"Luxurious" | ||||
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Single by Gwen Stefani featuring Slim Thug | ||||
from the album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. | ||||
Released | October 11, 2005 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 4:24 | |||
Label | Interscope | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Gwen Stefani singles chronology | ||||
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Slim Thug singles chronology | ||||
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"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".
In addition to the Isley Brothers sample, the song features use of keyboards, synthesizers, and electric guitars. "Luxurious" is a R&B ballad whose lyrics describe the persona's desire to be rich in love, simultaneously comparing her lover with luxuries. The song also features Stefani's then-husband Gavin Rossdale who opens the song in French.
The song was released as the album's fifth single in October 2005 along with a remix featuring rapper Slim Thug. A music video was also released which featured Slim Thug, as well as the Harajuku Girls. The track received mixed reviews from critics, who generally found it less impressive than the previous singles. It charted within the top 40 in several countries, but had mediocre success overall and was less popular than the previous singles from Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Stefani had an emotional breakdown from difficulties collaborating with many other artists and songwriters, so No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal invited her to his house. [1] Kanal had been working on a track, which later became "Crash", the sixth single from the album. [2] However, the two were unable to write anything following that, because they had differing ideas of how the music should sound. [1] Stefani commented that "it was just frustrating and embarrassing to sit there and think we could write songs." [2] Six months later, the two returned to work and came up with the beginnings of a song while working in Kanal's bedroom. [2] [3] The two experimented with combining various melodies and including what Stefani referred to as "this really kinda fast rappy part". [3] This was the last song she and Kanal wrote together for the album. [4]
After Stefani and Kanal finished writing "Luxurious", they visited record producer Nellee Hooper, who suggested a sample of the Isley Brothers' 1983 song "Between the Sheets". The song had previously been sampled in several songs such as Da Brat's "Funkdafied", Jim Jones' "Summer wit Miami", Keith Murray's "The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World", The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Big Poppa", and Whitney Houston's "One of Those Days". Stefani was reluctant to use the sample because it would mean losing some of the publishing rights to the song. Nevertheless, she decided to use it because "it sounded so amazing and meant to be". [3]
"Luxurious" is an R&B ballad, [5] whose instrumentation consists of keyboards and synthesizers. [6] It is written in common time in the key of A minor. The song uses a descending i-vii-VI-V chord progression. [7] The lyrics of the song include descriptions of wealth and riches, what one reviewer called "a world of Egyptian cotton, cashmere, tuberoses, and, of course, diamonds". [8] Stefani stated that "[the] song really is more about a love relationship. If you really listen to the lyrics, it has nothing to do with money or luxury. It has to do with love, being rich in love. I just wanted to think of a clever way to express how you have to work really hard for the rewards of that." [3] The single version of the song contains an additional verse from rapper Slim Thug for release to urban radio and clubs. [9]
The song begins with Stefani's then-husband Gavin Rossdale speaking in French [6] and then leads into the first verse. The lyrics describe Stefani talking about "flying first class" and "livin' like a queen". She talks about being luxuriously in love and calls her lover Limousine and Treasure Chest. She talks about the increasing passion between her and her partner, and says, "Our passion it just multiplies" and "got in the fifth gear, baby". In the chorus she tells that love is getting expensive and she and her partner have to work hard night and day to be rich in love, and after working hard, when they lay back together, they get the payback. After the second verse, the song gets slower and Stefani repeats "Cha-ching, cha-ching" four times alternated with lines talking about getting "hooked up with the love" and "hydroponic love". The song ends with Rossdale speaking more lines in French. [6]
"Luxurious" received mixed reviews from music critics. Bill Lamb of About.com commented, "If Madonna is wishing to pass on her 'Material Girl' title, Gwen Stefani is happy to wear it proudly", but noted that "[t]hings are wearing a little thin, and this song doesn't have the striking impact of 'Rich Girl' or 'Hollaback Girl'." [8] Sam Shepherd of musicOMH agreed, writing that "'Luxurious' is by no means a bad song, but it is pretty ordinary when compared to the songs that have preceded it." [10] PopMatters' Jason Damas found the track uninteresting and stated that Rossdale's appearance "sounds like a blinged-out Saint Etienne". [11] Alex Lai from Contactmusic.com called Stefani's performance "as seductive as ever, and the production extremely polished, but it lacks the infectiousness of her other releases"; he found Slim Thug's remix unnecessary and viewed the single's release as "a money-spinning exercise". [12]
Laura Heaps from MyVillage agreed, stating that the single "just doesn't stand out" and that Stefani "doesn't do hip hop as well as she does quirky pop", [9] and Playlouder's Richard Smirke described the track as a "sickly sweet R&B ballad". [5] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called the lyrics "surprisingly sharp"; [13] Nick Sylvester of Pitchfork Media disagreed, dubbing the song a "soulless Nellee Hooper 90s R&B vanity affair" and a "zombied buy- LAMB -clothing mantra". [14] In August 2013, Complex magazine placed "Luxurious" at number 19 on its list of "The Best R&B Songs by White Singers in the 2000s". [15]
In the United States, "Luxurious" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 80 on the issue dated November 5, 2005. [16] It failed to reach the top 20, peaking at number 21 five weeks later, and remained on the chart for 20 weeks. [17] It performed better on the pop-oriented charts, reaching number three on the Pop 100 chart, number 10 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart, and number 37 on the Adult Top 40 chart. [18] [19] [20] The track also had some crossover success, charting at number nine on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart and number 33 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. [21] [22] In Canada, the single was released to radio on October 25, 2005, peaking at number 10 on the Canadian Singles Chart in its sixth week on the chart. [23]
The song was released on December 5, 2005, in the United Kingdom and Australia. [24] [25] It received very little promotion in the UK and continued the trend of Stefani's lower-charting singles since "Hollaback Girl" when it debuted at number 44 on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks on the chart. [26] The single performed similarly throughout Europe, where it reached the top 40 in Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, but generally did not reach the top 30. [27] It did particularly well in Finland, where it charted at number two, becoming the highest-peaking single of Stefani's solo career in that country, although it spent only two weeks on the chart. [28] Stefani's previous four singles had been successful in Australia, where all reached the top 10; however, "Luxurious" did not reach the top 20 and reached a peak of number 25. [29] In New Zealand, "Luxurious" was moderately successful, where it reached number 17 but stayed on the chart for only 10 weeks. [30]
The music video for "Luxurious" was directed by Sophie Muller. In the video, Stefani plays a chola in high school. [3] Then Stefani, accompanied by her Harajuku Girls, receive a manicure at a beauty salon while various couples kiss in their seats and check their cellphones. In the next sequence, she's styling her hair and applying cosmetics in front of a mirror while her roommates along with the Harajuku girls dance behind her and a couple makeout on the bed. She then applies rhinestones near her eyes, lip-liner, mascara and shows off gold jewelry with her name carved on it. During his rap, Slim Thug appears in sequences with either Stefani or two Harajuku Girls. It concludes with Stefani joining her friends in a block party, where they celebrate with breakdancing and a barbecue. The video is intercut with sequences of Stefani breaking open piñatas and lying on a candy-covered floor, styled in a fashion resembling Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. [31]
Stefani had generally developed music video concepts while writing the song, but since she had not expected "Luxurious" to become a single, she had not given much thought to a music video for the song. The image she had for her persona was a high school girl named Mercedes, who she described as "very inspiring": [3]
She's this total like chola girl, white face, and she used to sit in class and put on tons of makeup. And I used to just watch her, mesmerized. And she would just wear this dark liner and this red lipstick and she had this safety pin and she'd be picking her eyelashes apart. She hadn't taken that mascara off for months. [3]
Stefani called Muller, who had directed several videos for Stefani and No Doubt, to direct the music video. Muller did not understand Stefani's vision for the video, so Stefani became involved in developing ideas for the video. [3]
The video had limited success on music video programs. On MTV's Total Request Live , the video debuted on October 25, 2005, at number 10. [32] It peaked at number seven and left the countdown after only five days. [33] After its October 21 debut on MuchMusic's Countdown , it peaked nine weeks later at number 11, remaining on the chart for 13 weeks. [34] The video was featured on an episode of MuchMusic's Video on Trial , where the reviewers found it a superficial attempt to market to various races. [35]
Some vinyl copies accidentally have the Slim Thug remix twice on side A.
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Love. Angel. Music. Baby. [6]
Chart (2005–2006) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [29] | 25 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [36] | 66 |
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [27] | 6 |
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia) [37] | 8 |
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [23] | 10 |
Canada CHR/Pop Top 30 ( Radio & Records ) [38] | 7 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [28] | 2 |
Germany (GfK) [39] | 65 |
Greece (IFPI Greece) [40] | 14 |
Ireland (IRMA) [41] | 34 |
Italy (FIMI) [42] | 31 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [43] | 31 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [30] | 17 |
Scotland (OCC) [44] | 51 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [45] | 39 |
UK Singles (OCC) [26] | 44 |
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [46] | 7 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [17] | 21 |
US Adult Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [20] | 37 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [22] | 33 |
US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [19] | 10 |
US Pop 100 ( Billboard ) [18] | 13 |
US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [21] | 9 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
New Zealand (RMNZ) [47] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [48] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | October 11, 2005 | Contemporary hit radio | Interscope | [49] |
Australia | December 5, 2005 | CD | Universal Music Australia | [50] |
United Kingdom | Interscope | [51] |
Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. She is a co-founder and lead vocalist 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.
"Don't Speak" is a song by American rock band No Doubt, featured on their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). Released as the album's third single in April 1996 by Interscope Records, the song was initially written as a love song by lead singer Gwen Stefani and her brother, former band member Eric Stefani. However, after several revisions, Gwen reworked the lyrics into a breakup song, reflecting the end of her seven-year relationship with bandmate Tony Kanal.
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.
"Spiderwebs" is a song by American band No Doubt from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was written by Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal, produced by Matthew Wilder, and released as the album's second single in 1996. "Spiderwebs" appears on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Stefani was inspired to write the song after an admirer recited bad poetry to her. "Spiderwebs" is a ska punk song with angsty lyrics responding to Stefani's potential suitors.
"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.
"Just a Girl" is a song by American band No Doubt from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). Released as the record's lead single in the United States on September 21, 1995, it was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, and produced by Matthew Wilder. It has also made an appearance on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Lyrically, "Just a Girl" is about Stefani's perspective of life as a woman and her struggles with having strict parents. "Just a Girl" was the first song Stefani wrote without the assistance of her brother Eric.
"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.
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"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.
Running is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their fifth studio album, Rock Steady (2001). Written by band members Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal, the song was released as the album's fourth and final single on January 27, 2003, by Interscope Records. The song was also used in the final episode of the American television series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch in 2003.
"Bathwater" is a ska punk song written by Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal, and Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth studio album Return of Saturn (2000). It was released as the album's fourth and final single on November 14, 2000.
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American singer Gwen Stefani has released five studio albums, two extended plays, 37 singles, six promotional singles, one video album, and 28 music videos. She has sold more than 60 million records worldwide. 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.
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"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.
"Misery" is a song recorded by American singer Gwen Stefani for her third solo studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). Initially released as a promotional single, it became the record's third and final single on May 23, 2016, when it was sent to hot adult contemporary radio. Stefani co-wrote the song with Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels, Mattias Larsson, and Robin Frediksson, with the latter two serving as the producers. An electropop song, "Misery" uses digital hand clapping and an upbeat samba to produce a futuristic-sounding melody. The lyrics describe a lover who has recently started a relationship and is confused over what to think about it. Several critics drew comparisons between these lyrics to Stefani's personal and romantic life with her boyfriend, Blake Shelton.
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