4 in the Morning
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"4 in the Morning" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her second studio
album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
''
The Sweet Escape ''The Sweet Escape'' is the second studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani. It was 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. ...
'' (2006). It was written by Stefani and co-written and produced by
Tony Kanal Tony Ashwin Kanal (born 27 August 1970) is a British-American musician, record producer, songwriter, and animal rights activist. Kanal is the bassist and co-writer for the American rock bands No Doubt and Dreamcar. His musical work outside of t ...
, with additional production by
Mark "Spike" Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed She ...
. Interscope Records serviced the song to US contemporary hit radio on May 8, 2007, as the album's third
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
; 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 Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", "Wher ...
and
Billy Idol William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British-American singer, songwriter, and musician. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer o ...
records. A 1980s-inspired mid-
tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
synthpop
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
, "4 in the Morning" features a light
keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
during its intro through its break, a guitar, synthetic strings and a slick sheen. Lyrically, the song talks about a relationship on the edge, with the protagonist trying to save her love. "4 in the Morning" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who noted it as an improvement over her last singles, while praising its tempo and highlighting her vocals. "4 in the Morning" failed to replicate the commercial success of previous singles in the United States, peaking at number 54 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was moderately successful elsewhere, peaking within the top-ten in Australia and New Zealand, and the top 20 in several European countries. Its accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
was directed by Stefani's longtime collaborator
Sophie Muller Sophie Luise Elisabeth Muller (born 31 January 1962) is a British music video director who has directed more than 300 music videos. She won a Grammy Award for Annie Lennox's 1992 '' Diva'' video album, and an MTV Video Music Award for Lennox's so ...
, and features Stefani lying in bed and walking around her apartment while performing the song in a melancholic mood. The song was performed during
The Sweet Escape Tour The Sweet Escape Tour was the second concert tour by American recording artist Gwen Stefani. The tour began in April 2007 in support of her second solo album '' The Sweet Escape'' (2006). Performing for nearly a hundred concerts, the tour travele ...
and in some concerts Stefani made during 2015.


Background and release

Stefani began working with
No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, the ...
bassist
Tony Kanal Tony Ashwin Kanal (born 27 August 1970) is a British-American musician, record producer, songwriter, and animal rights activist. Kanal is the bassist and co-writer for the American rock bands No Doubt and Dreamcar. His musical work outside of t ...
for her second solo studio album just after finishing the
Harajuku Lovers Tour The Harajuku Lovers Tour was the first solo concert tour of American recording artist Gwen Stefani. The tour began through October to December 2005, to support of her debut studio album ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004). Although Stefani emba ...
in late 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 debut album '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004). In a
webisode A webisode (portmanteau of "web" and "episode") is an episode of a series that is distributed as part of a web series or on streaming television. It is available as either for download or in streaming, as opposed to first airing on broadcast or c ...
detailing the recording process of the album, Stefani stated that she was inspired by
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s such as
Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", "Wher ...
's "
Killing Me Softly with His Song "Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a song composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. The lyrics were written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. Denied writing credi ...
" and
Billy Idol William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British-American singer, songwriter, and musician. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer o ...
's " Eyes Without a Face", as she wanted a "nice ballad" on the record. It was one of the last songs recorded for the album, with Stefani citing it as one of her favorite songs on ''The Sweet Escape'', because it "brings pleasure to erears." The song was serviced to US contemporary hit radio on May 8, 2007 as the album's third
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
. A
CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
, containing the album version, two remixes and its music video, was released elsewhere on June 22, 2007.


Composition

"4 in the Morning" was written by Stefani and Kanal, who was also responsible for its production, while
Mark "Spike" Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed She ...
provided additional production. Described as a 1980s-inspired mid-
tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
synthpop ballad, the track's instrumentation includes a "light"
keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
, which "runs tie the song together from intro through break", a guitar, synthetic strings and a slick sheen. "4 in the Morning" has a mid-tempo
beat Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery (c ...
, which according to some critics is "perfect for a slow dance". Stefani's vocals throughout the song's chorus presents a "fast-talking" approach. Lyrically, "4 in the Morning" talks about transparency in a
romantic relationship Romance or romantic love is a feeling of love for, or a strong attraction towards another person, and the courtship behaviors undertaken by an individual to express those overall feelings and resultant emotions. The ''Wiley Blackwell Encycl ...
, with the protagonist pleading for a lover to make up his mind. Bill Lamb of
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
added that the song also deals with a relationship on the edge, which can be seen in the lines: "I'm lying here in the dark, I'm watching you sleep, it hurts a lot." In the chorus, she sings: "I give you everything that I am/I'm handing over everything that I've got/'cause I wanna have a really true love."


Critical reception

"4 in the Morning" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
called it "coolly sensual", noting that "those celebrations of cool synths and stylish pop hooks that work the best for Stefani." '' Billboard'' editor Chuck Taylor called it "a melodic retro ballad that could have come from 1983's ''Flashdance'' soundtrack", praising the track for "pay nghomage to a time when hooks were more meaningful than aligning with hostage-taking producers." Gary Graff of the same publication wrote that "Stefani's Madonna reverence remains intact" on the song, with J. Freedom du Lac from ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' agreeing, noting a "Madonnaism" on the track. Amanda Murray of Sputnikmusic also thought that the song "recalls a ' Crazy for You'-era Madonna", also noting that it is "pure Stefani—and understandably, t'sfar superior to any of her attempts at mimicking other artists." Norman Mayers of ''Prefix'' magazine wrote that the song "soar thanks to Stefani's girlish vocals and brilliant hook that reference iconic moments from Madonna and
Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new ...
." Bianca Gracie of
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
called it "a breezy yet emotive '80s-ballad that highlights her tender vocals." Alex Miller from ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' described the song as "an expertly conceived tear-jerker", stating that " feels like the kind of song a teenage Stefani, miming along to
Talk Talk Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles " Talk Talk" (1982), " It's My Life", and " ...
, would have dreamt of singing one day." Bill Lamb from
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
cited "4 in the Morning" as the best song on the album, calling it "beautifully performed and produced", and noting that Stefani "allows her signature vocals to sensually float and glide through the lyrical content." Similarly, a reviewer for
CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the bran ...
enjoyed that the song is "a melancholy and reflective ballad about relationships, which is a breath of fresh air for Gwen", praising its "catchy melody and woeful lyrics." Nick Levine from '' Digital Spy'' compared it to Robert Palmer's 1986 single " Addicted to Love", writing that "it confirms what is rapidly becoming a universal truth: Gwen Stefani is far more likeable when she channels her new wave roots than when she tries to mould herself into a ghetto fabulous urban hipshaker." Sal Cinquemani from '' Slant Magazine'' praised Kanal's production for making the song "less forced and much less self-conscious." Quentin B. Huff from ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' referred to it as one of the "few ''real'' compositions" from the album. John Murphy from '' musicOMH'' agreed, writing that "she sounds great" on "the lovelorn ballad." ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
''s Mark Pytlik, however, disapproved of the song, commenting that it destroyed "the mallpop cred that Stefani accrued with ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.''s impeccable ' Cool'." Spence D. from ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' was also critical with the song, calling it "the most generic, mainstream, and blasé-blah pop song on the entire album."


Chart performance

In the United States, "4 in the Morning" debuted at number 76 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the week of June 9, 2007, before peaking at number 54 on the issue dated August 4, becoming Stefani's lowest-peaking solo single on the chart at the time, and her first to miss the top 50. It was somewhat more successful in the mainstream market, reaching number 30 on the
Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles sa ...
chart and the top 20 of the Mainstream Top 40 and
Pop 100 Airplay The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles sa ...
charts. The single was also successful at
nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...
s and reached number two on the Dance Club Songs chart. In Canada, the single fared better, where it peaked at number 17 on the Canadian Hot 100, but was more successful outside of North America. In Australia, the single debuted and peaked at number nine on the
ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offic ...
, meanwhile it debuted at number 36 and three weeks later it peaked at number five on the
New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
. It became the album's third top-ten single in both countries. In the United Kingdom, the single peaked at number 22 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and remained on the chart for 10 weeks. It fared better in the rest of Europe, reaching the top-five in Romania, the top-ten in Finland, and the top 20 in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland. In France, "4 in the Morning" managed to reach number 21, her first solo single to miss the top 20 since " Cool", which peaked 11 places lower.


Music video

The accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "4 in the Morning" was directed by
Sophie Muller Sophie Luise Elisabeth Muller (born 31 January 1962) is a British music video director who has directed more than 300 music videos. She won a Grammy Award for Annie Lennox's 1992 '' Diva'' video album, and an MTV Video Music Award for Lennox's so ...
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 absent from the video. The lyrics describe an argument, which she has with an off-screen lover throughout the video. After lying around her apartment and crying during a bath, she leaves her house at night 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 top-ten chart program ''
Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' on April 26, 2007, and peaked at number seven on May 9. On MuchMusic's ''
Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'', it became Stefani's second lowest-charting video (next to "
Early Winter "Early Winter" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her second solo studio album, '' The Sweet Escape'' (2006). Written by Stefani and English pianist Tim Rice-Oxley, the song was released in Europe as the album's fifth and final sing ...
", which peaked at number 23) since 2005's "
Luxurious "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 ...
", peaking at number seven for two consecutive weeks after a slow ascent.


Track listing and formats

*UK and European 2-track CD single #"4 in the Morning" (Album Version) – 4:51 #"4 in the Morning" (
Thin White Duke The Thin White Duke was the persona and character of the English musician David Bowie during 1975 and 1976. He is primarily identified with Bowie's 1976 album '' Station to Station'' and is mentioned by name in the title track, although Bowie ...
Edit) – 4:55 *Australian and European CD maxi single #"4 in the Morning" (Album Version) – 4:51 #"4 in the Morning" (Thin White Duke Edit) – 4:55 #"4 in the Morning" (Oscar the Punk Remix) – 5:41 #"4 in the Morning" (Video) – 4:24


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desc ...
of ''The Sweet Escape'' * Gwen Stefani – lead vocals, songwriting * Andrew Alekel – recording * Matt Beck – guitar * Greg Collins – additional vocal production, guitar, recording * Pete Davis – additional keyboards, additional mix programming * Alex Dromgoole – assistant engineering * David Emery – assistant engineering * Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering * Neil Kanal – programming, recording *
Tony Kanal Tony Ashwin Kanal (born 27 August 1970) is a British-American musician, record producer, songwriter, and animal rights activist. Kanal is the bassist and co-writer for the American rock bands No Doubt and Dreamcar. His musical work outside of t ...
– keyboards, production, programming, songwriting *
Gabrial McNair Gabrial McNair (born September 8, 1973) is a musician and composer, most famous for his work in No Doubt since 1993 as a trombonist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist. He recorded and toured with Green Day during the ''Nimrod'' and '' Warning'' t ...
– keyboards * Colin Mitchell – recording * Dror Mohar – assistant engineering *
Mark "Spike" Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed She ...
– additional production, mixing


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{Authority control 2000s ballads 2006 songs 2007 singles Gwen Stefani songs Interscope Records singles Music videos directed by Sophie Muller Songs about heartache Songs written by Gwen Stefani Songs written by Tony Kanal Synth-pop ballads