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Cool (Gwen Stefani song)

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"Cool"
Song

"Cool" is a pop song performed by Gwen Stefani. It was written by Stefani and Dallas Austin for Stefani's debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby (2004). The song's musical-style was heavily inspired by pop music 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 praise from pop music critics, and parallels have been drawn by the media between the song's lyrical content and the eight-year relationship that Stefani had experienced with her former boyfriend Tony Kanal, a fellow group member of No Doubt.

The song was released in 2005 (see 2005 in music) as the album's fourth single and it entered the top twenty on the majority of the charts it appeared on, but it failed to match the success of its predecessor "Hollaback Girl". "Cool" reached number one in Canada.

Composition and inspiration

"Cool" is a mid-tempo love song featuring woodwind instruments and new wave production, with lyrics reflecting Stefani's former relationship with No Doubt bassist, Tony Kanal. Although their romantic relationship ended, Stefani's lyrics portray her attitude that it is "cool" that they still remain very good and close friends. Stefani and Kanal's relationship had previously provided the inspiration for No Doubt's "Don't Speak" (1996). While "Cool" presents a solid friendship between former lovers, "Don't Speak" is about a failing relationship and never arrives at a solution for the couple. Stefani and Kanal supply the basis for the protagonists.

Stefani said of the song, "Dallas Austin heard my song 'Underneath It All' and got inspired to write a new song called 'Cool', which he could never finish about his girlfriend and all the bullshit of breaking up, and how he wanted it to be okay. We finished the thing in fifteen minutes. I didn't write all of the melody — I'm ashamed, I want to say that I did — but I also know how magical it is that somebody could be so inspired by my song that they write one."[1]

Since Austin had wanted to write a song about the aftermath of his failed relationship, the lyrics recall a romantic affiliation that once existed, from the point of view of one who has moved on from their former love, with Stefani indicating that she has found a new partner. The lyrics suggest a progression through a turbulent time to a mutual understanding that takes their relationship to a level of respect.

File:CoolCap3.JPG
The song's lyrics and music video present Stefani as "cool" with her former boyfriend and his girlfriend.

Stefani sums up the evolution of their relationship with the lyric "after all that we've been through, I know we're cool". The former couple are now "hanging out" with Kanal's new girlfriend, while Stefani has married and is pleased that he calls her by her "new last name".

"And I'll be happy for you
If you can be happy for me
Circles and triangles, and now we're
Hanging out with your new girlfriend"
"So far from where we've been
I know we're cool"

The lyrical content of "Don't Speak" and "Cool" create a timeline of the events that occurred between Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal between and during the years of 1994 to 2004; this includes their association in the band No Doubt, while maintaining a personal relationship. Stefani said, "I was never intending to go personal on [the album] ... 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."[2]

Critical response

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"Cool" received a generally positive response from music critics. LAUNCHcast's Jennifer Nine referred to the song as "a liltingly sweet paean to post-break-up friendships",[3] while All Music Guide wrote that the "high school anthem-in-waiting" exuded "sleek, new wave textures".[4] Richard Smirke of PlayLouder commented that the song successfully used the same production formula as its 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".[5]

Jason Damas, in a review for PopMatters, characterized the song as "a slippery slice of keyboard driven new wave pop that easily could've slotted into any No Doubt album... pitched halfway between The Go-Go's and Cyndi Lauper", and added, "the lyrics immediately ensure it will be sung along to by lonely 16-year-olds".[6] While Blender magazine ranked "Cool" at number forty-five on its list of "The 100 Greatest Songs of 2005",[7] the song attracted some negative feedback as well: Bill Lamb of About.com proclaimed it to be "Gwen's lost Cyndi Lauper tune", but felt that it "doesn't immediately grab attention like her other singles".[8]

Chart performance

File:CoolCap2.jpg
The music video includes flashbacks to Stefani as her relationship begins to end.

Although "Cool" was officially touted to radio on July 5 2005 in North America, it charted a week early on the U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Airplay. The song eventually reached the top ten on the Pop 100, and the following week it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, the official U.S. chart. "Cool" reached a peak position of number thirteen in its eighth week and remained on the chart until its twentieth week. It entered the top twenty on the majority of the U.S. Billboard charts on which it appeared, which includes the Hot 100's component charts the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs. However, "Cool" proved less successful on the Adult Contemporary format and it did not enter the top five of the Hot Dance Airplay even though the remixes reached the top of the Hot Dance Club Play chart for the week of November 12 2005. The song also peaked at number six on the U.S. ARC Weekly Top 40, a chart unassociated with Billboard.

"Cool" debuted higher on the Canadian charts than it did in the U.S. and just over three months after its release, it reached number one on October 5 2005, a position it maintained for the following two weeks. It also reached the top five on the Canadian BDS Airplay chart. "Cool" peaked higher than "Hollaback Girl"'s predecessor "Rich Girl" in Canada, while in the U.S. "Rich Girl" was the single that charted higher.

The song was released in Asia, Australia and Europe on August 22 2005. The first two singles from Love. Angel. Music. Baby., "What You Waiting For?" and "Rich Girl", had reached the top five in the United Kingdom, but "Hollaback Girl" had only the top ten. "Cool" continued the trend of lower-charting singles when it debuted at number eleven; it was Stefani's first not to reach the top ten. Stefani's previous singles had charted most strongly in Australia, where "What You Waiting For?" and "Hollaback Girl" debuted at number one and "Rich Girl" at number two. "Cool" debuted at number ten before it quickly descended the chart, but its widespread airplay and Stefani's concurrent promotional visit to Australia stimulated a resurgence of interest in Love. Angel. Music. Baby., which began to ascend the albums chart again.

The song entered the top ten in the Netherlands and New Zealand, but it was only a moderate top twenty success in Germany, Ireland and Italy. On October 15 2005, "Cool" was the world's sixth-most popular song and it appeared at this position on the United World Chart.

Music video

The music video expands upon themes in the song by showing that at moments, Stefani is actually feeling "uncool".

The music video was directed by Sophie Muller and was filmed in Lake Como, Italy. It follows the theme of the song very closely and depicts the relationship that Stefani has with a former boyfriend, who is played by Daniel Gonzalez. Gonzalez is seen walking with his new girlfriend (who is played by Tony Kanal's girlfriend, Erin Lokitz) to a house. Stefani answers the door, and the three of them are seen in each other's company, with intercut scenes of Stefani rolling around on a bed. There are brief flashbacks to the time when Stefani and her former boyfriend were dating where she wears a brunette wig, which represents her younger self. Stefani's natural brown hair has not been seen since she was in grade school.[9][10] While the lyrical theme of "Cool" is maintained within the video, there are frames incorporated to portray Stefani feeling "uncool". Throughout the majority of the video, she is illustrated as being "cool" with her former boyfriend and his girlfriend, but there are also moments where she thinks about the past, and is uncomfortable.[1]

The video showcases the scenery of Como's forests, lakes and restaurants. It was also the first video of Stefani's from Love. Angel. Music. Baby. not to include her Harajuku Girls, who were present throughout the majority of the album's promotion. The complete version of "Cool" featured in the music video has been released commercially through CD singles and digital downloads and it introduced an orchestral arrangement that differs from the 1980s musical-style of the original version.

"Cool" premiered on MTV's top-ten video-chart program Total Request Live on June 30 2005, where it reached number three; it also reached number two on VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown. Following its debut on MuchMusic's Countdown on July 8 2005, it ascended to number one for a single week three months later. "Cool" reached number nine on LAUNCHcast's top one-hundred most-watched videos on July 23 2005.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Cool". For reasons that were never confirmed, the U.S. digital download was removed from iTunes and other online music stores shortly following its release. It was the first digital download to ever be removed.

Credits and personnel

Charts

International chart positions of the first eighteen weeks (click image to view data in tabular form). "Cool" reached number one in Canada and entered the top twenty in the U.S.
Chart (2005) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 13
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play1 1 (1 week)
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 4
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Airplay 8
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 9
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 9
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 19
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 23
Canadian Singles Chart 1 (3 weeks)
Canadian BDS Airplay Chart 4
Dutch Singles Chart 6
United World Chart 6
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 9
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 10
UK Singles Chart 11
Irish Singles Chart 12
Italian Singles Chart 15
Russian Airplay Chart 15
Norwegian Singles Chart 16
German Singles Chart 20
  • (1 Photek/Richard X remixes)
Preceded by Canadian number-one single
"Cool" by Gwen Stefani
October 5 2005 (3 weeks) 		Succeeded by

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Cool". NoDoubtWeb.com. Retrieved October 25 2005.
  2. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer. "Gwen Stefani's Song About Tony Kanal To Be Her Next Single". MTV.com. Retrieved November 30 2005.
  3. ^ Nine, Jennifer. "Gwen Stefani — 'Love, Angel, Music, Baby'". LAUNCHcast. November 25 2004. Retrieved October 25 2005.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Love.Angel.Music.Baby". All Music Guide. Retrieved October 25 2005.
  5. ^ Smirke, Richard. "Love. Angel. Music. Baby.". PlayLouder. November 23 2004. Retrieved October 25 2005.
  6. ^ Damas, Jason. GWEN STEFANI – Love.Angel.Music.Baby.. PopMatters. November 29 2004. Retrieved October 25 2005.
  7. ^ "The 100 Greatest Songs of 2005". Blender. January/February 2006. Retrieved June 1 2006.
  8. ^ Lamb, Bill. "Gwen Stefani — Cool". About.com. Retrieved October 25 2005.
  9. ^ "Artist Biography - Gwen Stefani". OnlineSeats.com. Information on the personal life of Gwen Stefani. Retrieved June 18 2006.
  10. ^ Gwen Stefani Biography and Quotes — "Stefani's original hair color is brown". Retrieved November 28 2005.

References

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