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The Sweet Escape (song)

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"The Sweet Escape"
Song

"The Sweet Escape" is a pop song written by Gwen Stefani, featured artist Akon and Giorgio Tuinfort for Stefani's second solo album The Sweet Escape (2006). The song was released as the album's second single in early 2007 (see 2007 in music). It has peaked inside the top twenty on most charts and reached number one in New Zealand. The song is also Stefani's most successful single to date, spending 6 weeks at number one on the United World Chart. A remix of the song was created called "The Sweet Escape (Konvict Remix)".

Stefani told MTV that the song "puts me on the yellow brick road to the No Doubt record I might do. I can smell it. 'Sweet Escape' and some other melodies remind me of the No Doubt feeling."[1]

On March 27 Stefani was a mentor to American Idol contestants; and on the 28th she performed "The Sweet Escape" with Akon.

Critical reception

Template:Sound sample box align left Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end

"The Sweet Escape" was generally well-received by critics. In a review for Billboard, Chuck Taylor wrote that the song "neatly rides the line between being hip enough to keep the kids' attention" and added that it exudes "the full fragrance of an across-the-board hit."[2] Bill Lamb of About.com called the song "a welcome change from the over-produced 'Wind It Up'," but said that it "easily jets in one ear and out the other leaving little trace of its presence."[3] MuchMusic referred to the song as "incredibly intoxicating".[4]

Chart performance

Although "The Sweet Escape" was released as the second single in 2007, it had been sent to radio as early as "Wind It Up" (2006). It debuted on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart at number ninety-three in December 2006.[5] In early February 2007 the song reached the top ten, rising in one week from number nineteen to number six,[6] and has since peaked at number two after an increase in downloads.[7]The song spent 5 weeks in Top 5. In Canada the song debuted at number eighty-six on the BDS Airplay Chart, on which it has reached number two.[8] In the UK, the song debuted based on downloads a month before its physical release, and peaked at number two, her highest-charting single there.[9] The song has charted strongly across the world, including a number-one debut in New Zealand.[10]. It has also reached the summit of the United World Chart.

Music video

File:TheSweetEscapeVideo.jpg
Most of the video takes place in a prison cell made of gold.

The song's music video was directed by Joseph Kahn and premiered on January 10 2007 on LAUNCHcast. The video features Stefani in jail (an allusion to Akon's recent 'Konvict' image), and the Harajuku Girls are once again prominent in this video. Stefani and the dancers then escape with help from featured artist Akon. The video, filled with images of gold, contains allusions to the "Rapunzel" fairy tale as well as a prominent featuring 2 GM vehicles, a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe and a Buick Lucerne police car. In another version of the video, the Chevrolet symbol is replaced with Stefani's "G" symbol that is featured on many other objects through out the video, however there isn't a Ford Escape


"The Sweet Escape" premiered on MTV's top-ten video chart program Total Request Live on January 16 2007,[11] on which it has since peaked at number two.[11] After its January 20 debut on MuchMusic's Countdown, it reached number one for two weeks, from March 23.[12]

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "The Sweet Escape".

  • Australian CD single
  1. "The Sweet Escape (Album Version)"
  2. "Hollaback Girl" (Harajuku Lovers Live version)
  3. "Wind It Up" (Robots to Mars remix)
  4. "The Sweet Escape" (Video)
  • USA CD single
  1. "The Sweet Escape (Album Version)"
  2. "The Sweet Escape (Konvict remix)"
  3. "Hollaback Girl (Harajuku Lovers Live version)
  4. "Wind It Up (Robots to Mars remix)"
  5. "The Sweet Escape (Video)"

Credits and personnel

Charts

Preceded by New Zealand number-one single
March 5 2007 - March 12 2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by United World Chart number-one single
March 10 2007 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by Euro Top 20 number-one single
March 12 2007 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by Billboard Pop 100 number one single
April 14 2007 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by Billboard Hot Digital Songs number one single
April 14 2007 		Succeeded by
incumbent

References

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ Taylor, Chuck. "The Sweet Escape". Billboard. January 6, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
  3. ^ "Gwen Stefani featuring Akon - The Sweet Escape". About.com. Retrieved January 12 2007.
  4. ^ Video on Trial. MuchMusic programming. Original airdate: February 5 2007. Retrieved February 9 2007.
  5. ^ Jonathan Cohen, "Beyonce Begins Third Week Atop The Hot 100", Billboard.com, December 21, 2006.
  6. ^ Katie Hasty, "Beyonce Stays Ahead Of Fall Out Boy Atop Hot 100", Billboard.com, February 1, 2007.
  7. ^ Katie Hasty, "Mims Puts The 'Hot' In The Hot 100 At No. 1", Billboard.com, March 1, 2007.
  8. ^ "Jam Canoe". Canadian airplay and sales charts. Retrieved February 3 2007.
  9. ^ "BBC: The Official UK Charts Company". United Kingdom sales chart. Retrieved February 3 2007.
  10. ^ "New Zealand Top 40 (10/2007)". Music Square. Retrieved March 17, 2007.
  11. ^ a b "The TRL Archive — Debuts". PopFusion. Retrieved January 30 2007.
  12. ^ Countdown. MuchMusic programming. Retrieved February 2 2007.
  13. ^ Ariacharts.com
  14. ^ [1]
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  19. ^ Ariacharts.com
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