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The Sweet Escape

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This article is about the album. For the song, see The Sweet Escape (song).
Untitled

The Sweet Escape is the second solo studio 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 mixed 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.

Album information

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.[4] 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.[5] However, Pharrell Williams, with whom she had collaborated to write "Hollaback Girl", convinced Stefani to create "a L.A.M.B. part two",[5] and the two recorded several songs during sessions in Miami, Florida in July 2005.[6]

The two produced "Wind It Up", "Orange County Girl","U Started It", "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.[7] She included performances of "Wind It Up" and "Orange County Girl" when she embarked on the Harajuku Lovers Tour in October 2005.[8] Stefani put the project on hold in December 2005 when she discovered that she was pregnant,[9] but returned to the studio in August 2006.[10] The album's working title was Candyland, sharing its name with a never-released track that has only been looped via her fashion show soundtrack. 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.[11]

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.[12] 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."[13]

Gwen Stefani's appearance on the album cover is inspired by that of Elvira Hancock, a coke whore portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1983 film Scarface. Stefani first gained inspiration for the style while shooting the music video for "Cool" in Lake Como, Italy. 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.[14] The pair of oversized sunglasses on the album cover is intended to represent her "guarded exterior", and the other images symbolize her various emotions.[15]

In the album features Gwen Stefani's first "Parental Advisory" sticker in her solo career.

Critical response

The Sweet Escape received mixed responses from critics.[16] 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."[17] 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."[18] 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".[19] 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."[20] Paul Flynn of The Observer, however, characterized the album as less interesting than Fergie's The Dutchess and Nelly Furtado's Loose.[21]

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".[22] 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."[23] 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."[24] 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."[25] 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."[26]

Track listing

# Title Writers Producer Time
1. "Wind It Up" Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams The Neptunes 3:09
2. "The Sweet Escape" (with Akon) Akon, Stefani, Giorgio Tuinfort Akon 4:06
3. "Orange County Girl" Stefani, Williams The Neptunes 3:23
4. "Early Winter" Tim Rice-Oxley, Stefani Nellee Hooper 4:44
5. "Now That You Got It" Sean Garrett, Stefani Swizz Beatz 2:59
6. "4 in the Morning" Tony Kanal, Stefani Kanal 4:51
7. "Yummy" (with Pharrell) Stefani, Williams The Neptunes 4:57
8. "Fluorescent" Kanal, Stefani Kanal 4:18
9. "Breakin' Up" Stefani, Williams The Neptunes 3:46
10. "Don't Get It Twisted" Kanal, Stefani Kanal 3:37
11. "U Started It" Stefani, Williams The Neptunes 3:08
12. "Wonderful Life" Linda Perry, Stefani Hooper 4:09
Bonus tracks
  • "Wind It Up" (Harajuku Lovers Live Version) - 3:26 (non-U.S. Editions/iTunes bonus track)
  • "Wind It Up" (Harajuku Lovers Live Video) (iTunes bonus track/Japanese edition)
  • "Wind It Up" (Original Neptunes Mix) - 3:05 (iTunes bonus track/Japanese edition)
  • "Orange County Girl" (Harajuku Lovers Live Video) (non-U.S. editions)

Sales

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,[27] It sold another 149,000 copies were sold during its second week, falling to number fourteen.[28] The record has since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[29] The Canadian Recording Industry Association certified The Sweet Escape platinum before the album's release,[30] and double platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association in March 2007.[31]

In the United Kingdom, the album was certified gold within three weeks of its release,[32] and peaked at number fourteen in March 2007.[33] 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.[33] The Sweet Escape reached number two for two consecutive weeks on the ARIA Albums Chart,[33] and the Australian Recording Industry Association certified it double platinum.[34]

Certifications

Chart Provider(s) Certification Sales/shipments
Australian ARIA Albums Chart[35] ARIA 2× Platinum[36] 140,000+
Canadian Albums Chart Nielsen SoundScan 2× Platinum[37] 200,000+
German Albums Chart IFPI Gold[38] 100,000+
Hungarian Albums Chart MAHASZ Gold[39] 7,500
Japan Oricon Album Chart RIAJ Gold[40] 100,000+
New Zealand Albums Chart[41] RIANZ Platinum[42] 15,000+
Polish Music Charts[43] ZPAV Gold[44] 35,000+
Russian Top 25[45] 2× Platinum[46] 40,000+
Swiss Albums Chart[47] IFPI Gold[48] 15,000+
UK Albums Chart[49] BPI
U.S. Billboard 200 Nielsen SoundScan Platinum[50] 1,000,000+

Charts

Personnel

Performance credits
Technical credits

References

  1. ^ http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=385929
  2. ^ http://www.juno.co.uk/ppps/products/300155-01.htm
  3. ^ http://991.com/Buy/ProductInformation.aspx?StockNumber=385929
  4. ^ "No Doubt 'will return'". NME. 10 November 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2007.
  5. ^ a b Vineyard, Jennifer; Pak, SuChin; and Reid, Shaheem. "Gwen Cheats On Gavin To Make Family-Affair LP With Pharrell". MTV News. 11 November 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2007.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer. "Gwen Stefani's New LP, The Sweet Escape, Set For December". MTV News. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  8. ^ Stevenson, Jane. "Air Canada Centre, Toronto - December 9, 2005". Toronto Sun. Retrieved from Jam! 13 May 2007.
  9. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer. "Gwen Stefani Confirms Pregnancy While Onstage In Florida". MTV News. 24 December 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2007.
  10. ^ Salmon, Chris. "'I just want to make music and babies'". The Guardian. 2 March 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007.
  11. ^ Swift, Jacqui. "Has Gwen really got it all?". The Sun. 23 February 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
  12. ^ Glaister, Dan. "Critics call foul over LA exhibition". The Guardian. 26 July 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  13. ^ Doherty, Mike. "The thrills are alive: Gwen Stefani's new disc". National Post. 5 December 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  14. ^ Collins, Clark. "Holla Back". Entertainment Weekly. 22 November 2006. Retrieved 23 May 2007.
  15. ^ Stefani, Gwen. "FAQs". Universal Music Group. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  16. ^ Wener, Ben. "Pop Life: A critic gets locked out". OC Weekly. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  17. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, The Sweet Escape review, allmusic.com.
  18. ^ Miller, Alex. "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". NME. 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  19. ^ Sia Michel, The Sweet Escape review, ew.com, December 1, 2006.
  20. ^ Pytlik, Mark. "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". Pitchfork Media. 7 December 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  21. ^ Flynn, Paul. "Gwen Stefani, The Sweet Escape". The Observer. 10 December 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  22. ^ Sal Cinquemani, The Sweet Escape review, Slant Magazine.
  23. ^ Sheffield, Rob. "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  24. ^ Pareles, Jon. "Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape". The New York Times. 4 December 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
  25. ^ Sullivan, Caroline. "Gwen Stefani, The Sweet Escape". The Guardian. 1 December 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
  26. ^ Huff, Quentin. "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". PopMatters. 14 December 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
  27. ^ Hasty, Katie. "Ciara, Eminem, Stefani Overtake The Billboard 200". Billboard. 13 December 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  28. ^ Cohen, Jonathan. "Young Jeezy, Hicks Enter Atop The Billboard 200". Billboard. 20 December 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  29. ^ Nixon, Chris. "Stefani peddles sweet escapism". The Orange County Register. 24 April 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  30. ^ "Gold & Platinum - November 2006". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  31. ^ "Gold & Platinum - March 2007". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  32. ^ "Platinum Awards Content". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  33. ^ a b c "Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape - Music Charts". αCharts.us. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
  34. ^ "ARIA Charts - Album Charts". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 8 June 2007.
  35. ^ ARIA Albums Chart
  36. ^ [1]
  37. ^ [2]
  38. ^ [3]
  39. ^ [4]
  40. ^ [5]
  41. ^ New Zealand albums chart!
  42. ^ "RIANZ". RIANZ. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  43. ^ Polish albums chart!
  44. ^ [6]
  45. ^ [7]
  46. ^ [8]
  47. ^ Swiss albums chart
  48. ^ [9]
  49. ^ UK Albums Chart
  50. ^ [10]
  51. ^ "Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape - Music Charts". αCharts.us. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
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