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"Wind It Up" is a song written by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams originally for inclusion on Stefani's Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005. Because of favorable reception, the song was later recorded for her second solo album, The Sweet Escape. The track includes an interpolation of The Sound of Music song "The Lonely Goatherd".

"Wind It Up" was panned by music critics, who criticized the song's use of yodeling and found the track to be over the top. The track was released as the album's lead single in late 2006 and reached the top twenty in most music markets. The corresponding music video, which became popular on stations such as Total Request Live, was directed by Sophie Muller and takes influence from The Sound of Music.

Background and writing

In July 2005, Stefani began writing and recording material with Pharrell Williams in Miami, Florida. During one of their sessions, they penned "Wind It Up" for a September 2005 fashion show revealing the 2006 collection of Stefani's fashion line L.A.M.B.

Stefani asked DJ Jeremy Healy to create a mashup of the song and "The Lonely Goatherd", a song from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and 1965 film The Sound of Music. Stefani considered The Sound of Music her favorite film, and she had wanted to incorporate a beat to one of its songs all her life. Stefani commented, "I literally cried, and I'm not exaggerating, when I heard the mash-up." Williams, however, did not like the addition of yodeling and The Sound of Music to the track.

The lyrics are not narrative, and Stefani stated, "a song like 'Wind It Up' isn't about anything." In the song, Stefani discusses how boys watch girls dance. The song includes a reference to L.A.M.B., with Stefani going, "They like the way that L.A.M.B. is going 'cross my shirt".

Critical reception

"Wind It Up" received mixed reviews by contemporary pop music critics. Entertainment Weekly found the bassline "rubbery" and criticized the song for lacking a melody as well as its reference to Stefani's own clothing line. Allmusic said that The Neptunes had forced the sampling "into one of their typical minimalist tracks, over which Gwen spouts off clumsy material-minded lyrics touting her fashion line and her shape". About.com gave the song three and a half stars, giving it "high marks for entertainment value", but commented that it sounded like a retread of 'Rich Girl' from Stefani's debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. Stylus Magazine was mixed on the track, commenting that "it's preventing something far less interesting from getting played." MusicOMH called the track "just horrible, and possibly the worst start to an album this year". IGN compared the song to M.I.A.

Many criticized the inclusion of yodeling and "The Lonely Goatherd" sample. Rolling Stone called the track "yodel-trocious" and commented that "the problem isn't the Swiss Miss motif so much as the fourth-rate Neptunes track. The Guardian was pleased with the track, describing the yodeling as "off-her-head", and referred to the track as "a pinnacle of madness". IndieLondon noted "Wind It Up" as a highlight of The Sweet Escape and called it "Stefani's gift that she can take something that, on paper, sounds cheesy and make it utterly, utterly cool." USA Today, however, found the track "campy" and "a tacky attempt at sexiness" and stated the combination of yodeling, and the interpolation was "awkward". The NME also found the song campy, commenting that its "dumb sexual bravado has all the sophistication of a teenage boy's wet dream", and compared the yodeling, interpolation, and "erotic rap" to "a trench foot which screams for amputation from the tracklisting".

In the face of criticism, Stefani has defended the track:

I knew some people wouldn't get it but I think I am enough down the line to not care. The people that did get it are Sound Of Music fans and really got a lot of pleasure from it. I still think it's brilliant and I stand by it. Why can't you do something weird for a while? These songs are all about having fun, silly records that are to be enjoyed and not taken too seriously.

— Gwen Stefani, The Sun

Chart performance

"Wind It Up" was moderately successful in North America. In the United States, it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number forty on the issue dated November 18, 2006. It peaked at number six after four weeks and remained on the chart for eighteen weeks. It peaked at number seven on the Pop 100 but was less successful on the Pop 100 Airplay, only reaching number nineteen. The single performed well in clubs, reaching number five on the Hot Dance Club Play, and charted at number eighteen on the Mainstream Top 40.

"Wind It Up" had similar success in Europe, reaching number five on the European Hot 100 Singles. In the United Kingdom, the single debuted at number eight and peaked at number three the next week, leaving the chart after ten weeks. It had less success across the continent, reaching the top ten in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway and the top twenty in Austria, France, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The song was generally successful elsewhere. In Australia, "Wind It Up" debuted at number eight and spend its first seven weeks within the top ten. It peaked at number five, spending nineteen weeks on the chart, and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The song topped the New Zealand Singles Chart in its third and fourth week and stayed on the chart for twenty weeks. Three years later, on March 14, 2010, the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand certified "Wind It Up" gold.

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Sophie Muller. Although it does not follow a substantial plot, it features outfits and scenes inspired by The Sound of Music. Stefani and her Harajuku Girls are often dancing in front of fields of flowers and a background of key-like symbols composed of two G's placed back to back. In a scene mimicking The Sound of Music, Stefani portrays Maria von Trapp while the dancers, dressed in pajamas, portray her children and jump on a bed. In another scene, Stefani uses curtains to create sailor suits for the Harajuku Girls. Stefani also appears as a nun and an orchestra conductor. One scene uses smoke to create the illusion that Stefani is a submerged escape artist searching for a key. She pulls the key, a symbol of "the sweet escape", from her mouth as an allusion to performances by escapologist Harry Houdini. The song's title is often visualized by a colorful sign that reads "wind it up". Another video was produced in 3-D, but this version was never released. After seeing the video, Jimmy Iovine, co-founder of Interscope Records, decided to work with James Cameron to produce other 3-D music presentations.

The video was successful on music video television programs. "Wind It Up" was first aired November 10, 2006 on MTV, and it premiered on the station's top-ten chart program Total Request Live three days later. The video debuted at number eight on the countdown and reached a peak at number two. After its November 17 debut on MuchMusic's Countdown, it reached number two for the week of January 26, 2007. In a review of the music video, The Guardian poked fun at the number of personas that appear in the video, referring to some of them as "Nunzilla", "Gweninatrix", and "CinderGwennie", and commented that "your speakers have a mute setting for good reason."

Track listings

UK, European, and Australian CD single

1. "Wind It Up" (Main Mix) – 3:11
2. "Wind It Up" (Original Neptunes Mix) – 3:08

European CD maxi single

1. "Wind It Up" (Main Mix) – 3:11
2. "Wind It Up" (Original Neptunes Mix) – 3:08
3. "Wind It Up" (Instrumental Mix) – 3:02
4. "Wind It Up" (Video) – 3:11

UK 12" single

A1. "Wind It Up" (Main Mix) – 3:11

A2. "Wind It Up" (Original Neptunes Mix) – 3:08

B1. "Wind It Up" (Instrumental Main Mix) – 3:11

B2. "Wind It Up" (Instrumental Neptunes Mix) – 3:10

Personnel

Charts

Chart procession and succession

References

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External links

• "Wind It Up" music video on YouTube

• 2000s pop songs
• 2006 singles
• Gwen Stefani songs
• Interscope Records singles
• Music videos directed by Sophie Muller
• Number-one singles in New Zealand
• Songs produced by The Neptunes
• Songs with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
• Songs with music by Richard Rodgers
• Songs written by Gwen Stefani
• Songs written by Pharrell Williams