Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape - Lyrics Meaning

Gwen Stefani wrote "The Sweet Escape" with Akon and Giorgio Tuinfort for her second solo album of the same name. She was hesitant to work with Akon initially because she thought they would end up creating a rather generic hip-hop song, which she didn't think would suit her well. Instead, Akon came to her with a beat he had already developed based on the music she'd recorded while working with No Doubt, and they wrote the song in ten minutes.

Released on New Year's Day 2007, the song, with its elements of New Wave, Disco, Doo-Wop and Ska , opened to positive reviews, though Akon's presence as a featured artist wasn't as well received.

"The Sweet Escape" is narrated from a female's perspective. She is apologizing to her lover for the way she's been treating him, and expresses her wish that they could just escape to another place where life would be perfect.

If I could escape

I would, but first of all let me say

I must apologize for acting skank and treating you this way

In the music video, the `escape' theme is taken quite literally, with Stefani and her back-up dancers / entourage, the Harajuku Girls, breaking out of prison.