1.
Gwen Stefani
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Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer, songwriter, and fashion designer. During the bands hiatus, Stefani embarked on a pop career in 2004 by releasing her debut studio album Love. Inspired by pop music from the 1980s, the album was met both critical and commercial success. It spawned three successful singles, What You Waiting For. Rich Girl, and Hollaback Girl, the reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 while also becoming the first US download to sell one million copies. In 2006 Stefani released her studio album The Sweet Escape. The album produced two singles, Wind It Up and the albums title track The Sweet Escape. Her third solo album This Is What the Truth Feels Like was released in March 2016, Stefani has won three Grammy Awards. As a solo artist she has received accolades, including an American Music Award, Brit Award, World Music Award. In 2003, she debuted her clothing line L. A. M. B. and expanded her collection with the 2005 Harajuku Lovers line, drawing inspiration from Japanese culture, Stefani performs and makes public appearances with four back-up dancers known as the Harajuku Girls. She was married to British musician Gavin Rossdale from 2002 to 2015, Billboard magazine ranked Stefani the 54th most successful artist and 37th most successful Hot 100 artist of the 2000–09 decade. VH1 ranked her 13th on their 100 Greatest Women in Music list in 2012, including her work with No Doubt, Stefani has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Stefani was born on October 3,1969, in Fullerton, California and she was named after a stewardess in the 1968 novel Airport, and her middle name, Renée, comes from The Four Tops 1968 cover of The Left Bankes 1966 song Walk Away Renée. Her father, Dennis Stefani, is Italian American and worked as a Yamaha marketing executive and her mother, Patti, worked as an accountant before becoming a housewife. Gwens parents were fans of music and exposed her to music by artists like Bob Dylan. She has two siblings, Jill and Todd, and an older brother named Eric. Eric was the keyboardist for No Doubt before leaving the band to pursue a career in animation on The Simpsons. Her brother Eric introduced Gwen to 2 Tone music by Madness and The Selecter and, in 1986, he invited her to provide vocals for No Doubt, finally, in 1991, the band was signed to Interscope Records
Gwen Stefani
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Stefani at the
2011 Cannes Film Festival
Gwen Stefani
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Stefani performing with No Doubt at
Voodoo 2002
Gwen Stefani
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Stefani performing during the
Harajuku Lovers Tour in 2005
Gwen Stefani
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Stefani performing during
The Sweet Escape Tour in 2007
2.
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
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Baby. is the debut solo studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani. It was released on November 12,2004, by Interscope Records, Stefani, who had previously released five albums as rock band No Doubts lead singer, began recording solo material in early 2003. Baby. as a project that would become a full album after No Doubt went on hiatus. Stefani co-wrote every song on the album, collaborating with songwriters and producers including André3000, Dallas Austin, Dr. Dre. Designed to sound like a 1980s record, Love, baby. was influenced by artists such as the Cure, Depeche Mode, Cyndi Lauper and Madonna. The album incorporates a range of genres, including electropop, dance-rock, new wave, R&B, hip hop, soul. Promotion of the album included the release of six commercially successful singles, while promoting, Stefani was often accompanied by back-up dancers called the Harajuku Girls. Baby. was met generally positive reviews from music critics. It debuted at five on the US Billboard 200, selling 309,000 copies in its first week. The album has received multi-platinum sales certifications in countries, and has sold over seven million copies worldwide. During her time with the band No Doubt, Stefani began making appearances on albums by artists, including Eve. In the production of its studio album, Rock Steady, No Doubt collaborated with Prince. While the band was on tour to promote the album, Stefani listened to Club Nouveaus 1987s single Why You Treat Me So Bad and considered recording material that modernized 1980s music. No Doubts bassist and her boyfriend, Tony Kanal, introduced her to music by Prince, Lisa and Cult Jam, and Debbie Deb. In 2003, Stefani began recording solo material and she stated she was considering recording singles to be used on soundtracks, continuing her collaborations or releasing an album under the pseudonym GS. Jimmy Iovine convinced Stefani to work on this album, on the second day of her sessions with Linda Perry, the two wrote a song about Stefanis writers block and fears about the solo album. This became the track What You Waiting For. which was released as the single for the album. When the two working on a song that Stefani stated was too personal, she left to visit Kanal
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
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Many of the songs are about fashion and wealth
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
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Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
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Stefani performing "
The Real Thing "
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
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Stefani on the Harajuku Lovers Tour to promote the album
3.
The Sweet Escape Tour
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The Sweet Escape Tour was the second concert tour by American singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani. The tour began in April 2007 in support of her solo album The Sweet Escape. The tour was Stefanis follow up to her previous The Harajuku Lovers Tour and it went worldwide as compared to her previous tour which was constricted only to North America and had more than double the number of shows. It was Stefanis last solo effort as she rejoined her band No Doubt after the tour ended, the main feature were usage of various props such as a prison for Stefanis opening act, a six-piece band and a large multimedia screen in the backdrop showing videos and animations. The tour had its own set of controversies, a group of students making up for The National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students, banned Stefanis concert that was slated to take place August 21 at Putra Indoor Stadium. The unions vice president, Abdul Muntaqim said, Her performance and it promotes a certain degree of obscenity and will encourage youth to emulate the western lifestyle. The organizer of the vent, Maxis Communications later responded, Stefani has confirmed that her concert will not feature any revealing costumes and she will abide by the Malaysian authorities guidelines to ensure that her show will not be offensive to local sensitivities. In April, Akon drew criticism for having on-stage dirty dancing with a fifteen-year-old preachers daughter, at a club in Trinidad and Tobago, as a result, the tours sponsor Verizon Wireless decided not to sponsor the tour. Stefani donated $166,000 from her October 30 concert in San Diego to The San Diego Foundation fire relief fund, on her June 22 and June 23 concerts in Irvine, California, Stefani was joined onstage by her No Doubt bandmates. They performed their songs Just a Girl, Spiderwebs, Sunday Morning, Hella Good, the Sweet Escape tour was generally well received by critics. Christina Fuoco-Karasinski of Livedaily said, The shows pacing was impeccable, instead of silence or banter between songs, Stefanis band played musical interludes, or the dancers entertained. Katrina-Kasey Wheeler on PopMatters appreciated the props saying, everything from the set list to the visuals and props displayed a larger-than-life aura, years after Gwen Stefani first emerged as a major presence in the world of pop music, shes finally got a show to match. Chris Macias of Sacbee also appreciated the concert and described the show as Its part pep rally, part Broadway musical, joan Anderman of Boston. com said. her bad notes were hers, part of a real personality rather than a standard-issue pop star. T. Michael Crowell of the San Diego Union-Tribune also agreed and said, Her vocal range is narrow, the tour was a commercial success. The tour was the twenty-third most successful tour in the United States in 2007, the tour grossed $30,511,669 through the 55 shows in the U. S with 53 sold-out shows. Gwen announced in both the October 30 concert at the Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl and the November 1 concert at the Stockton Arena that she was filming her Sweet Escape Tour DVD. Only one concert of the Cox Arena, and Stockton Arena can be chosen for the Sweet Escape Tour DVD, for the Special occasion, Gwen did a special performance of the song U Started It which had only been seen at a few shows. During the concert she ran out into the audience to sing Cool, however, the recorded performances were not released as a separate DVD
The Sweet Escape Tour
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Promotional poster for the
Journal Pavilion
The Sweet Escape Tour
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Stefani performing during the Tour.
4.
No Doubt
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No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, that formed in 1986. Since 1994, the group has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, bassist and keyboardist Tony Kanal, guitarist and keyboardist Tom Dumont, since the mid-1990s in live performances and the studio, they have been supported by keyboardist and trombonist Gabrial McNair and keyboardist and trumpeter Stephen Bradley. The ska sound of their song Trapped in a Box that was featured on their first album No Doubt failed to make an impact. The Beacon Street Collection is a raw expression of their sound, inspired by ska punk, the album sold over 100,000 copies in 1995, over three times as many as their first album sold. Fifteen months later, the band reappeared with Rock Steady, which incorporated reggae, the album was primarily recorded in Jamaica and featured collaborations with Jamaican artists Bounty Killer, Sly and Robbie, and Lady Saw. The album produced two Grammy-winning singles, Hey Baby and Underneath It All, as well as Hella Good, after a 2004 tour the band embarked on solo projects, with Stefani releasing two successful solo albums Love. Baby. and The Sweet Escape while Tom Dumont released his own music project. In 2008, the band resumed working slowly on their effort, titled Push and Shove. They have sold over 33 million records worldwide, Eric Stefani and John Spence met at a Dairy Queen and had talked about getting a group together to play music. Eric got a keyboard and gathered some players together to practice, the practice included Eric Stefani, Gwen Stefani, John Spence, Jerry McMahon, Chris Leal, Chris Webb, Gabriel Gonzalez & Alan Meade and Tony Meade. They practiced in Erics parents garage, Tony Kanal went to one of the bands early shows and soon joined the band as its bassist. After initially rejecting her advances, he began dating Gwen, but they kept their secret for a year. Paul Caseley also joined the band in 1987, Eric Carpenter joined the horn section soon after. In December 1987, Spence committed suicide days before the band was to play a gig at The Roxy Theatre for record industry employees. No Doubt disbanded but decided to regroup after several weeks with Alan Meade taking over vocals, when Meade left the band, Gwen replaced him as lead singer, and No Doubt continued to develop a live following in California. He joined No Doubt and replaced Jerry McMahon as the bands guitarist, Adrian Young replaced Chris Webb as the drummer the following year. Caseley left No Doubt in July 1989 for the US Navy Band, No Doubts self-titled debut album was finally released in 1992, but it featured no radio singles, although a video was made for Trapped in a Box. The albums distinctly upbeat pop/cartoon sound sharply contrasted with the then-dominant grunge movement, because the music worlds focus was redirected squarely at Seattle, No Doubts album was not supported by the record label and considered a commercial failure for selling only 30,000 copies
No Doubt
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No Doubt in 2009
5.
The Black Eyed Peas
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The Black Eyed Peas is an American group, consisting of rappers will. i. am, apl. de. ap, Taboo, and singer Fergie. Originally an alternative hip hop group, they changed their musical sound to pop and dance-pop music. Although the group was founded in Los Angeles in 1995, it was not until the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003 that they achieved record sales. Since that time, the group has sold an estimated 76 million records, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the Black Eyed Peas were the second-best-selling artist/group of all time for downloaded tracks, with over 42 million sales as of the end of 2011. Their first major hit was the 2003 single Where Is the Love, from Elephunk, which topped the charts in 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it spent seven weeks at number one and went on to become Britains biggest selling single of 2003. Another European hit single from the album was Shut Up. Their fourth album, Monkey Business, was an even bigger success, certified 4× Platinum in the U. S. and spawning four singles, Dont Phunk with My Heart, Dont Lie, My Humps. I Gotta Feeling became the first single to more than one million downloads in the United Kingdom. The Black Eyed Peas were ranked 12th on Billboards Decade-End Chart Artist of the Decade, at the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony, held in January 2010, they won three awards out of six nominations. In November 2010, they released the album The Beginning, in February 2011, the group performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show. The Black Eyed Peas date back to 1988, when eighth-graders William Adams and Allan Pineda met, the pair signed to Ruthless Records in 1992, catching the attention of Eazy-E manager Jerry Hellers nephew. Along with another friend of theirs, Dante Santiago, they called their trio Atban Klann, will 1X, apl. de. ap, Mookie Mook, DJ Motiv8, and Dante Santiago formed Atban Klann. Their debut album, Grass Roots, was never released due to Ruthless records founder Eazy-Es death, after Eazy-E died in 1995, Atban Klann reformed and changed their name to Black Eyed Pods, and then Black Eyed Peas. Dante Santiago was replaced with Jaime Gomez, and Kim Hill became a background singer. Unlike the gangsta rap sounds of Los Angeles-based hip hop acts at the time, after being signed to Interscope Records and releasing their debut, Behind the Front the group earned critical acclaim. One of the singles from the album was Joints & Jam, singer Sierra Swan joined in 1998, appearing on the 1998 song Fallin Up, before she left in 2000. Their second album, Bridging the Gap, produced the singles Weekends featuring Esthero, Hill left the band while producing the album, but was still featured on the album tracks for Hot and Tell Your Mama Come as well as in the video for Weekends. Their third album Elephunk began development on November 2,2001 and it was the first album to feature the vocals of current member Fergie
The Black Eyed Peas
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The Black Eyed Peas performing at Walmart Meeting
The Black Eyed Peas
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The Black Eyed Peas signing autographs in 2004.
The Black Eyed Peas
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The Black Eyed Peas performing on August 24, 2006
The Black Eyed Peas
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The Black Eyed Peas performing on October 7, 2009
6.
M.I.A. (rapper)
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M. I. A. is a play on her own name and a reference to the acronym of Missing in Action. Her compositions combine elements of alternative, dance, electronic, hip hop, M. I. A. began her career in 2000 as a visual artist, filmmaker and designer in west London before beginning her recording career in 2002. She released her debut album Arular in 2005 and her second album Kala in 2007, Arular charted in Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Japan and the US, where it reached number 16 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and number three on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Kala was certified silver in the UK and gold in Canada and the US and it also charted in several countries across Europe, in Japan and Australia. The albums first single Boyz reached the Top 10 in Canada and on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales in 2007, the single Paper Planes The Beat Roberto Avila made peaked in the Top 20 worldwide and reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It has become XL Recordings second best-selling single to date, M. I. A. s third album Maya was released in 2010 soon after the controversial song-film short Born Free. The single XXXO reached the Top 40 in Belgium, Spain, M. I. A. has embarked on five global headlining tours and is the founder of her own multimedia label, N. E. E. T. Her fourth studio album, Matangi, was released in 2013, Arulpragasams early compositions relied heavily on the Roland MC-505 music sequencer and drum machine. Her later work marked an evolution in her sound with instruments, electronics. Critics have acclaimed a distinctive style to her music and she posted many of her songs and videos from 2002 onwards on platforms such as MySpace. In 2001, she received an Alternative Turner Prize nomination for her visual art, Time magazine named her one of the worlds 100 most influential people in 2009. Esquire magazine ranked M. I. A. on its list of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century in January 2010. Arulpragasam was born on 18 July 1975, in Hounslow, West London, to Arul Pragasam, an engineer, writer and activist, and his wife, Kala, a seamstress. When Maya was six months old, her moved to Jaffna, the cultural, political, and economic capital of the predominantly Tamil northern Sri Lanka. There, her father adopted the name Arular and became a political activist and founding member of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students, the first eleven years of Arulpragasams life were marked by displacement caused by the Sri Lankan Civil War. Her family went into hiding from the Sri Lankan army, and she has described her family as living in big-time poverty during her childhood but also recalls some of her happiest memories from growing up in Jaffna. Maya attended Catholic convent schools such as the Holy Family Convent, during the civil war, soldiers would put guns through holes in the windows and shoot at the school, what she notes as bullying exploitation. Her classmates were trained to dive under the table or run next door to English-language schools that, according to her, Arulpragasam lived on a road alongside much of her extended family and played inside temples and churches in the town
M.I.A. (rapper)
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M.I.A. performing at the
Zénith de Paris in 2014
M.I.A. (rapper)
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M.I.A. performing at
Sónar on her
Arular Tour
M.I.A. (rapper)
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M.I.A. performing at the Prince in Melbourne in February 2006.
M.I.A. (rapper)
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M.I.A. performing at the
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in August 2009
7.
Ciara
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Ciara Princess Wilson, known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. It was at this time Ciara was noticed for her songwriting, in 2002, Ciara met music producer Jazze Pha. With his help, she signed a deal with LaFace Records. In 2004, Ciara released her studio album Goodies, which spawned three hit singles, Goodies,1,2 Step, and Oh. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. She released her studio album, Ciara, The Evolution, in 2006 which spawned the hit singles Get Up, Promise. The album reached number one in the U. S. and was certified platinum and her third studio album, Fantasy Ride, released in 2009, was considerably less successful than Ciaras first two albums. However, it produced the international top-ten single Love Sex Magic featuring Justin Timberlake, the following year, Ciara released her fourth studio album Basic Instinct, which was met with low sales and continued a downward trend in her commercial performance. In 2011, she signed a new deal with Epic Records. In 2015, Ciara released her sixth album Jackie, which included the singles I Bet, the album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 and sold 19,000 copies, which made it her lowest first-week album sales to date. Ciara has also transitioned into acting in 2006 she made her film debut it All Youve Got, followed by Mama, I Want to Sing. in 2013, Ciara had a recurring role in the US TV series, The Game. Since making her debut in 2004, Ciara has attained eight Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles. She has also earned awards and accolades, including three BET Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, three MOBO Awards, and one Grammy Award. To date, Ciara has sold over 23 million records worldwide, Ciara was born in Austin, Texas on October 25,1985, the only child of Jackie Harris and Carlton Harris. An army brat, she grew up in Germany, New York, Utah, California, Arizona and she was named after the Revlon fragrance Ciara which was introduced in 1973 and is still sold today. During her teens, Ciara and her family moved to Atlanta, in her mid-teens, Ciara formed the all-girl group Hearsay with two of her friends. The group recorded demos, but as time went on, they began to have differences, despite this setback, Ciara was still determined to reach her goal and signed a publishing deal as a songwriter. Her first success was the song, Got Me Waiting for R&B singer Fantasia Barrinos debut album and it was when she was writing songs that she met music producer, Jazze Pha, whom she called her music soulmate
Ciara
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Ciara
Ciara
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Ciara performing during her debut tour
Ciara: Live in Concert in November 2006
Ciara
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Ciara 2009
Ciara
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Ciara has cited
Michael Jackson as one of her biggest influences.
8.
Billboard (magazine)
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Billboard is an American entertainment media brand owned by the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, a division of Eldridge Industries. It publishes pieces involving news, video, opinion, reviews, events and it is also known for its music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200, tracking the most popular singles and albums in different genres. It also hosts events, owns a publishing firm, and operates several TV shows, Billboard was founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James Hennegan as a trade publication for bill posters. Donaldson later acquired Hennegens interest in 1900 for $500, in the 1900s, it covered the entertainment industry, such as circuses, fairs and burlesque shows. It also created a service for travelling entertainers. Billboard began focusing more on the industry as the jukebox, phonograph. Many topics it covered were spun-off into different magazines, including Amusement Business in 1961 to cover outdoor entertainment so that it could focus on music. After Donaldson died in 1925, Billboard was passed down to his children and Hennegans children, until it was sold to investors in 1985. The first issue of Billboard was published in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 1,1894 by William Donaldson, initially, it covered the advertising and bill posting industry and was called Billboard Advertising. At the time, billboards, posters and paper advertisements placed in public spaces were the means of advertising. Donaldson handled editorial and advertising, while Hennegan, who owned Hennegan Printing Co. managed magazine production, the first issues were just eight pages long. The paper had columns like The Bill Room Gossip and The Indefatigable, a department for agricultural fairs was established in 1896. The title was changed to The Billboard in 1897, after a brief departure over editorial differences, Donaldson purchased Hennegans interest in the business in 1900 for $500, to save it from bankruptcy. That May, Donaldson changed it from a monthly to a paper with a greater emphasis on breaking news. He improved editorial quality and opened new offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, London and he also re-focused the magazine on outdoor entertainment like fairs, carnivals, circuses, vaudeville and burlesque shows. A section devoted to circuses was introduced in 1900, followed by more prominent coverage of events in 1901. Billboard also covered topics including regulation, a lack of professionalism, economics and it had a stage gossip column covering the private lives of entertainers, a tent show section covering traveling shows and a sub-section called Freaks to order. According to The Seattle Times, Donaldson also published articles attacking censorship, praising productions exhibiting good taste
Billboard (magazine)
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An 1896 issue of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
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Cover of Billboard (January 26, 2013).
9.
Harajuku Lovers Live
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Harajuku Lovers Live is the first live long-form video by American recording artist Gwen Stefani. It was released on DVD on December 4,2006, by Interscope Records, the DVD was directed by Sophie Muller and produced by Oil Factory Productions. It is a recording of one of Stefanis concerts during her Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005 in late 2005 to promote her first album, the performance was recorded in November 2005, in Anaheim, California. The concert features performances of all songs from Love. Baby. and two new songs from her studio album, The Sweet Escape, as well as interviews with the musicians and dancers. Harajuku Lovers Live was released in conjunction with the promotion for The Sweet Escape, the DVD received mixed reviews, with reviewers praising Stefanis musical performances and stage presence, but criticizing the lack of material and the long costume changes. The DVD was certified gold in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association, during her hiatus from the band No Doubt, Gwen Stefani recorded and released her first solo studio album, Love. Between September 2004 and January 2006, Stefani released six of the twelve tracks as singles. Rich Girl, Hollaback Girl, Cool, Luxurious and Crash, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry certified Love. Platinum at the May 2005 Platinum Europe Awards, between October and December 2005, Stefani toured North America in her Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005 to promote Love. Performing 37 shows in the United States and five in Canada and her opening acts included Ciara, M. I. A. and The Black Eyed Peas. Harajuku Lovers Live was released on December 5,2006, the day as the release of Stefanis second album. Both Harajuku Lovers Live and The Sweet Escape were released a day early in the United Kingdom, the DVD carries a Parental Advisory sticker for profanity, although a clean version of the DVD is also available. The cover image of Stefani sitting in a throne imitates the image of Love. Both images were photographed by Nick Knight and it was directed by Sophie Muller, who has also produced music videos for Stefanis singles Cool, Luxurious and Crash from Love. Baby. and would produce music videos for Wind It Up,4 in the Morning. The DVD was produced by Oil Factory Productions, the DVD contains a recording of one of the concerts in Stefanis Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005. The concert was performed in late November 2005 in the Honda Centre in Anaheim, California, the concerts set list includes all twelve of the songs from Love
Harajuku Lovers Live
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Stefani on the Harajuku Lovers Tour, performing "
Hollaback Girl ", the most successful single from her first album.
Harajuku Lovers Live
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Harajuku Lovers Live
Harajuku Lovers Live
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Stefani on the Harajuku Lovers Tour, singing "
What You Waiting For? ". Critics commented on her flamboyant costumes during the concert. In the background, one of Stefani's Japanese backing dancers is visible.
10.
The Sweet Escape
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The Sweet Escape is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani, released on December 1,2006 by Interscope Records. Having originally intended to return to No Doubt after her solo album. Stefani decided to record an album as a way to release some of the material left over from the Love. The album musically resembles its predecessor while exploring more modern pop sounds and it was released to generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, receiving criticism for its strong similarities to Love. It was preceded by the lead single Wind It Up, which charted moderately across the world, and produced the follow-up single The Sweet Escape, which proved more successful worldwide. The Sweet Escape reached the top five in the United States, Canada, the albums supporting tour, The Sweet Escape Tour, kicked off in April 2007, covering North America, Colombia, Australia, Asia, and Europe. Following the release of her debut album Love, Stefani announced that she had intended to return to No Doubt and record a sixth studio album with the band. After the commercial success of L. A. M. B and she decided to release several leftover tracks from the album as an EP or as extra tracks on a DVD. However, Pharrell Williams, with whom she had collaborated to write Hollaback Girl, part two, and the two recorded several songs during sessions in Miami in July 2005. A. M. B. She included performances of Wind It Up and Orange County Girl when she embarked on the Harajuku Lovers Tour in October 2005, Stefani put the project on hold in December 2005 when she discovered that she was pregnant, before returning to the studio in August 2006. The albums working title was Candyland, sharing its name with a track that has only been looped via her fashion show soundtrack. The title was changed to The Sweet Escape, the title of the second track, the album cover was taken by photographer Jill Greenberg. The image was part of a series of images taken by Greenberg. To create End Times, Greenberg gave lollipops to toddlers but took them back after several moments, Greenberg used the images as a representation of American politics and society. Greenberg was accused of abuse for the photo shoots, Stefani, however, commented, I didnt think child abuse—I just thought. Every kid cries Other people reacted like, Oh my God, Thats so disturbing, or Thats so sad. I guess thats what arts all about and its supposed to make you think. Stefanis appearance on the cover is inspired by that of Elvira Hancock
The Sweet Escape
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Stefani performing "Wind It Up" during the
Sweet Escape Tour
The Sweet Escape
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The Sweet Escape
The Sweet Escape
11.
Honda Center
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The Honda Center is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League, originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction, it was completed in 1993 at a cost of US$123 million. Arrowhead Water paid $15 million for the rights over 10 years in October 1993. In the short period of time between the enfranchisement of the Mighty Ducks and the rights deal with Arrowhead, Disney referred to the Arena as the Pond of Anaheim. In October 2006, Honda paid $60 million for the rights for over 15 years. The arena opened on June 19,1993, with a Barry Manilow concert as its first event, since then, it has been host to a number of events, such as the 2003 and 2007 Stanley Cup Finals. On June 6,2007, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators, 6–2, Honda Center has hosted several UFC events, starting with UFC59 in 2006. It hosted the 2005 IBF World Championships for badminton in 2005, from 1994 to 1998, it served as a second home for the NBAs Los Angeles Clippers. It was the arena for the Anaheim Bullfrogs of Roller Hockey International from 1994 to 1999. This arena has hosted a PBR Bud Light Cup event annually since 1998. Since 1994, the arena has hosted the annual John R. Wooden Classic, in 2011, the arena began hosting the Big West Conference Mens and Womens Basketball tournaments. The arena has hosted the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament six times. It even hosted the Frozen Four, the semifinals and final of the NCAA Mens Ice Hockey Championship, in 1999, the Honda Center lies northeast across California State Route 57 from Angel Stadium and roughly 3 miles from Disneyland Park. The arena seats up 17,174 for its primary tenant and it takes only five hours to convert Honda Center from a sporting arena to an 8, 400-seat amphitheater. There are 84 luxury suites in the building, which has hosted 17.5 million people, in 2005, the arena became the first in the U. S. to have two full levels of 360° ribbon displays installed. Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota, designed, manufactured and installed the 1,800 feet of full-color LED technology. Outside the venue, the marquee was upgraded with two large video displays measuring 8 feet high by 21 feet, and a new marquee was built with more LED video displays, samueli hopes to bring an NBA team to the arena. During the 2014–2015 NHL Season, it was announced that Honda Center would get a new scoreboard that will replace the one that was in place since its opening in 1993, the new scoreboard made its debut in a Ducks Preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings
Honda Center
Honda Center
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A panorama of Honda Center's exterior.
Honda Center
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Honda Center in its basketball configuration before an NCAA basketball game.
12.
Anaheim, California
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Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 336,265, making it the most populous city in Orange County, Anaheim remained largely a rural community until Disneyland opened in the city in 1955. This led to the construction of hotels and motels around the area. The city also developed into a center, producing electronics, aircraft parts. Anaheims city limits extend from Cypress in the west to the Riverside County line in the east and encompass a diverse collection of neighborhoods, Anaheim Hills is a master-planned community located in the citys eastern stretches that is home to many of the citys affluent. Downtown Anaheim has three historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. The Anaheim Resort, a district, includes Disneyland, Disney California Adventure. The Platinum Triangle, a redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets. Finally, Anaheim Canyon is a district north of California State Route 91. Anaheims name is a blend of Ana, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and heim, the city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who were residents of San Francisco and whose families had originated in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. For $750 a share, the formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company. Their new community was named Annaheim, meaning home by the Santa Anna River in German, the name later was altered to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán, although grape and wine-making was their primary objective, the majority of the 50 settlers were mechanics, carpenters and craftsmen with no experience in wine-making. The community set aside 40 acres for a center and a school was the first building erected there. The first home was built in 1857, the Anaheim Gazette newspaper was established in 1870, for 25 years, the area was the largest wine producer in California. However, in 1884, a disease infected the grape vines, other crops – walnuts, lemons and oranges – soon filled the void. Fruits and vegetables had become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the railroad network in 1887. The famous Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski, while living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger
Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
13.
Hip hop music
–
It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements, MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching with turntables, break dancing, and graffiti writing. Other elements include sampling beats or bass lines from records, while often used to refer solely to rapping, hip hop more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture. Hip hops early evolution occurred as sampling technology and drum machines became available and affordable. Turntablist techniques such as scratching and beatmatching developed along with the breaks and Jamaican toasting, rapping developed as a vocal style in which the artist speaks or chants along rhythmically with an instrumental or synthesized beat. The Sugarhill Gangs 1979 song Rappers Delight is widely regarded to be the first hip hop record to gain popularity in the mainstream. The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre developed more complex styles, prior to the 1980s, hip hop music was largely confined within the United States. However, during the 1980s, it began to spread to scenes in dozens of countries. New school hip hop was the wave of hip hop music, originating in 1983–84 with the early records of Run-D. M. C. The Golden age hip hop period was a period between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. Notable artists from this era include the Juice Crew, Public Enemy, & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions and KRS-One, EPMD, Slick Rick, Beastie Boys, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Ultramagnetic MCs, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop that often focuses on the violent lifestyles, in the West Coast hip hop style, G-funk dominated mainstream hip hop for several years during the 1990s. I. G. In the 1990s, hip hop began to diversify with other regional styles emerging, such as Southern rap, at the same time, hip hop continued to be assimilated into other genres of popular music, examples being Neo soul and nu metal. Hip hop became a pop music genre in the mid-1990s. The popularity of hip hop music continued through the 2000s, with hip hop influences also increasingly finding their way into mainstream pop, the United States also saw the success of regional styles such as crunk, a Southern genre that emphasized the beats and music more than the lyrics. Starting in 2005, sales of hip hop music in the United States began to severely wane, during the mid-2000s, alternative hip hop secured a place in the mainstream, due in part to the crossover success of artists such as OutKast and Kanye West. Creation of the hip hop is often credited to Keith Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash. However, Lovebug Starski, Keith Cowboy, and DJ Hollywood used the term when the music was known as disco rap. Cowboy later worked the hip hop cadence into a part of his stage performance, the first use of the term in print was in The Village Voice, by Steven Hager, later author of a 1984 history of hip hop
Hip hop music
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1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the Bronx, a venue used by Kool Herc that is often considered the birthplace of hip hop in 1973
Hip hop music
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DJ Kool Herc, recognized as one of the earliest hip hop artists
Hip hop music
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Grandmaster Flash
Hip hop music
–
Afrika Bambaataa (left)
14.
Monkey Business (album)
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Monkey Business is the fourth studio album by American group, The Black Eyed Peas. It was released on May 25,2005, by the will. i. am Music Group and it was recorded in two and three-month spurts throughout 2004 while the group was on tour. The album was certified three times Platinum by the RIAA in the U. S. and has sold over 11 million copies worldwide, the Canadian Recording Industry Association has certified Monkey Business 6x Platinum, with sales of over 600,000 copies. The Australian Recording Industry Association has also certified Monkey Business 6x Platinum, the albums tracks earned the group four 2006 Grammy Award nominations and they also won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for Dont Phunk with My Heart. According to IFPI, over 2 million copies have sold in Europe. Initial critical response to Monkey Business was mixed to negative, at Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 48, based on 20 reviews. The most favourable review was Robert Christgaus, who gave the album a 3-star honorable mention, saying, Dont Phunk with My Heart was the lead single from The Black Eyed Peas second album since band member Fergie joined the group. The single became the groups first top 5 single, peaking at No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and their second top 10. Dont Lie was the second single, however it failed to duplicate the success of Dont Phunk with My Heart. Dont Lie did manage to crack the top 20 in the United States and my Humps was the third single from the album and was released in the summer of 2005. The song was released after it became a hit on mainstream radio across the United States. The track, even with lack of promotion, surpassed the highly promoted track Dont Lie and my Humps became one of the biggest songs of 2005, despite an incredible amount of criticism, with some labeling the song tasteless. Audio Delite at Low Fidelity includes a hidden track Change, pump It samples Misirlou by Dick Dale. Dont Phunk With My Heart interpolates I Wonder If I Take You Home by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and samples Ae Naujawan Sab Kuchh Yahan and Yeh Mera Dil Pyaar Ka Diwana, Dont Lie samples The Rulers Back by Slick Rick. My Humps interpolates I Need a Freak by Sexual Harassment and samples Wild Thing by Tone Lōc, like That samples Who Can I Turn To by Astrud Gilberto. Dum Diddly interpolates Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth and Walk Like an Egyptian by The Bangles, feel It interpolates Dont Stop Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson. Gone Going interpolates and samples Gone by Jack Johnson and they Dont Want Music interpolates Mind Power by James Brown. Ba Bump interpolates Candy by Cameo, audio Delite at Low Fidelity samples All Night Long by Mary Jane Girls
Monkey Business (album)
–
The Black Eyed Peas performing on August 24, 2006
Monkey Business (album)
–
Monkey Business
15.
M.I.A. (artist)
–
M. I. A. is a play on her own name and a reference to the acronym of Missing in Action. Her compositions combine elements of alternative, dance, electronic, hip hop, M. I. A. began her career in 2000 as a visual artist, filmmaker and designer in west London before beginning her recording career in 2002. She released her debut album Arular in 2005 and her second album Kala in 2007, Arular charted in Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Japan and the US, where it reached number 16 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and number three on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Kala was certified silver in the UK and gold in Canada and the US and it also charted in several countries across Europe, in Japan and Australia. The albums first single Boyz reached the Top 10 in Canada and on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales in 2007, the single Paper Planes The Beat Roberto Avila made peaked in the Top 20 worldwide and reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It has become XL Recordings second best-selling single to date, M. I. A. s third album Maya was released in 2010 soon after the controversial song-film short Born Free. The single XXXO reached the Top 40 in Belgium, Spain, M. I. A. has embarked on five global headlining tours and is the founder of her own multimedia label, N. E. E. T. Her fourth studio album, Matangi, was released in 2013, Arulpragasams early compositions relied heavily on the Roland MC-505 music sequencer and drum machine. Her later work marked an evolution in her sound with instruments, electronics. Critics have acclaimed a distinctive style to her music and she posted many of her songs and videos from 2002 onwards on platforms such as MySpace. In 2001, she received an Alternative Turner Prize nomination for her visual art, Time magazine named her one of the worlds 100 most influential people in 2009. Esquire magazine ranked M. I. A. on its list of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century in January 2010. Arulpragasam was born on 18 July 1975, in Hounslow, West London, to Arul Pragasam, an engineer, writer and activist, and his wife, Kala, a seamstress. When Maya was six months old, her moved to Jaffna, the cultural, political, and economic capital of the predominantly Tamil northern Sri Lanka. There, her father adopted the name Arular and became a political activist and founding member of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students, the first eleven years of Arulpragasams life were marked by displacement caused by the Sri Lankan Civil War. Her family went into hiding from the Sri Lankan army, and she has described her family as living in big-time poverty during her childhood but also recalls some of her happiest memories from growing up in Jaffna. Maya attended Catholic convent schools such as the Holy Family Convent, during the civil war, soldiers would put guns through holes in the windows and shoot at the school, what she notes as bullying exploitation. Her classmates were trained to dive under the table or run next door to English-language schools that, according to her, Arulpragasam lived on a road alongside much of her extended family and played inside temples and churches in the town
M.I.A. (artist)
–
M.I.A. performing at the
Zénith de Paris in 2014
M.I.A. (artist)
–
M.I.A. performing at
Sónar on her
Arular Tour
M.I.A. (artist)
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M.I.A. performing at the Prince in Melbourne in February 2006.
M.I.A. (artist)
–
M.I.A. performing at the
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in August 2009
16.
Arular
–
Arular is the debut studio album by English recording artist M. I. A. It was released on 22 March 2005 in the United States, in 2004, the albums release was preceded by two singles and a mixtape. M. I. A. wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album, collaborators included Switch, Diplo, Richard X and Ant Whiting. Musically, the album incorporates styles that range from hip hop and electroclash to funk carioca, Arular was lauded by critics for its blending of styles and integration of political lyrics into dance tunes. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2005 and was included in the 2005 edition of the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Although it only reached number 98 on the UK Albums Chart and number 190 on the US Billboard 200, by mid-2007, the album had sold 129,000 copies in the US, Arular spawned the singles Sunshowers, Bucky Done Gun and Galang, which was released twice. In 2001, M. I. A. had worked exclusively in the visual arts and she found Peaches decision to perform without additional instrumentation to be brave and liberating and felt that it emphasised the artist. Returning to London, she gained access to a 505 owned by her friend. Used the 505 to make recordings in her bedroom. She initially planned to work as a producer, to this end, she approached Caribbean girls in clubs to see if they would provide vocals for the songs, but without success. Secured a record deal with XL Recordings after Frischmanns manager overheard the demo, M. I. A. began work on the album by composing lyrics and melodies, and she programmed drum beats at home on the drum machine. Having produced rough tracks via trial and error, she honed the songs in collaboration with other writer-producers. Through these collaborations, she sought to produce a style and drag out of their boxes. DJ Diplo introduced elements of Brazilian baile funk to Bucky Done Gun, Steve Mackey and Ross Orton, known professionally as Cavemen, worked on Galang, which M. I. A. had initially produced with her 505 and a basic four-track tape recorder. Working with Cavemen in a studio, she added a bass line. The track was co-written by Frischmann, whose input M. I. A and she initially hoped to feature guest vocalists on the album, but was unable due to budget constraints and other artists unfamiliarity with her work. She chose to perform all the vocals herself, saying, I just quietly got on with it, I didnt wanna convince anyone it was good. I felt it was better to prove that I could be an individual
Arular
–
M.I.A. performing in 2006 in
Melbourne
Arular
–
Arular
Arular
–
M.I.A. performing at the 2005
Sónar festival
17.
Goodies (Ciara album)
–
Goodies is the debut studio album by American recording artist Ciara. It was released on September 28,2004 via Jazze Phas Shonuff Records, after writing songs for several established acts, Ciaras talents were noticed by Jazze Pha, and she began to work on what became Goodies. The albums conception came through the track, created as a female crunk counterpart to Ushers Yeah. Ciara worked with writers and producers on the album, including Jazze Pha, Lil Jon, Bangladesh, R. Kelly, Johntá Austin, Sean Garrett. With Goodies, Ciara was hailed as the Princess or First Lady of Crunk&B, the album uses dance music while utilizing pop, R&B, and hip-hop influences. The album delivers contradictory lyrical content, featuring female empowerment and independence-promoting lyrics in songs like the title track, critics gave the album positive to mixed reviews, commending the Goodies-esque songs, while deeming others as unoriginal and noting Ciaras limited vocal abilities. Most critics compared the work to late singer Aaliyah, and also said it had qualities of Destinys Child, the album was a commercial success. In the United States, the album debuted at three on the Billboard 200, selling 124,750 copies in its opening week. It was later certified triple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, the album also fared well internationally, being certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association and silver by the British Phonographic Industry. Goodies earned Ciara two Grammy nominations at the 48th Grammy Awards including Best New Artist and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for 1,2 Step in 2006, in her mid-teens, Ciara formed the all-girl group Hearsay with two of her friends. The group recorded demos, but as time went on, they began to have differences, despite this setback, Ciara was still determined to reach her goal and signed a publishing deal as a songwriter. According to Ciara, no one believed in her dreams of hearing her own music on the radio until she met producer Jazze Pha in 2002, within five months of meeting her, Pha signed her to his Shonuff label and they had already recorded five tracks. About Ciara, Jazze Pha said, What was really lacking is the Janet Jackson, shes pretty, she can dance, she can write music, and kids love her. After graduating from Riverdale High School in Riverdale, Georgia in 2003, she was signed by LaFace Records executive, L. A. Reid and she began production on her debut album later that year. Studios, Atlanta, GA, Sony Music Studios, New York, NY, Studio 609 Recordings, Philadelphia, PA, The Studio, Philadelphia, in early 2004, Ciara wrote a demo with record producer Sean Garrett, co-writer of Ushers crunk hit Yeah. After hearing a demo, crunk producer Lil Jon, who produced and was featured on Yeah, began to work on the full record, to have it released on LaFace. Originally, Ciara was reluctant to work with the produced by Lil Jon. However, she decided to use the song to go against the grain, to give her a title to stand out, Lil Jon dubbed Ciara as the Princess of Crunk&B
Goodies (Ciara album)
–
Goodies
Goodies (Ciara album)
–
Rapper
T.I. was one of the many Atlanta-based musicians that Ciara collaborated with on the album.
18.
Xcel Energy Center
–
The Xcel Energy Center is a multi-purpose arena, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy, with an official capacity of 17,954, the arena has four spectator levels, one suite level and three general seating levels. The arena is owned by the city of Saint Paul and operated by Minnesota Sports & Entertainment, the building is home to the NHLs Minnesota Wild and is the former home of the NLLs Minnesota Swarm. It is on the block as the RiverCentre convention facility, Roy Wilkins Auditorium. It also served as home to the 2008 Republican National Convention. The arena opened on September 29,2000 and it was built on the site of the demolished St. Paul Civic Center. The push for a new arena in Saint Paul grew after the National Hockey Leagues Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas, Saint Paul unsuccessfully courted the NHLs Hartford Whalers and Winnipeg Jets under Mayor Norm Coleman, but the Civic Center was an obstacle to both deals. In order to get an NHL expansion team, Saint Paul needed to build a new arena, after several failed attempts to get funding, the project was funded by the state in April 1998. In 2004, it was named by ESPN as the best overall sports venue in the U. S, the 10 millionth person passed through the gates on July 3,2007. The Twin Cities were selected as the metropolis for the 2008 Republican National Convention on September 27,2006. The Republican National Convention was held here on September 1–4, in 2010, a Minnesota Wild game at the X was listed as the third best stadium experience in North America, according to the ESPN Magazine. First on the list went to the Minnesota Twins and Target Field, the arena played host to the politically motivated Vote for Change Tour on October 5,2004, featuring performances by Bright Eyes, R. E. M. and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. The concourse areas contain a hockey jersey from every school in Minnesota hanging on the wall. Surrounding the arena at all four corners are crows nests, one features an organ built into the shell of a Zamboni and is played during Wild games. The second nest features a lighthouse which houses a foghorn that is blasted when the team takes the ice before games, for all Wild goals, the third is often used for the Lets play hockey. Announcement before puck drop each game, along with game ops interviews, announcements, the fourth provides an additional stage for various uses. Prior to its opening, the arena installed an integrated scoring, video, information and advertising system from Daktronics, based in Brookings. The center ice display was replaced during the summer of 2014, an array of 10 LED screens with the largest measuring 37.5 feet wide by 19 feet high
Xcel Energy Center
Xcel Energy Center
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Interior during a Minnesota Wild game
Xcel Energy Center
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Interior during Minnesota Swarm lacrosse game.
Xcel Energy Center
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Inside the Xcel Energy Center during the 2006 WCHA Final Five Championship.
19.
Saint Paul, Minnesota
–
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U. S. state of Minnesota. As of 2015, the estimated population was 300,851. Saint Paul is the county seat of Ramsey County, the smallest and most densely populated county in Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the states largest city. Known as the Twin Cities, the two form the core of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.52 million residents. Founded near historic Native American settlements as a trading and transportation center, the Dakota name for Saint Paul is Imnizaska. Though Minneapolis is better-known nationally, Saint Paul contains the state government, regionally, the city is known for the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild, and for the Science Museum of Minnesota. As a business hub of the Upper Midwest, it is the headquarters of such as Ecolab. Saint Paul, along with its Twin City, Minneapolis, is known for its literacy rate. It was the city in the United States with a population of 250,000 or more to see an increase in circulation of Sunday newspapers in 2007. The settlement originally began at present-day Lamberts Landing, but was known as Pigs Eye after Pierre Pigs Eye Parrant established a tavern there. Burial mounds in present-day Indian Mounds Park suggest that the area was inhabited by the Hopewell Native Americans about two thousand years ago. From the early 17th century until 1837, the Mdewakanton Dakota and they called the area I-mni-za ska dan for its exposed white sandstone cliffs. Following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, a U. S. Army officer named Zebulon Pike negotiated approximately 100,000 acres of land from the local Dakota tribes in 1805 in order to establish a fort. The negotiated territory was located on banks of the Mississippi River, starting from Saint Anthony Falls in present-day Minneapolis, to its confluence with the Saint Croix River. Fort Snelling was built on the territory in 1819 at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, the 1837 Treaty with the Sioux ceded all local tribal land east of the Mississippi to the U. S. Government. Taoyateduta moved his band at Kaposia across the river to the south, fur traders, explorers, and missionaries came to the area for the forts protection. Many of the settlers were French-Canadians who lived nearby, however, as a whiskey trade flourished, military officers banned settlers from the fort-controlled lands
Saint Paul, Minnesota
–
Clockwise from the top: Downtown Saint Paul as seen from the Southwest, the
Xcel Energy Center, the
Cathedral of Saint Paul, the
Minnesota State Capitol, the
Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, and the historic
James J. Hill House
Saint Paul, Minnesota
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A burial mound at
Indian Mounds Park.
Saint Paul, Minnesota
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Joe Rolette, who was responsible for preventing the capital of Minnesota from moving to
Saint Peter.
Saint Paul, Minnesota
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The
Meeker Island Lock and Dam was the first lock and dam on the Mississippi River in 1902.
20.
Winnipeg
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Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is located near the centre of North America and is 110 kilometres from the U. S. border. It is also the place of the confluence of the Red, the city is named after the nearby Lake Winnipeg, the name comes from the Western Cree words for muddy water. The region was a centre for aboriginal peoples long before the arrival of Europeans. French traders built the first fort on the site in 1738, a settlement was later founded by the Selkirk settlers of the Red River Colony in 1812, the nucleus of which was incorporated as the City of Winnipeg in 1873. As of 2011, Winnipeg is the seventh most populated municipality in Canada, being located very far inland, the local climate is extremely seasonal even by Canadian standards with average January lows of around −21 °C and average July highs of 26 °C. Known as the Gateway to the West, Winnipeg is a railway, Winnipeg was the first Canadian host of the Pan American Games. It is home to professional sports franchises, including the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose. Winnipeg lies at the confluence of the Assiniboine and the Red River of the North and this point was at the crossroads of canoe routes travelled by First Nations before European contact. Winnipeg is named after nearby Lake Winnipeg, the name is a transcription of the Western Cree words for muddy or brackish water. Estimates of the date of first settlement in this area are varied, in 1805, Canadian colonists observed First Nations peoples engaged in farming activity along the Red River. The practice quickly expanded, driven by the demand by traders for provisions, the rivers provided an extensive transportation network linking northern First Peoples with those to the south along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The Ojibwe made some of the first maps on birch bark, sieur de La Vérendrye built the first fur trading post on the site in 1738, called Fort Rouge. French trading continued at this site for decades before the arrival of the British Hudsons Bay Company after France ceded the territory following its defeat in the Seven Years War. Many French and later British men who were trappers married First Nations women, their mixed-race children hunted, traded and they gradually developed as an ethnicity known as the Métis because of sharing a traditional culture. Lord Selkirk was involved with the first permanent settlement, the purchase of land from the Hudsons Bay Company, the North West Company built Fort Gibraltar in 1809, and the Hudsons Bay Company built Fort Douglas in 1812, both in the area of present-day Winnipeg. The two companies competed fiercely over trade, the Métis and Lord Selkirks settlers fought at the Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816. In 1821, the Hudsons Bay and North West Companies merged, Fort Gibraltar was renamed Fort Garry in 1822 and became the leading post in the region for the Hudsons Bay Company
Winnipeg
–
Clockwise from top:
Downtown featuring the
Canadian Museum for Human Rights,
Investors Group Field,
Saint Boniface and the
Esplanade Riel bridge, Wesley Hall at the
University of Winnipeg,
Manitoba Legislative Building.
Winnipeg
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Winnipeg's old City Hall in 1887
Winnipeg
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The Winnipeg General Strike, 21 June 1919
Winnipeg
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River walkway near
The Forks, with
St. Boniface Cathedral in the background
21.
Harajuku Girls (song)
–
Harajuku Girls is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album Love. It was released on November 12,2004, along with the rest of the parent album by Interscope Records. The track was written by Stefani, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, James Quenton Wright, Bobby Ross Avila, musically, the song is a synthpop inspired track, influenced by hip-hop music. Its lyrics serve as an ode to the Harajuku, a district in Shibuya, Japan, and the Harajuku Girls, upon release, the song was widely panned by critics for its composure and lyrical structure, with many critics finding the track racist. However, several reviewers were positive to the track for being interesting. Harajuku Girls was performed live during the Harajuku Lovers Tour in 2005, the singer wore a tiara and baby clothing, replicating a scene similar to the cover of Stefanis debut album. It was also sung live during her most recent concert series, as described by J. Freedom du Lac of The Washington Post, Harajuku Girls is a slinky synth-pop tribute to the wild sartorial sensibilities of Tokyo street culture. Stefani was inspired to write the track as she has an obsession with Japanese Harajuku culture. It serves as a tribute to Japanese fashion and as an ode to couture for John Galliano, one of the singers sources of inspiration for fashion, Hysteric Glamour. The dance troupe of the name also are a source of inspiration with the track, Stefani uses it to pay homage to the people who help inspire. According to Jason Damas of PopMatters, Harajuku Girls, in addition to Bubble Pop Electric and Luxurious, shows off Stefanis hip-hop mode, clubs Andy Battaglia referred to the style, Harajuku Girls sounds like demure would-be Japanese style. The song was written by Stefani, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, James Quenton Wright, Bobby Ross Avila, and Issiah J. Avila, with production handled by Jimmy Jam, Lewis, and Mark Spike Stent. During the songs bridge, Stefani refers to Japanese culture as A ping-pong match between Eastern and Western, while simultaneously name-dropping fashion icons, Whats that you got on, / Is it Comme des Garçons. / Vivienne Westwood cant go wrong / Mixed up with second hand clothes, the former lyrics were scrutinized by several publications, with a critic from Time calling the singer racist. When asked if she regretted her use of the Harajuku Girls, Stefani responded, there’s always going to be two sides to everything. For me, everything that I did with the Harajuku Girls was just a pure compliment and you can’t be a fan of somebody else. Of course you can celebrate other cultures, that’s what Japanese culture and American culture have done. It’s like I say in the song, it’s a ping-pong match and we do something American, they take it and they flip it and make it so Japanese and so cool
Harajuku Girls (song)
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Many of the songs are about fashion and wealth
Harajuku Girls (song)
–
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Harajuku Girls (song)
–
Stefani performing "
The Real Thing "
Harajuku Girls (song)
–
Stefani on the Harajuku Lovers Tour to promote the album
22.
Harajuku
–
Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is the name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando. In popular reference Harajuku also encompasses many smaller backstreets such as Takeshita Street, Harajuku is known internationally as a center of Japanese youth culture and fashion. In the pre Edo period, the area came to be known as Harajuku was a small post town on the Kamakura Highway. It was said that in the Gosannen War, Minamoto no Yoshiie mustered his soldiers in this area, in the Edo period, an Iga clan residence was put in Harajuku to defend Edo, due to its strategic location south of the Koshu Road. Other than the mansion of the Hiroshima Domain feudal lord Asano, the livelihood of the farmers consisted mainly of rice cleaning and flour milling with the watermill at the Shibuya River. However, due to the quality of the land, production never succeeded. It is said that local farmers often performed rain-making invocations at local shrines in an attempt to improve their fortunes, there are also the tales Oyama-Afuri Shrine of Tanzawa and Worship on the day trip to Mt Haruna remaining. At the start of the Meiji period in 1868, the land around Harajuku Village was owned by the shogunate, in November of the same year, the towns and villages of Shibuya Ward, including Harajuku Village, were placed under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Prefecture. In 1906, Harajuku Station was opened as a part of the expansion of the Yamanote Line, in 1919, with the establishment of Meiji Shrine, Omotesando was widened and reordered as a formal approach route. In 1940, the Tōgō Shrine was built and consecrated in honor of Imperial Japanese Navy Marshal-Admiral Marquis Tōgō Heihachirō, in the final period of the Pacific War in 1945, much of the area was burned to the ground during the Great Tokyo Air Raid. During the postwar occupation, military housing in the area named Washington Heights was constructed on land now occupied by Yoyogi Park and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Shops that appealed to the US soldiers and their families, such as Kiddyland, Oriental Bazaar, in 1964, swimming, diving and basketball events for the Tokyo Olympics were held in the neighbouring Yoyogi National Gymnasium. In 1965, the name of the area in the Japanese address system was changed from Harajuku to Jingumae. The name Harajuku has persisted due to the naming of the nearby JR East Harajuku Station. The area from Harajuku station to the area surrounding Takeshita Street was called Takeshita-cho, coming into the 1970s, fashion-obsessed youth culture experienced a transition from Shinjuku to Harajuku, then to Shibuya. Palais France, a building that sold clothing and accessories, furniture. In 1978, the fashion building Laforet Harajuku was opened, in the 1980s, Takeshita Street became known for teenage street dancing groups called takenoko-zoku
Harajuku
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JR
Harajuku Station
Harajuku
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Omotesando Hills, Jingumae
Harajuku
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Cat Street,
Ura-Harajuku
23.
Harajuku Girls
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The Harajuku Girls are four Japanese and Japanese American backup dancers featured in stage shows and music videos for Gwen Stefani during her solo pop/dance-record career. The women also act as an entourage at Stefanis public appearances, the Harajuku Girls are Maya Chino, Jennifer Kita, Rino Nakasone and Mayuko Kitayama. The name of the group is a reference to Harajuku, a neighborhood of Tokyo, the stage names of the women are derived from Stefanis Love. Which was the name of her first album as well as her clothing brand, the series Kuu Kuu Harajuku follows the girls, known together as HJ5, as they fight evil and try to pursue their music career. The Harajuku Girls were originally hired in 2004 as backup dancers for Gwen Stefanis Love, the Harajuku Girls continued to appear alongside Stefani, and were featured in the music videos for What You Waiting For. Rich Girl, Hollaback Girl, Luxurious, Crash, Wind It Up, The Sweet Escape, Gwen appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, and introduced the dancers as her imaginary friends. Three of the dancers would later appear in No Doubts 2012 video Settle Down, Maya Chino grew up in Tokyo. She started out doing ballet when she was three years old and also tap danced, before dancing with Gwen Stefani, she was a backup dancer for South Korean singer BoA. She is now living in LA, and teaching Hip Hop lessons to kids at an academy called HORIPRO Music Academy, also one of the Head Instructor/Choreographer for HMAs HIPHOP Team RIZE. Jennifer Kita, is a Japanese-American from Torrance, California, after graduating from South High School, Jennifer moved to San Diego and studied hip-hop at Mesa College. She later joined the dance troupe Culture Shock San Diego, where she performed for two years, then joined the hip hop entertainment company Urban FX, where she danced for a year, Rino Nakasone, born June 11,1979, grew up in Okinawa. She became interested in dance after watching music videos by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, at the age of nineteen, she went to Los Angeles to study dance. She later taught dance at a performing arts centers, and joined a dance group Beat Freaks. She most recently appeared in the new dance multimedia production Siren Assassins as Queen Jade and she was formerly married to Lee-J Razalan, the manager of Beat Freaks and a fellow dancer. And Hoot, Super Juniors No Other, fs Chu~♥, NU ABO, Gangsta Boy and Hot Summer, Mayuko Kitayama, born February 14,1984, grew up in Osaka. She eventually moved to New York, where she practiced in several dancing studios, during 2004, she appeared as one of the back up dancers for Britney Spearss Onyx Hotel Tour. Asian-American entertainer and comedian Margaret Cho criticized Stefani and the group for reinforcing negative stereotypes of Asian women, Nakasone responded that Stefani was inspired by the Japanese fashion culture and felt honored to have been in the group. In an interview in the January/February 2006 edition of Blender magazine, writer Mihi Ahn of Salon. com said of Stefanis Harajuku Girls, Stefani has taken the idea of Japanese street fashion and turned these women into modern-day geisha
Harajuku Girls
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The Harajuku Girls performing on the
Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005
Harajuku Girls
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Maya Chino ("Love") during a stage performance of
Harajuku Girls
24.
The Real Thing (Gwen Stefani song)
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The Real Thing is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. It was written by Stefani, Linda Perry, and her then-husband Gavin Rossdale, Nellee Hooper produced the song, with Mark Spike Stent serving as an additional producer. An Europop and synthpop ballad, The Real Thing talks about love between two lovers. Interscope Records released the track as a single exclusively in the Philippines a year after the albums release. It was released as a CD single that featured a remix by the music duo Wendy & Lisa, the remix was also included on the deluxe edition of L. A. M. B. as well as on the international version of the album. After its release, The Real Thing received generally favorable reviews from critics, critics appreciated the vintage production of the song and labeled it a stand-out track on the album, while also noting its New Order influence. Stefani performed the single throughout her 2005 Harajuku Lovers Tour in a red bathing suit along with a group of breakdancers. The live performance was praised and compared to works by Madonna. After a writing session where What You Waiting For. was created, Stefani became less insecure, after working with other musicians, Stefani and Perry worked together on The Real Thing. On October 3,2005, Interscope Records released the song as a single exclusively in the Philippines. The label released a CD single, which featured the album version, the Real Thing was written by Gwen Stefani, Linda Perry and Gavin Rossdale, who is credited as GMR on the albums booklet, while production was done by Nellee Hooper and Mark Spike Stent. New Order vocalist Bernard Sumner and bassist Peter Hook also contributed to the song while music duo Wendy & Lisa were in charge of providing guitar and keyboards respectively. The song has two versions, the first is a mid-tempo Europop and synthpop ballad, and the second, lyrically, the song discusses mutual love between a couple. Upon release, the song received mixed reviews from music critics. Jason Damas of PopMatters claimed that the song takes us closer to No Doubt territory again. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called her kind of visionary for getting New Order on the same track as Wendy. Kathi Kamen Goldmark of Commonsensemedia agreed, noting that the addition of the musicians actually works, anthony Carew of Neumu called it an obligatory cut where great care was taken to get that neo-vintage sound sounding just right. Stefani included the song on the setlist for both of her concert tours, Harajuku Lovers Tour and The Sweet Escape Tour
The Real Thing (Gwen Stefani song)
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"The Real Thing" cover
25.
Breakdancing
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B-boying or breaking, also called breakdancing, is a style of street dance that originated primarily among Puerto Rican and African American youths during the mid-1970s in the Bronx. The dance spread worldwide due to popularity in the media, especially in such as Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, South Korea. While diverse in the amount of variation available in the dance, b-boying consists of four kinds of movement, toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. B-boying is typically danced to hip-hop, funk music, and especially breakbeats, although modern trends allow for much wider varieties of music along certain ranges of tempo, a practitioner of this dance is called a b-boy, b-girl, or breaker. Although the term breakdance is frequently used to refer to the dance in culture and in the mainstream entertainment industry. These terms are preferred by the majority of the pioneers and most notable practitioners, instead of the term b-boying, the mainstream media promoted the artform as breakdancing, causing many to only know it as such. Enthusiasts consider breakdancing an ignorant and derogatory term due to the exploitation of the artform. The media displayed a simplified version of the dance, making it seem like the so-called “tricks” were everything, ultimately trading the culture for money and promotion. The dance itself is properly called breaking according to such as KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Mos Def. The terms b-boy, b-girl, and breaker are the terms used to describe the dancers who performed to DJ Kool Hercs breakbeats. DJ Kool Herc is a Jamaican-American DJ who is responsible for developing the foundational aspects of hip-hop music, the obvious connection of the term breaking is to the word breakbeat. DJ Kool Herc has commented that the term breaking was 1970s slang for getting excited, most breaking pioneers and practitioners prefer the terms b-boy, b-girl, and/or breaker when referring to these dancers. For those immersed in culture, the term breakdancer may be used to disparage those who learn the dance for personal gain rather than for commitment to the culture. B-boy London of the New York City Breakers and filmmaker Michael Holman refer to these dancers as breakers, frosty Freeze of the Rock Steady Crew says, we were known as b-boys, and hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa says, b-boys, what you call break boys. Or b-girls, what you call break girls, many elements of b-boying can be seen in other antecedent cultures prior to the 1970s. B-boy pioneers Richard Crazy Legs Colon and Kenneth Ken Swift Gabbert, many of b-boyings acrobatic moves, such as the flare, show clear connections to gymnastics. The engraving shows a man apparently B-boying. The dance was called the Giesse Harad Polska or salmon district dance, a young street dancer performing acrobatic headspins was recorded by Thomas Edison in 1898
Breakdancing
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A b-boy performing outside
Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA, United States
Breakdancing
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A b-boy practicing
downrock at a
studio in Moscow.
Breakdancing
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B-boys performing on San Francisco's Powell Street in 2008.
Breakdancing
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B-Boy performing hand hops in Washington D.C.
26.
Crash (Gwen Stefani song)
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Crash is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Written by Stefani and No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal, the song uses automobile metaphors to describe a relationship, not originally planned as a single, the song was released as the albums sixth and final single on January 24,2006 during Stefanis pregnancy. Stefani had been working on her project with Linda Perry. The two penned several songs, including lead single What You Waiting For, but Stefani found the process difficult, commenting, Its humiliating and intimidating even if theyre sweet and excited, because youre drowning in their creativity. When the two working on a song about a deceased friend of Stefanis, Perry began writing the lyrics and Stefani, feeling that Perry was encroaching on her territory, broke down. Stefanis No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal invited her to his house so that the two could go out with friends, when she arrived, however, Kanal surprised her by playing some tracks on which he had been working and revealed that he had prepared some for Stefani. Crash received mixed reviews from critics, in a review for The New York Times, Kelefa Sanneh noted that the track successfully conjure up the infectious spirit of early Madonna. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly called the song a retro fashion blurb on which Stefani appears as an old-school. Krissi Murison of the NME disagreed, calling it one of the best bits of the decade of decadence and referring to it as Salt-N-Pepas cartoon rap. Jason Shawhan of About. com stated that the songs great Narada Michael Walden bleepy synth noises pop out of the mix like the car stereo just decided to sing along, music commented that the track had icy-cool schoolyard sass. Eric Greenwood of Drawer B argued that the track carelessly revisits Stefanis blatant fondness for 80s pop, the Washington Post reviewer Sean Daly compared it to Salt-n-Pepas 1987 single Push It and added that Stefani pushes it real good. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave the song a review, stating that it features some near-fatal car metaphors. Crash had originally not been planned as a single release from Love. In late 2005 Stefani announced that she was pregnant and would be delaying her second album. The song impacted US contemporary hit radio and rhythmic radio stations in the US on January 24,2006. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 11,2006 at number 95 and it reached number 45 for two weeks and remained on the chart for a total of eight weeks. Crash was the single from Love. Baby. that did not receive a CD single solicitation in Canada, in addition, due to Stefanis pregnancy, a live music video was released instead of a narrative video
Crash (Gwen Stefani song)
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Stefani (far right) performing "Crash" accompanied by her
Harajuku Girls and
b-boys
Crash (Gwen Stefani song)
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"Crash"
27.
Luxurious
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Luxurious is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Written by Stefani and Tony Kanal, the contains a sample of The Isley Brothers 1983 song Between the Sheets. In addition to the Isley Brothers sample, the features use of keyboards, synthesizers. Luxurious is a contemporary R&B ballad whose lyrics describe the desire to be rich in love. The song also features Stefanis then-husband Gavin Rossdale who opens the song in French, the song was released as the albums fifth single in October 2005 along with a remix featuring rapper Slim Thug. A music video was released which featured Slim Thug, as well as the Harajuku Girls. The track received mixed reviews critics, who generally found it less impressive than the previous singles. It charted within the top 40 in several countries, but had mediocre success overall and was less popular than the singles from Love. Stefani had a breakdown from difficulties collaborating with many other artists and songwriters. Kanal had been working on a track, which later became Crash, however, the two were unable to write anything following that, because they had differing ideas of how the music should sound. Stefani commented that it was just frustrating and embarrassing to sit there, six months later, the two returned to work and came up with the beginnings of a song while working in Kanals bedroom. The two experimented with combining various melodies and including what Stefani referred to as this really kinda fast rappy part and this was the last song she and Kanal wrote together for the album. After Stefani and Kanal finished writing Luxurious, they visited record producer Nellee Hooper, who suggested a sample of The Isley Brothers 1983 song Between the Sheets. The song had previously been sampled in songs such as Da Brats Funkdafied, Jim Jones Summer wit Miami, The Notorious B. I. G. s Big Poppa. Stefani was reluctant to use the sample because it would mean losing some of the rights to the song. Nevertheless, she decided to use it because it sounded so amazing, Luxurious is an R&B ballad, whose instrumentation consists of keyboards and synthesizers. It is written in time in the key of A minor. The song uses a descending chord progression
Luxurious
–
"Luxurious"
28.
Rich Girl (Gwen Stefani song)
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Rich Girl is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Produced by Dr. Stefani says the song discusses her dreams of fame, the last song to be included on the album, Rich Girl was released as the albums second single in late 2004 to mixed reviews from music critics. It was a success, reaching the top 10 on most of the charts it entered. In the United States, Rich Girl was certified gold, Stefani and Eve had previously collaborated on the 2001 single Let Me Blow Ya Mind. When Stefani first began recording material, Eve expressed interest in working with Stefani again, saying, Shes fly, shes tight. Its going to be hot regardless, the two decided to work together again after talking in Stefanis laundry room during a party. After Stefani had co-written more than 20 songs for her debut, she approached Dr. Dre. Dre had produced Let Me Blow Ya Mind as well as Wicked Day, after playing some of the songs on which she had been working, Dr. Dre told her, You dont want to go back there. Stefani and Eve helped each other with their parts, but when they presented Dr. Dre with the demo, he told them to rewrite the song, suggesting that Stefani play a character in the song. Since she had not seen the musical since she was a child, Stefani went to Broadway to better understand the theme that even if youre poor and you have love, the idea which became the final version came to Stefani while brainstorming on her treadmill. She commented that the troubles in writing the song came because Dre was really pushing me to write in a new way, Rich Girl is a reggae song composed in the key of C minor. It is written in time and moves at a moderate 100 beats per minute. The beat is accompanied by a perfect fifth dyad and an accented piano trichord. The song is written in form, and its instrumentation includes the electronic keyboard, guitar. Stefanis voice ranges from G3 to E5, the introduction consists of the repeated use of the word na. Stefani reaches her highest note of the song, E5, as part of a trichord and her lowest, G3, after the first chorus, Stefani discusses dreams of wealth and luxury, and she namechecks fashion designers Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano. Stefani commented that the references were not product placement but that she included them because I think theyre rad, id give all my money to and buy all her clothes. A bridge, in which Stefanis voice is overdubbed, precedes the second chorus, during the second verse Stefani discusses her Harajuku Girls, and she then repeats the bridge
Rich Girl (Gwen Stefani song)
–
Stefani (far left) performing "Rich Girl" during the
Harajuku Lovers Tour.
Rich Girl (Gwen Stefani song)
–
"Rich Girl"
29.
Wind It Up (Gwen Stefani song)
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Wind It Up is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani. Originally written for inclusion on Stefanis Harajuku Lovers Tour, the song was recorded for her second solo studio album. The track contains an interpolation of The Sound of Music song The Lonely Goatherd, Wind It Up was negatively received by most music critics, who criticized the songs use of yodeling and found the track to be over the top. It was released as the lead single on October 31,2006. The accompanying music video, which became popular on stations such as Total Request Live, was directed by Sophie Muller, 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 Stefanis fashion line L. A. M. B. Stefani asked DJ Jeremy Healy to create a mashup of the song and The Lonely Goatherd, 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 Im not exaggerating, 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 isnt about anything, in the song, Stefani discusses how boys watch girls dance. The song includes a reference to Stefanis fashion line, with Stefani going, Wind It Up received generally negative reviews by contemporary pop music critics. Entertainment Weeklys Michael Slezak found the bassline rubbery and criticized the song for lacking a melody as well as its reference to Stefanis own clothing line. Bill Lamb of About. com rated 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 Stefanis debut album Love. Charles Merwin of Stylus Magazine was mixed on the track, writing that its preventing something far less interesting from getting played, john Murphy from musicOMH panned the track as just horrible, and possibly the worst start to an album this year. Spence D. from IGN characterized the song as a bugged out Sound Of Music bhangra blitz that sounds like part M. I. A. many criticized the inclusion of yodeling and The Lonely Goatherd sample. In a review for Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield called the track yodel-trocious, caroline Sullivan of The Guardian was pleased with the track, describing the yodeling as off-her-head, and referred to the track as a pinnacle of madness. IndieLondons Jack Foley noted Wind It Up as a highlight of The Sweet Escape and called it Stefanis gift that she can take something that, on paper, sounds cheesy and make it utterly, utterly cool. USA Todays Ken Barnes, however, found the track campy and an attempt at sexiness, adding that the combination of yodeling. In the face of criticism, Stefani has defended the track, I knew some people wouldnt get it, the people that did get it are Sound Of Music fans and really got a lot of pleasure from it
Wind It Up (Gwen Stefani song)
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Stefani performing "Wind It Up" during the 2007
Sweet Escape Tour
Wind It Up (Gwen Stefani song)
–
"Wind It Up"
30.
Cool (Gwen Stefani song)
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Cool is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Written by Stefani and Dallas Austin, the song was released on July 5,2005 as the fourth single. It was written by Austin basing the song on No Doubts Simple Kind of Life and he then asked for help from Stefani, and they finished the song in 15 minutes. The song received positive reviews from music critics, being compared to Cyndi Lauper. The media have drawn parallels between the lyrical content and the romantic relationship that Stefani had with Tony Kanal, a fellow group member of No Doubt. The accompanying music video was filmed by British director Sophie Muller in Lake Como and it features many flashbacks to when Stefani and her former boyfriend were dating, and currently, both are fine with their friendship. The song was included on the setlist for Stefanis debut tour Harajuku Lovers Tour, Cool was originally written by Dallas Austin after listening to Stefanis group No Doubts song Underneath It All. Austin commented that he was trying to write his version of No Doubts Simple Kind of Life and he later asked Stefani if she wanted to co-write lyrics. During a studio together, they finished Cool in 15 minutes. Stefani commented, When he told me about the track and where it came from for him, the lyrics of Cool reflect Stefanis former relationship with No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal. Although their romantic relationship ended, the lyrics portray Stefanis attitude that it is cool that they remain very good friends. Stefani said that she had never intended to include material on Love. Baby. and commented, but no matter what you do and it just ended this whole thing for me in my head, and it puts an end to a chapter in a really nice way. The lyrics of Cool sum up the evolution of their relationship with the line After all that weve been through, Cool is a mid-tempo love song featuring a synthpop and new wave production. The song is composed in D major and it is written in common time, it moves at a moderate tempo of 112 beats per minute, and it has a vocal range from the tone of F♯3 to the note of C♯5. The song is written in the common form, featuring five instruments, bass guitar, drums, guitar, keyboards. Cool opens with all five instruments, and as Stefani begins singing, the synthesizer is lowered, and she performs her highest pitch during the chorus, after which she sings in a softer, almost sotto voce, and her lowest pitch at the beginning of the verses. The synthesizer emulates brass and woodwind instruments, while the bass and guitar retain a prominent and regular eighth note pulse, in the percussion section a drum kit is used, and the snare is introduced at the beginning of the first chorus, which maintains its beat
Cool (Gwen Stefani song)
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Stefani performing "Cool" on the
Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005.
Cool (Gwen Stefani song)
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"Cool"
Cool (Gwen Stefani song)
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Stefani at the
Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts in
Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Cool (Gwen Stefani song)
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The music video includes
match cut flashbacks to Stefani's previous relationship.
