The Sweet Escape
by Gwen Stefani
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 211 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 151 out of 211
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 211
  3. Negative: 38 out of 211

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  1. Rodkrieg
    Apr 3, 2020
    10
    People don’t know anything, this album is great and she sounds better than some other pop trashy female artists out there, she’s between Madonna and Kylie Minogue...
  2. Annah305
    Aug 18, 2018
    10
    Gorgeous iconic album, I don't know why people on here have been so negative.
  3. gabsgomes
    Jul 10, 2018
    10
    The album is incredible. Early Winter, 4 In The Morning and so many other tracks are well performed.
  4. RARE
    Aug 8, 2016
    10
    "The sweet escape" remains one of the best albums of Ms Stefani, the divergeance is incredible include all different styles but this mixture wonder is always something that stopped me in this creation, it is really great
  5. Glitter
    Aug 30, 2013
    8
    Cementing herself as a pop staple with her debut, L.A.M.B., Stefani returns with a sophomore album that boasts as an athenaeum of marriage between zany dance-pop and classic slow-jam. Tracks such as Wind It Up, Breakin' Up, and Yummy are bizarre, jarring, and alien to the mainstream pop world. But with glistening production and perfect execution, Stefani delivers avant-garde in a time whenCementing herself as a pop staple with her debut, L.A.M.B., Stefani returns with a sophomore album that boasts as an athenaeum of marriage between zany dance-pop and classic slow-jam. Tracks such as Wind It Up, Breakin' Up, and Yummy are bizarre, jarring, and alien to the mainstream pop world. But with glistening production and perfect execution, Stefani delivers avant-garde in a time when pop was lacking such. The Sweet Escape is equally solidified by the aforementioned slow-jams. With tracks such as Fluorescent and U Started It, balancing out the upbeat circus that precedes them. In album where the product is complete, Early Winter and Wonderful Life beg to steal the show, as planets in a sky of stars.… Expand
  6. BWETMatangi
    Aug 14, 2013
    9
    I love it! With songs like "Orange County Girl", "Don't Get It Twisted", and "Breakin' Up", what's not to love? Gwen is a much better solo singer than in No Doubt.
  7. MusicForever
    Dec 23, 2012
    8
    Just A Great Classic Album!
  8. GagaForGhibli
    Nov 7, 2012
    8
    I Like This Album Alot! I Do Feel Like A Few Of The Songs Felt Rushed Which Effected This Album With Critic's And Fans.. But I Really Enjoyed It Alot! Gwen If Fore Sure Not Going Down Hill!
  9. Frogmime
    Jul 11, 2012
    9
    The songs that are best are The Sweet escape , Early winter , 4 in the morning , Don't get it twisted and Wonderful life The other songs are ok and good but the worst song is breaking up which is totally stupid but ignore that its a good album :)
  10. inad.
    Sep 15, 2007
    10
    love this so much!!
  11. MC
    May 14, 2007
    7
    I Rated Each Song: Wind it up - 8/10 The Sweet Escape- 9/10 Orange County Girl - 6/10 Early Winter - 6/10 Now That you Got It - 7/10 4 in the morning - 10/10 Yummy - 9/10 Fluorescent - 7/10 Breakin' Up - 7/10 Don't Get It Twisted - 6/10 U Started it - 6/10 Wonderful Life - 8/10
  12. JakieM
    Apr 8, 2007
    8
    I think it is a good CD. The quality and sound of her music is great and I think she gets an 8.
  13. EmoKid
    Mar 5, 2007
    8
    Really well done with catchy beats. But still not the best album of the world.
  14. GauravS
    Mar 2, 2007
    10
    Excellent Album.Though it is not as good as the previous Gwen Stefani's previous album,But our of the 13 songs,i liked 9 of them.Excellent album.
  15. andrewarctic
    Feb 17, 2007
    9
    best pop album of 2007
  16. HennyH
    Feb 12, 2007
    10
    WOW! amazing CD!
  17. MarcusL
    Feb 5, 2007
    10
    This was a great album Gwen Did Great Job!
  18. ficlare
    Jan 9, 2007
    8
    it waz real gd!
  19. JorgeS
    Jan 6, 2007
    9
    I think it is really good music, perhaps not a deep album, but it works well, here my review of every song: 1. Wind It Up.- Fun, upbeat, neptunes-production 7/10 2. The Sweet Escape.- Damn! What a great tune. Reminds me the old Gwen 10/10 3. Orange County Girl.- Love the beat 8/10 4. Early Winter.- Nice down-tempo, coulda sound better 7/10 5. Now That You Got It.- Mmmm I didn't like I think it is really good music, perhaps not a deep album, but it works well, here my review of every song: 1. Wind It Up.- Fun, upbeat, neptunes-production 7/10 2. The Sweet Escape.- Damn! What a great tune. Reminds me the old Gwen 10/10 3. Orange County Girl.- Love the beat 8/10 4. Early Winter.- Nice down-tempo, coulda sound better 7/10 5. Now That You Got It.- Mmmm I didn't like this song, but it's pretty catchy 6/10 6. 4 In The Morning.- What can i say?? Just a piece of art 10/10 7. Yummy.- I can almost be sure this would be a single, it's a great tune, like it was Hollaback Girl 4 L.A.M.B. 9/10 8. Fluourescent.- At first I skip this song but then it just start to grew up on me and now I really like it 8/10 9. Breakin' Up.- Nice beat, bad lyrics, too boring 5/10 10. Don't Get It Twisted.- Another outstanding song, I just can't get sick of this 10/10 11. U Started It.- Cool but something's missing 7/10 12. Wonderful Life.- The only left-over of L.A.M.B., enjoyable 8/10 Avarage: 7.9… Expand
  20. TylerM
    Jan 4, 2007
    9
    I enjoyed it a lot. True there are some *weird and horrible* songs but i love... Wind It Up Orange County Girl Yummy Don't Get it Twisted
  21. AmandaC
    Jan 3, 2007
    9
    IF you haven bought this album i do recomend it. If you Havent listen to the album and only listend to the single wind it up. i recomend that you hear the single The Sweet Escape featuring Akon. i have heard that the single Wind it up wasnt a big big hit but it was good. Just beacuse u didnt like the first single that doesnt mean that the album is annoying
  22. vina
    Jan 3, 2007
    10
    Wow..a lot of people saying Gwen should go back to No Doubt. Well I personally think that No Doubt suck and Gwen should stick to her far more interesting solo work - this album is pretty good.
  23. ToniK
    Jan 1, 2007
    10
    great album.. lamb was better but... gwen is awesome
  24. SkyM
    Dec 22, 2006
    9
    I absolutely loved this album, personally I like it better than the first one which is saying alot. I find it intresting that so many people are calling her a "wigger" when the whole album is much more pop based than hip-hop. You should listen to it in it's entirety more than once and I promise you won't be disappointed.
  25. ixata
    Dec 21, 2006
    10
    i dont understand d critics... n evn allmusicguide gave less den 80 when diz record shud be 100!! i agree wit Valterri, "early winter" is a masterpiece... an emotional number, too... wind it up is an ingenious production and the sampling of "the sound of music" is a hell of an idea -in a good way-! this rocks even better than LAMB!
  26. ValtteriH
    Dec 19, 2006
    8
    "Early winter" is an absolute beaute of a song - best track on the album. "Wonderful life", "4 in the morning" and "U started it" are good poptunes as well. She got lucky with "Wind it up", "The sweet escape" and "Now that U got it". The rest we have already heard... Gwen, a word of advice: get rid of The Neptunes and look for new talent.
  27. JosephA
    Dec 17, 2006
    7
    Great CD, Got some great tracks, some good tracks and some really interesting ones. The melodies and hooks will have you back for more, and upon repeated listens the good tracks and interesting ones get better. Excellent "straight-thru" CD
  28. Ouas
    Dec 13, 2006
    7
    if you liked L.A.M.B then you will like this one not as much but it's still good though.
  29. DericMC
    Dec 13, 2006
    10
    Excellent stuff that grows on you with more listens. It's not better than L.A.M.B but it's just as good. More cohesive, just as crazy as before, but maybe less diverse. I love the futuristic and modern feel to the music. No bad tracks here too.
  30. JamieW
    Dec 11, 2006
    10
    More of a mix bag then anything, but it's a mix bag where everything is awesome. I love the different styles and stuff she's used, totally unique album
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Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Most Discussed Album of 2006
50
#50 Most Shared Album of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 24
  3. Negative: 3 out of 24
  1. The Guardian
    80
    Pharrell Williams' production and Stefani's fizzy personality make for an unexpected Christmas treat.
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  2. Slant Magazine
    60
    It's not that The Sweet Escape is an unwelcome diversion or that it comes too soon on the heels of Stefani's debut (it's been two full years), but it's starting to feel like No Doubt's future—you know, the one left in question after 2001's Rock Steady, the band's third consecutive creative zenith—is being squandered amidst all the solo stargazing.
    Read full review
  3. AllMusic
    60
    If the dance production on The Sweet Escape were better, these hipster affectations would be easier to forgive, but they're not: they're canned and bland, which only accentuates Stefani's stiffness.
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