Now That You Got It

"Now That You Got It"
Single by Gwen Stefani featuring Damian Marley
from the album The Sweet Escape
Released August 26, 2007[1]
Format CD single, 12" single, digital download
Recorded 2006; Henson Recording Studios
(Hollywood, Los Angeles, California)
Sony Music Studios
(New York City, New York)
Genre
Length 3:01
Label Interscope
Writer(s) Gwen Stefani, Sean Garrett, Kaseem Dean
Producer(s) Swizz Beatz
Gwen Stefani singles chronology
"4 in the Morning"
(2007)		 "Now That You Got It"
(2007)		 "Early Winter"
(2008)
Damian Marley singles chronology
"All Night"
(2006)		 "Now That You Got It"
(2007)		 "As We Enter"
(2010)

"Now That You Got It" is a song by American recording artist Gwen Stefani from her second studio album, The Sweet Escape (2006). Written by Stefani, Sean Garrett, and Swizz Beatz, with production also being handled by Swizz Beatz, "Now That You Got It" is a reggae and R&B song, featuring hip-hop beats, stacatto piano sample and military snare drums. Lyrically, the song places Gwen asking her lover to give all that she wants. A remix and hybrid featuring reggae artist Damian Marley were produced for the song's release as the album's fourth single on August 27, 2007 by Interscope Records.

The original version received mixed reviews from music critics, with some praising its catchiness, while others calling it repetitive. However, the remix version was more praised, being called "a laid back, summery tune". Commercially, the single experienced very little success, reaching the top-forty in six countries, while failing to gain impact in the United States and the United Kingdom. The song's music video was directed by The Saline Project and was shot in Puerto Rico and Jamaica, featuring Stefani and the Harajuku Girls. The song was performed during The Sweet Escape Tour.

Background and release

Before going on tour with her Harajuku Lovers Tour (2005), Stefani revealed that she was going to release a second album in 2006, stating that, "I have a bunch of leftover tracks from making Love. Angel. Music. Baby." she said. "And two months ago, Pharrell called me up, he was like, 'Come down to Miami and write some more songs!' And I'm like, 'OK!' I went down there and wrote four songs and played three of them tonight. They're really fresh."[2]

In September 2006, during the Fashion Week, MTV News interviewed Swizz Beatz and he said he was working with Stefani as well. "She's always taking it to the next level," he said. "I love her background for music. She likes a lot of Caribbean sounds with hard beats."[3] They worked on "Now That You Got It", which was selected to be the fourth single from The Sweet Escape (2006). For the single version, Stefani enlisted Damien Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley, giving the single a "reggae" feel to it.[4] It was released to mainstream radio in the United States, on August 26, 2007,[1] while in the United Kingdom, it was released on October 15, 2007.[5]

Composition and lyrics

"Now That You Got It" was written by Gwen Stefani, Sean Garrett and Swizz Beatz, who also produced the track. The original version of the song features a "loping" hip-hop beat and a staccato piano sample while Stefani "splits wailing time with a chorus of alarms," according to Mark Pytlik of Pitchfork Media.[6] It also presents "military snare drums"[7] mixed with crunk militarism.[8] Lyrically, on "Now That You Got It", the singer tells her lover that even though he is with her, he still has to work hard to keep her and give her everything she wants.[4] "Now that you got it, what you gon' do about it?", she asks.[9]

Remix

Two remixes were made for the track, both featuring Jamaican reggae artist Damian Marley, the youngest son of reggae legend Bob Marley. The "remix" version is a more reggae-infused rendition, while the "hybrid" version features the song's original beat mixed with the remix version, which also includes Marley's vocals.[10]

Critical reception

Stefani performing "Now That You Got It" on The Sweet Escape Tour.

"Now That You Got It" received mixed reviews from music critics. A positive review came from Charles Merwin of Stylus Magazine, who referred to the original version as Stefani's best "Beastie Boy imitation over a '1 Thing' rip",[11] and Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called it "instantly contagious".[12] Norman Mayers of Prefix Magazine praised Swizz Beatz for "coming up with the most likely heir to the Hollaback crown, with the bumping chants and boasting raps."[13]

Alex Miller of the NME, however, characterized it as "a track so desperate to be a club banger, its fraying tapestry of hand-claps, sirens and triumphalism has all the grace of a Pepsi Max advert."[14] Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters criticized the song's songwriting, calling it "woefully thin, relying on tedious repetition."[15] John Murphy of musicOMH wrote that "when the self-consciously wacky and kitsch side to her personality surfaces, as on the inane 'Now That You Got It', the temptation is to dive for the 'off' switch."[16]

The single version with Damian Marley received generally favorable reviews. Fraser McAlpine of the BBC Chart Blog conveyed it as a "perfect case" of Stefani "making songs which are all strident and sleek and modern and shiny and brassy and tough on the outside, but which have a delicate core in the middle which is pure and vulnerable and nervous and a little timid", rating it four out of five stars.[9] Similarly, CBBC's Newsround portrayed the sound as "a very laid back, summery tune" which, it claims, will still have its readers "humming it next week".[4]

Chart performance

"Now That You Got It" had moderate success on the charts. In the United States, it was commercially unsuccessful, not entering any of the US Billboard charts, making it Stefani's first song as a solo artist to not do so. Internationally, it reached the top-forty in a few European countries, having its higher chart position in Norway, where it debuted and peaked at number 17. However, it became her lowest charting-single there.[17] In Austria, it became one her second lowest charting-single, peaking at number 60, with "Luxurious" being her lowest at number 66.[18] In the United Kingdom, it reached number fifty-nine. The single became Stefani's third UK release not to reach the top twenty of the UK Singles Chart and to date is her lowest-selling solo single.[19]

In Australasia, the single performed very moderately, debuting at number 39 on the ARIA Charts and reaching its peak position, number 37, the following week. It remained for five weeks on the charts, but was her lowest solo single.[20] However, in New Zealand, "Now That You Got It" spent 8 weeks on the charts, debuting at number 36, on October 1, 2007, and peaking at number 21, on October 8, 2007. However, it became her only solo single to miss the top-twenty there.[21]

Music video

Stefani and the Harajuku Girls on red, yellow, and green scooters.

The song's music video was directed by The Saline Project and was shot in Puerto Rico and Jamaica.[22] The video premiered on MTV's Total Request Live on September 4, 2007.

The video opens up on a mountain with titles "Gwen Stefani Presents", "Now That You Got It" and "featuring Damian Jr. Gong Marley". Stefani is singing against a wall with Marley and later Stefani and the Harajuku Girls are riding along the road with scooters singing the first verse. The chorus begins and Stefani, Harajuku Girls and Marley and playing board games under a shelter near the lake side. Marley then begins to sing his part near two sheds while Stefani and Harajuku Girls are still on their scooters. During the second verse, Stefani sings against another girl and shows the Harajuku Girls singing on roof tops with the male dancers from The Sweet Escape Tour (Flea, Legacy, Remedy, and Steelo). During the second chorus, the video opens at the beach where Stefani is SMSing. This leads the video to a party at night time where Stefani is on stage with people dancing. The video concludes with Harajuku Girls and the boys on the roof, Stefani and the girls singing on the scooters.

Track listings

  1. "Now That You Got It" (Album Version) – 3:00
  2. "Now That You Got It" (Remix featuring Damian "Jr Gong" Marley) – 3:26
  1. "Now That You Got It" (Album Version) – 3:00
  2. "Now That You Got It" (Remix featuring Damian "Jr Gong" Marley) – 3:26
  3. "Now That You Got It" (Single Version featuring Damian "Jr Gong" Marley) – 3:09
  4. "Now That You Got It" (Video) – 3:09
  1. "Now That You Got It" (Album Version) – 3:00
  2. "Now That You Got It" (Remix featuring Damian "Jr Gong" Marley) – 3:26
  3. "Now That You Got It" (Single Version featuring Damian "Jr Gong" Marley) – 3:09
  1. "Now That You Got It" (Hybrid Mix featuring Damian "Jr Gong" Marley) – 3:08 (= Single Version)
  2. "Now That You Got It" (Main Mix featuring Damian "Jr Gong" Marley) – 3:26 (= Remix)
A1. "Now That You Got It" (Single Version featuring Damian "Jr Gong" Marley) – 3:09
A2. "Now That You Got It" (Album Version) – 3:00
A3. "Now That You Got It" (Instrumental Version) – 2:55
B1. "Now That You Got It" (Remix featuring Damian "Jr Gong" Marley) – 3:26
B2. "Now That You Got It" (Dub) – 3:30

Personnel

  • Gwen Stefani – lead vocals
  • Angel Aponte – additional engineer
  • Pete Davis – additional programming, additional keyboards
  • Loren Dawson – keyboards
  • Alex Dromgoole – assistant engineer
  • David Emery – assistant engineer

Charts

Chart (2007) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[20] 37
Austrian Singles Chart[18] 60
German Singles Chart[23] 73
Hungarian Airplay Chart[24] 36
Italian Singles Chart[25] 26
New Zealand Singles Chart[21] 21
Norwegian Singles Chart[17] 17
Slovak Airplay Chart[26] 30
UK Singles Chart[27] 59

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "R&R :: Going for Adds :: CHR/Top 40". Going for Adds. Radio and Records. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  2. ↑ Vineyard, Jenny (September 19, 2005). "Gwen Previews New Songs, Clothing Line For Diddy, Kravitz, Others". MTV News. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  3. ↑ Weinstein, Farrah (September 19, 2006). "Gwen Wants LP Out This Year, Finds Fashion Inspiration In 'Scarface'". MTV News. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Single Review: Gwen Stefani feat Damien Marley – Now That U Got It". Newsround. BBC Online. October 15, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  5. ↑ "iTunes - Now That You Got It - Single Gwen Stefani". iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  6. ↑ Pytlik, Mark (December 7, 2006). "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  7. ↑ Pareles, Jon (December 4, 2006). "Critics' Choice: New CDs". The New York Times. Retrieved August 19, 2007.
  8. ↑ Battaglia, Andy (January 30, 2007). "Gwen Stefani | The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 McAlpine, Fraser (October 11, 2007). "Gwen Stefani – 'Now That You Got It'". BBC Chart Blog. BBC Online. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
  10. ↑ "Gwen Stefani Now That You Got It: Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  11. ↑ Merwin, Charles (December 6, 2006). "Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  12. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (December 1, 2006). "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  13. ↑ Mayers, Norman (December 5, 2006). "Album Review: Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Scape | Prefix". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  14. ↑ Miller, Alex (December 1, 2006). "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  15. ↑ Huff, Quentin B. (December 14, 2006). "Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape". PopMatters. Retrieved August 19, 2007.
  16. ↑ Murphy, John. "Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape (Polydor)". musicOMH. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Gwen Stefani – Now That You Got It". Verdens Gang. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Gwen Stefani – Now That You Got It" (in German). IFPI Austria. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Gwen Stefani | Artist | Official Charts". UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Gwen Stefani – Now That You Got It". Australian Recording Industry Association. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Gwen Stefani – Now That You Got It". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  22. ↑ Gottlieb, Steven (August 6, 2007). "SHOT: Gwen Stefani f/ Damien Marley – Saline Project, directors". Video Static. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
  23. ↑ "Gwen Stefani, Now That You Got It" (in German). Media Control. charts.de. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista – 2007. 46. hét" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  25. ↑ "Classifica Mix e Singoli – Classifica settimanale dal 12/10/2007 al 18/10/2007" (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Archived from the original on October 27, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
  26. ↑ "RADIO TOP100 Oficiálna – Stefani Gwen – Now That You Got It" (in Slovak). IFPI Slovakia. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
  27. ↑ "Gwen Stefani – Now That You Got It". Chart Stats. Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2010.

External links