"Cool" | ||||
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Single by Gwen Stefani | ||||
from the album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. | ||||
Released | July 5, 2005 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 3:09 | |||
Label | Interscope | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Gwen Stefani singles chronology | ||||
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"Cool" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). Written by Stefani and Dallas Austin, the song was released as the fourth single from the album on July 5, 2005. The song's musical style and production were inspired by synth-pop and new wave arrangements from the 1980s, and its lyrics chronicle a relationship in which two lovers have separated, but remain "cool" with each other as good friends.
"Cool" received generally positive reviews from music critics, being compared to Cyndi Lauper and Madonna songs from the 1980s. The media have drawn parallels between the song's lyrical content and the romantic relationship that Stefani had with Tony Kanal, a fellow band member of No Doubt. "Cool" was moderately successful on the charts around the world, peaking within the top 10 in Australia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and New Zealand, as well as the top 20 in Denmark, Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The accompanying music video for "Cool" was directed by Sophie Muller and filmed in Lake Como, Italy. The video features many flashbacks to when Stefani and her former boyfriend were dating. It is implied that whilst Gwen accepts the new relationship her ex-partner is in, she looks back with nostalgia and regret. "Cool" was included on the setlist for Stefani's debut solo tour Harajuku Lovers Tour and its accompanying video album, as well as in the 2006 comedies Last Holiday and Click and the 2010 drama Somewhere . [1]
After listening to No Doubt's 2002 single "Underneath It All", Austin commented that he was trying to write his version of No Doubt's 2000 single "Simple Kind of Life", but he was unable to finish the song. [2] He originally wrote the song for Christina Aguilera [3] [4] and TLC. However, Austin felt reluctant to give the song to TLC after breaking up with group member Chilli and wrote "Damaged" for them instead. [5] He asked Stefani to help with the lyrics. [2] [6] During a studio session together, they finished "Cool" in 15 minutes. Stefani commented, "When he told me about the track and where it came from for him, it just triggered something in me." [6] The lyrics of "Cool" reflect Stefani's previous relationship with No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal, [6] [7] and is considered somewhat of a follow-up to No Doubt's 1996 single "Don't Speak". The earlier song is about the heartbreak of the couple's seven-year relationship ending, [8] while "Cool" presents an amicable friendship between the pair, and explains that after the years that have passed and everything they have been through, they have reached a place where they are comfortable with each other and that they still remain very good friends. [6] Stefani said that she had never intended to include personal material on Love. Angel. Music. Baby., and commented, "but no matter what you do, things just come out. It just ended this whole thing for me in my head and it puts an end to a chapter in a really nice way." [6]
"Cool" is a mid-tempo love song featuring a synth-pop and new wave production. [9] The song is composed in D major. [10] It is written in common time, it moves at a moderate tempo of 112 beats per minute, and it has a vocal range from the low note of F♯3 to the high note of C♯5. [10] The song is written in the common verse-chorus form, [10] featuring five instruments: bass guitar, drums, guitar, keyboards and synthesizer. [11] "Cool" opens with all five instruments, and as Stefani begins singing, the synthesizer is lowered, and the hard-hitting drum beat steadily increases in volume. [10] She performs her highest pitch (C♯5) during the chorus, after which she sings in a softer, almost sotto voce , and her lowest pitch (E3) at the beginning of the verses. [10] The synthesizer emulates brass and woodwind instruments, while the bass and guitar retain a prominent and regular eighth note pulse, using a I–IV–V chord progression for the verses. In the percussion section a drum kit is used and the snare is introduced at the beginning of the first chorus, which maintains its beat. During the song's fade-out, Stefani repeats "I know we're cool" and "yeah", and she occasionally emphasizes "cool". Her vocal range covers close to two octaves. [10]
"Cool" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Jennifer Nine from Yahoo! Music referred to the song as "a liltingly sweet paean to post-break-up friendships", [12] while Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called it a "high school anthem-in-waiting" theme; it also was selected as one of the album's highlights. [13] Richard Smirke from Playlouder commented that the song successfully used the same production formula as fellow album tracks "Serious" and "What You Waiting For?", and described it as a "crisp blend of edgy 21C production and early 80s Madonna-esque pop". [14] Jason Damas, in a review for PopMatters , characterized it as "a slippery slice of keyboard" New Wave song referring to it as a "pitched halfway between The Go-Go's and Cyndi Lauper". [15]
Eric Greenwood from Drawer B called "Cool" "a retrofitted [song] with stale synths and chugging guitars" with "dorkier lyrics than even Cyndi Lauper would dare". [16] Sandy Cohen from the Toronto Star called it "the year's love anthem". [2] Entertainment Weekly reviewer David Browne described Stefani in "Cool", and in another song from the album ("The Real Thing"), as "a glacial '80s synthpop zombie". [9] Krissi Murison from NME found Stefani's performance reminiscent of "Madonna's breathless purr". [17] John Murphy wrote for musicOMH that "Cool" would remind No Doubt fans of "Don't Speak". [18] Blender editors ranked "Cool" at number 45 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Songs of 2005". [19]
In the United States, "Cool" debuted at number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the issue dated July 16, 2005. [20] The next week it rose to number 64, [21] and it reached its peak position of number 13 on September 3, 2005. [22] On other Billboard charts, the single topped the Dance Club Songs chart, reached number four on the Adult Top 40 chart and number nine on the Pop 100 chart. [23] In Australia, "Cool" debuted and peaked at number ten on September 11, 2005, dropping off the chart on November 13, 2005, at number 49. [24] In New Zealand, "Cool" became the second-highest debut of the week ending September 5, 2005, at number 11. [25] It rose to its peak position of number nine the following week, becoming her fifth consecutive top-ten in the country. [26]
In European countries "Cool" performed moderately, reaching the top 40 in most of them. In the Czech Republic, "Cool" entered the Rádio – Top 100 chart at number 12, achieving its peak position of number ten in its tenth week. [27] In Italy, it debuted at number 16 on September 22, 2005, peaking at number 15 the week after. [28] In Norway, "Cool" debuted at number 18 on the VG-lista chart, climbing to number 16 the following week. [29] In Ireland, "Cool" debuted and peaked at number 12 on the Irish Singles Chart during the week ending September 1, 2005. [30] In the United Kingdom, "Cool" debuted and peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart for the week of September 4, 2005, spending 10 weeks on the chart. [31] In Austria, "Cool" debuted at number 31 on September 11, 2005. Four weeks later, the single reached its peak position of number 15 and was last seen on December 16, 2005, after 15 weeks. [32]
The accompanying music video for "Cool" was directed by Sophie Muller and filmed in Lake Como, Italy. [33] "It was obvious I was gonna ask her to do it", Stefani stated in an interview with VH1's Box Set. [34] The video follows the song's theme and depicts the relationship that Stefani has with a former boyfriend, who is played by Spanish actor Daniel González. González and his new girlfriend, played by Tony Kanal's then-girlfriend and now-wife, Erin Lokitz, are shown walking up to a villa where Stefani answers the door. [34] The villa featured in the video is the Villa Erba in the town of Cernobbio, [35] which Stefani said was "so beautiful". [34] The three of them are seen in each other's company, with intercut scenes of Stefani singing on a bed. There are flashbacks to the time when Stefani and her former boyfriend were dating, where she has brunette hair. Flashbacks and present day images are linked with match cut cinematography. The lyrical theme of "Cool" is maintained in the video; frames are incorporated to portray Stefani feeling "cool". She is depicted as "cool" with her former boyfriend and his girlfriend throughout most of the video.
The video for "Cool" premiered on MTV's top-ten chart program Total Request Live on June 30, 2005, where it reached number three. [36] After its July 8, 2005, debut on MuchMusic's Countdown , it reached number one for the week of October 8, 2005. [37]
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Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Love. Angel. Music. Baby. [11]
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Weekly charts | Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI) [75] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [76] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref(s). |
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United States | July 5, 2005 | Contemporary hit radio | Interscope | [77] |
Australia | August 29, 2005 | CD single | [78] | |
France | CD maxi-single | [79] | ||
United Kingdom | [80] | |||
United States | September 13, 2005 | 12-inch single | [81] | |
Germany | September 19, 2005 |
| [82] [83] |
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", and "Don't Speak", from their 1995 breakthrough studio album Tragic Kingdom, as well as "Hey Baby" and "It's My Life" from later albums.
Love. Angel. Music. Baby. is the debut solo studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani, released on November 12, 2004, by Interscope Records. Stefani, who had previously released five studio albums as lead singer of the rock band No Doubt, began recording solo material in early 2003. She began working on Love. Angel. Music. Baby. as a side project that would become a full album after No Doubt went on hiatus. Stefani co-wrote every song on the album, collaborating with various songwriters and producers including André 3000, Dallas Austin, Dr. Dre, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the Neptunes and Linda Perry. The album also features guest appearances by Eve and André 3000.
"What You Waiting For?" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). Written by Stefani and Linda Perry, the song is the album's opening track and was released as Stefani's debut solo single. Lyrically, "What You Waiting For?" details Stefani's lack of inspiration and fear of producing the album, as well as her reaction to pressures exerted by her record label. It is primarily an electropop song and introduces Stefani's four backup dancers, the Harajuku Girls, who had a major input into the album's production.
"Rich Girl" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). Produced by Dr. Dre, the track features American rapper Eve, and is a remake of Louchie Lou & Michie One's 1993 song of the same name, which in turn interpolates the Fiddler on the Roof song "If I Were a Rich Man". The song discusses Stefani's dreams of fame and riches from the perspective of "when she was just an Orange County girl".
"Hollaback Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). It is a hip-hop song that draws influence from 1980s hip-hop and dance music. The song was written by Stefani, Pharrell Williams, and Chad Hugo, with the latter two handling production as the Neptunes. The song was released as the album's third single on March 22, 2005, and was one of the year's most popular songs, peaking inside the top 10 of the majority of the charts it entered. It reached number one in Australia and the United States, where it became the first digital download to sell one million copies.
"Luxurious" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). Written by Stefani and fellow No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal, the track contains a sample of the Isley Brothers' 1983 song "Between the Sheets".
"Can I Have It Like That" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer and rapper Pharrell Williams featuring vocals from American singer Gwen Stefani from the former's 2006 debut album In My Mind and it’s the opening track. The song's hook comes from a one-line contribution from Stefani, used as part of a call and response in the chorus. "Can I Have It Like That" was released as the album's lead single October 10, 2005.
"Crash" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). Written by Stefani and No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal, the song uses automobile metaphors to describe a relationship, and it received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Not originally planned as a single, the song was released as the album's sixth and final single on January 24, 2006, during Stefani's pregnancy.
"Santa Baby" is a song performed by American singer Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer in an attempt to speed up the song's publishing process. Lyrically, the song is a tongue-in-cheek look at a Christmas list addressed to Santa Claus by a woman who wants extravagant gifts such as sables, yachts, and decorations from Tiffany.
The Sweet Escape is the second solo studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani, released on December 1, 2006, by Interscope Records. Having originally intended to return to No Doubt after her debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004), Stefani decided to record a second album as a way to release some of the material left over from the Love. Angel. Music. Baby. 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 Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
"Wind It Up" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani, released as the lead single from her second solo studio album, The Sweet Escape (2006). Originally written for inclusion on Stefani's Harajuku Lovers Tour, the song was later recorded for the album.
American singer Gwen Stefani has released four studio albums, two extended plays, 34 singles, six promotional singles, one video album, and 28 music videos. She has sold more than nine million albums as a solo artist. Stefani is also the lead singer of the rock band No Doubt, with which she has released several albums.
"The Sweet Escape" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her 2006 second solo studio album of the same name. It was written by Stefani, Aliaune "Akon" Thiam and Giorgio Tuinfort, and produced by the latter two. Akon, who is also a featured artist, 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". "The Sweet Escape" 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" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her second studio album, The Sweet Escape (2006). It was written by Stefani and co-written and produced by Tony Kanal, with additional production by Mark "Spike" Stent. Interscope Records serviced the song to US contemporary hit radio on May 8, 2007, as the album's third single; elsewhere it was released in June 2007. Described as one of her favorite songs on the album, Stefani began writing the song while pregnant and finished with Kanal, drawing inspiration from Roberta Flack and Billy Idol records.
"Baby Don't Lie" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani. Written by Stefani, Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco and Noel Zancanella, and produced by Tedder and Blanco, "Baby Don't Lie" is a midtempo electropop and reggae-pop track. The song was made available for digital download on October 20, 2014, and a day later to mainstream radio stations. It served as Stefani's musical comeback as a solo artist; her previous solo single, "Early Winter", was released in January 2008.
"Used to Love You" is a song recorded by American singer Gwen Stefani for her third studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). It was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels, J.R. Rotem and Teal Douville, and produced by Rotem. After scrapping the album and its two singles, "Baby Don't Lie", and "Spark the Fire", in favor to start over, Interscope Records released "Used to Love You" as the album's first official single on October 20, 2015. It was then serviced to mainstream radio on October 27, 2015.
"Make Me Like You" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani for her third solo studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). The record's second single, it was released digitally on February 12, 2016, and distributed to contemporary hit radio on February 16 in the United States by Interscope. Mattias Larsson and Robin Frediksson produced the song, which was co-written by Stefani, Larsson, Frediksson, Justin Tranter, and Julia Michaels. A pop and disco recording, "Make Me Like You" incorporates light rock, with guitars and digital harps over an uptempo melody. The lyrics, which were inspired by Stefani's relationship with singer Blake Shelton, explore finding and renewing love after a fractured relationship.
This Is What the Truth Feels Like is the third studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani. It was released on March 18, 2016, by Interscope Records. Initially, the album was scheduled to be released in December 2014 with Stefani working with a handful of high-profile producers, and Benny Blanco serving as executive producer. However, after the underperformance of her 2014 singles and the writer's block Stefani suffered, she did not feel comfortable curating an album and scrapped the whole record in favor of starting again. The album's release was scheduled after Stefani hinted at it on her Twitter account.
"You Make It Feel Like Christmas" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her fourth studio album of the same name (2017). It features guest vocals from Blake Shelton. The song was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, Shelton and busbee, while production was handled by busbee and Eric Valentine. It was recorded during the summer months, with the song title leaking in August 2017. The song was eventually released for digital download and streaming as the lead single from the album by Interscope on September 22, 2017. It was influenced by popular holiday music from Stefani's childhood and marks Stefani and Shelton's second collaboration following their duet "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" in 2016. A Christmas track, the song includes country and pop music elements, with lyrics describing a romantic holiday season.
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