4 in the Morning.html



“4 in the Morning”
Single by Gwen Stefani from the album The Sweet Escape
Released	June 21, 2007 (2007-06-21) (See release history)
Recorded	2006
Genre	Synthpop
Length	4:51 (album version) 4:27 (radio edit)
Label	Interscope
Writer(s)	Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal
Producer	Tony Kanal
Gwen Stefani singles chronology
"The Sweet Escape" (2007) "4 in the Morning" (2007) "Now That You Got It" (2007)

"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.¹

Background and writing

Stefani began working with No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal just after finishing the Harajuku Lovers Tour in 2005, referring to him as her "comfort zone". The two wrote "4 in the Morning" based on a tape of melodies left from working on Stefani's previous album Love. Angel. Music. Baby (2004). It is based on ballads such as Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly with His Song" and Billy Idol's "Eyes Without a Face".²

Critical reception

"4 in the Morning" was generally well-received by contemporary pop music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic called it "coolly sensual",³ and PopMatters referred to it as one of the "few real compositions" from the album.⁴ NME called the song "an expertly conceived tear-jerker", stating that "it feels like the kind of song a teenage Stefani, miming along to Talk Talk, would have dreamt of singing one day."⁵ Pitchfork Media, however, disapproved of the song, stating that it destroyed "the mallpop cred that Stefani accrued with L.A.M.B.'s impeccable 'Cool'."⁶ Chuck Taylor compared the song to the soundtrack to the 1983 film Flashdance and commented that "we truly respect Stefani in the 'Morning.'"⁷ Bill Lamb from About.com called the song "the best song from…The Sweet Escape."⁸

Music video

Stefani singing while lying on the bed.

The music video was directed by Sophie Muller and features a tearful and distraught Stefani, lying in bed as she begins to sing to the camera. In a white inside out L.A.M.B. T-shirt, she wanders around her apartment lost and questioning her lover, who is in fact absent from the video. The lyrics describe an argument, which she has with an off-screen lover throughout the video.⁹ After lying around her apartment and crying during a bath, she leaves her house and travels in a car, as she sits tearfully in the back. The video ends with Stefani rolling on the bed.

"4 in the Morning" was given a "First Look" on MTV's Total Request Live on April 27 and has peaked at number seven. On MuchMusic's Countdown, it became Stefani's second least-successful charting video (next to Early Winter which peaked at #23 on the MuchMusic Countdown since "Luxurious" (2005), peaking at number seven for two consecutive weeks after a slow ascent.¹⁰

Track listings

CD single

1. "4 in the Morning" (Album Version) -4:51
2. "4 in the Morning" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Edit) -4:55
3. "4 in the Morning" (Oscar the Punk Remix) -5:43
4. "4 in the Morning" (Music Video) -4:24

CD Promo/12" Promo

1. "4 in the Morning" Thin White Duke Mix - 7:01
2. "4 in the Morning" Album Version 4:51
3. "4 in the Morning" Thin White Duke Dub - 7:29
4. "4 in the Morning" Thin White Duke Edit - 4:55

Chart performance

"4 in the Morning" was commercially unsuccessful in the United States. It peaked at number fifty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Stefani's lowest charting American single until "Now That You Got It".¹¹ It was somewhat more successful in the mainstream market, reaching number thirty on the Pop 100 and the top twenty of the Top 40 Mainstream and Pop 100 Airplay charts.¹² The song was successful at the clubs and reached number two on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play¹³ The single was more successful on the Canadian Hot 100, where it peaked at number seven.¹⁴

The song was more successful outside of North America. It peaked at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart and remained on the chart for eight weeks. It fared somewhat better across Europe, reaching the top fifteen in Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway, the top twenty in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland ant the top five in Romania. The song debuted at number nine on the ARIA Singles Chart but was unable to reach a higher position, and it peaked at number five on the New Zealand Singles Chart.¹⁴ The song was ranked #17 in Romanian Top 100 Year-End Chart.¹⁵

Charts

Stefani performing "4 in the Morning".

Release history

References

External links

• Gwen Stefani's official site
  • "4 in the Morning" lyrics
  • The Sweet Escape audio
• "4 in the Morning" at YouTube