too much of the album, all the dance-pop here seems like a pose." [Stephen Thomas Erlewine, [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gq4zefrkbgfo~T10 "The Sweet Escape" review] , allmusic.com.] Alex Miller's review for the "NME" was more emphatic, dubbing it "this year's bargain-bin fodder", and stated that "the majority of this record serves only to bury what made Gwen Stefani unique in the first place." [Miller, Alex. [http://www.nme.com/reviews/gwen-stefani/8100 "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape"] . "NME". 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2007.] For "Entertainment Weekly", Sia Michel said that the album "has a surprisingly moody, lightly autobiographical feel" but that "Stefani isn't convincing as a dissatisfied diva". [Sia Michel, [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/music/0,6115,1564580_4_0_,00.html "The Sweet Escape" review] , ew.com, December 1, 2006.] Pitchfork Media's Mark Pytlik described the album's oddities as a career risk for Stefani, where most of the "gonzo pop songs yield some degree of payout" but that Stefani's tight scheduling during production of the album leaves the result "somewhere between the vanguard and the insipid." [Pytlik, Mark. [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/40049-the-sweet-escape "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape"] . Pitchfork Media. 7 December 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2007.] Paul Flynn of "The Observer", however, characterized the album as less interesting than Fergie's "The Dutchess" and Nelly Furtado's "Loose". [Flynn, Paul. [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/10bestcds/story/0,,1965630,00.html "Gwen Stefani, The Sweet Escape"] . "The Observer". 10 December 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2007.]

The album received criticism for its similarities to "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." Sal Cinquemani of "Slant Magazine" noted that "history will likely view "The Sweet Escape" as a retread of Stefani's well-received solo debut, but it shares that album's general inconsistency and, thus, its peaks and valleys". [Sal Cinquemani, [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1025 "The Sweet Escape" review] , "Slant Magazine".] In his review for "Rolling Stone", Rob Sheffield agreed, viewing it as "her hasty return" to music lacking the energy of "L.A.M.B." and in which "she sounds exhausted." [Sheffield, Rob. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/gwenstefani/albums/album/12640869/ "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape : Music Reviews"] . "Rolling Stone". 12 December 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2007.] "The New York Times"' Jon Pareles commented that Stefani "rebooks some of the same producers and repeats some of the old tricks with less flair", adding that "superficiality is more fun when it doesn't get so whiny." [Pareles, Jon. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/04/arts/music/04choi.html?ex=1187582400&en=3f038ff951e1f1cd&ei=5070 "Gwen Stefani - "The Sweet Escape"] . "The New York Times". 4 December 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2007.] Caroline Sullivan disagreed in her review for "The Guardian", in which she stated that although some of the songs to writing sessions for "L.A.M.B.", "generally The Sweet Escape feels minty-fresh." [Sullivan, Caroline. [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1960973,00.html "Gwen Stefani, The Sweet Escape"] . "The Guardian". 1 December 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2007.] "PopMatters"' review by Quentin Huff, however, referred to "The Sweet Escape" as "L.A.M.B.: Reloaded" and described "The Sweet Escape" and "L.A.M.B." as "the same album, just more modern, a glossy Next-Top-Model-ish photo for the cover, and a few more recent-sounding influences." [Huff, Quentin. [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/8926/gwen-stefani-the-sweet-escape/ "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape"] . "PopMatters". 14 December 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2007.]

ales

"The Sweet Escape" was moderately successful in North America, but did not achieve the success of its predecessor. The album sold 243,000 copies in the U.S. during its first week, debuting at number three on the "Billboard" 200, [Hasty, Katie. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003520938 "Ciara, Eminem, Stefani Overtake The Billboard 200"] . "Billboard". 13 December 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2007.] It sold another 149,000 copies were sold during its second week, falling to number fourteen. [Cohen, Jonathan. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003523799 "Young Jeezy, Hicks Enter Atop The Billboard 200"] . "Billboard". 20 December 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2007.] The record has since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. [Nixon, Chris. [http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/homepage/article_1667122.php "Stefani peddles sweet escapism"] . "The Orange County Register". 24 April 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.] The Canadian Recording Industry Association certified "The Sweet Escape" platinum before the album's release, [ [http://www.cria.ca/goldplat.php "Gold & Platinum - November 2006"] . Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 14 October 2007.] and double platinum in March 2007. [ [http://www.cria.ca/gold/0307_g.php "Gold & Platinum - March 2007"] . Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 14 October 2007.]

In the United Kingdom, the album was certified gold within three weeks of its release, [ [http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=32814 "Platinum Awards Content"] . British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 May 2007.] and peaked at number fourteen in March 2007. [http://acharts.us/album/14784 "Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape - Music Charts"] . αCharts.us. Retrieved 13 August 2007.] It was less successful throughout Europe, peaking in the top ten in Norway and Switzerland; the top twenty in Austria, Finland, Ireland, and Sweden; and the top forty in Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. "The Sweet Escape" reached number two for two consecutive weeks on the ARIA Albums Chart, and the Australian Recording Industry Association certified it double platinum. [ [http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display.asp?chart=1A50 "ARIA Charts - Album Charts"] . Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 8 June 2007.] The album debuted at number six on the United World Chart and was on the chart for thirty weeks.

ingles

Wind It Up

"Wind It Up" is a song written by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell originally for inclusion on Stefani's Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005. Because of favorable reception, the song was later recorded for her second solo album "The Sweet Escape" (2006). The track includes an interpolation of "The Sound of Music" song "The Lonely Goatherd"."Wind It Up" was panned by music critics, who criticized the song's use of yodeling and found the track to be over the top. The track was released as the album's lead single in late 2006 (see 2006 in music) and reached the top twenty in most music markets.

Yummy

"Yummy" is a promotional single, was planned to be the second single from The Sweet Escape. For Yummy there are two remixes for the clubs.
This song peaked at number 14 on the Hip Hop European Chart.

The Sweet Escape

"The Sweet Escape" is a pop song written by Gwen Stefani, Akon, and Giorgio Tuinfort for Stefani's second solo album "The Sweet Escape" (2006). Akon developed the song's beat before collaborating with Stefani. He designed it based on her previous work with No Doubt, and Stefani later commented that it put her "on the yellow brick road to the No Doubt record I might do." [ [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1548004/20061214/rihanna.jhtml "For The Record: Quick News On Rihanna, Luda, Lady Sov, Kelis, Nas, Harry Potter, Angelina Jolie & More"] . MTV News. December 14, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2006.] "The Sweet Escape", which features elements of doo-wop, New Wave, and ska music, is an apology for a fight between two lovers and describes a dream of a pleasant life for them. As the album's title track, its title was chosen to help market Stefani's music and fashion lines.

4 in the Morning

"4 in the Morning" is a song written by Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal for Stefani's second solo album "The Sweet Escape" (2006). The song is a 1980s-inspired ballad that Stefani began writing while pregnant and finished with No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal. It received generally positive reviews from music critics.The song was released as the album's third single in 2007 (see 2007 in music). It was commercially unsuccessful in the United States but fared somewhat better worldwide. Stefani has stated that "4 in the Morning" is one of her favorite songs from "The Sweet Escape". [ [http://www.gwenstefani.com/faq/ Gwen Stefani Q&A] Retrieved March 28, 2007]

Now That You Got It

"Now That You Got It" is a pop rap song written by Sean Garrett, Gwen Stefani, and Swizz Beatz for Stefani's second album "The Sweet Escape" (2006). The song received mixed reviews from music critics. A remix and hybrid featuring reggae artist Damian Marley were produced for the song's release as the album's fourth single in September 2007 (see 2007 in music).

Early Winter

"Early Winter" is a pop rock ballad written by Tim Rice-Oxley (pianist for British band Keane) for Gwen Stefani's second album "The Sweet Escape" (2006). The song received positive reviews from music critics, and its opening riffs were used in a Hewlett-Packard commercial featuring Stefani. It was released as the fifth single off the album.

Track listing

Personnel

;Performance credits
* Vocals: Gwen Stefani, Sean Garrett, Kingston Rossdale, Talent Bootcamp Kids
* Baritone: Stephen Bradley, Gabrial McNair
* Bass guitar: Alex Dromgoole, Greg Collins
* Electric guitar: Matt Beck, Alex Dromgoole, Greg Collins, Martin Gore, Richard Hawley, Tony Love, Mark Ralph
* Keyboards: Akon, Pete Davis, Loren Dawson, Tony Kanal, Gabrial McNair, Tim Rice-Oxley, Giorgio Tuinfort
* Percussion: Anthony LoGerfo
* Piano: Tim Rice-Oxley
* Saxophone: Angelo Moore
* Trombone: Gabrial McNair
* Trumpet: Stephen Bradley

;Technical credits
* Engineering: Andrew Alekel, Angelo Aponte, Julian Chan, Andrew Coleman, Bojan Dugich, Brian Garten, Simon Gogerly, Keith Gretlein, Neil Kanal, Jonathan Merritt, Kevin Mills, Colin Mitchell
* Assistant engineers: Yvon Bling, Alex Dromgoole, Jason Finkel, Hart Gunther, Ryan Kennedy, Kevin Mills, Glenn Pittman, Ian Rossiter, Steve Tolle
* Vocal engineering: Greg Collins
* Orchestra production: Ron Fair
* Production: Akon, Sean Garrett, Nellee Hooper, Tony Kanal, The Neptunes, Mark "Spike" Stent, Swizz Beatz, Giorgio Tuinfort
* Vocal production: Greg Collins
* Programming: Akon, Neil Kanal, Tony Kanal, Aidan Love, Ewan Pearson, Giorgio Tuinfort
* Mixing: Pete Davis, Mark "Spike" Stent, Phil Tan, Richard Travali
* Mastering: Brian Gardener
* A&R: Trinka Baggetta, Jimmy Iovine, Mark Williams
* Photography: Cindy Cooper, Nicole Frantz, Jill Greenberg
* Art and layout direction: Jolie Clemens
* Art and package coordination: Cindy Cooper, Nicole Frantz

References

External links

* [http://www.gwenstefani.com/ Gwen Stefani] - official website.
* [http://www.thesweetescape.co.uk Official UK website for The Sweet Escape]
* [http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/stefanigwen/sweetescape Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape (2006): Reviews] at Metacritic