Wind It Up (Gwen Stefani song)
| "Wind It Up" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Wind It Up" is a pop song written by Gwen Stefani, Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams for Stefani's second solo album The Sweet Escape (2006). It was produced by The Neptunes and features a hip hop beat. "Wind It Up" was released as the album's first single in late 2006 (see 2006 in music) and has reached the U.S. top forty and Canadian top fifty.
Song information
The lyrics of the song talk about Stefani's clothing line, L.A.M.B., and how boys love to stare at Gwen and her fellow girls. The song was first revealed by Gwen on her Harajuku Lovers Tour. The song also features yodelling, and contains a sample of "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music.
Chart performance
"Wind It Up" was released to Canadian and U.S. radio on October 31 2006. It debuted on the U.S. Hot 100 at number forty, Stefani's career-highest debut (with and without No Doubt). In Canada "Wind It Up" debuted at number eighty-eight on the BDS Airplay Chart.
Despite the song's success, Billboard magazine columnist Chuck Taylor gave the song an unfavorable review, referring to it as "a musical brain aneurysm".[1] Bill Lamb of About.com stated that it "gets high marks for entertainment value ... but [it] sounds almost like a retread of old ground".[2]
Music video
The song's music video was directed by Sophie Muller and filmed in Chicago, United States and some neighboring towns. Although it does not follow a substantial plot, it features outfits and scenery inspired by The Sound of Music. Stefani and her Harajuku Girls are often dancing in front of fields of flowers and a tetris-like background. Throughout the video, Stefani is portrayed as a seamstress and submerged escape artist accompanied by dancers and the Harajuku Girls. There is also a scene where everyone is dressed in pajamas. The song's title is visualized by a colorful sign that reads "wind it up".
"Wind It Up" premiered on MTV's top-ten chart program Total Request Live on November 10 2006, where it reached number two. After its November 17 debut on MuchMusic's Countdown, it peaked at number twenty-seven. On VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown, it peaked at number thirteen.
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 36 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 47 |
| iTunes U.S. Store | 9 |
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Wind It Up".
- Vinyl single
- "Wind It Up" (main mix)
- "Wind It Up" (instrumental)
- "Wind It Up" (Original Neptunes mix)