Happy Now? (No Doubt song)

"Happy Now?"
The artwork portrays the four main band members of No Doubt standing in a brightly-lit room.
Single by No Doubt
from the album Tragic Kingdom
B-side
Released January 20, 1997 (1997-01-20)
Format CD
Recorded 1995
Genre
Length 3:43
Label Interscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Matthew Wilder
No Doubt singles chronology
"Excuse Me Mr."
(1996)		 "Happy Now?"
(1997)		 "Sunday Morning"
(1997)

"Excuse Me Mr."
(1996)		 "Happy Now?"
(1997)		 "Sunday Morning"
(1997)

"Happy Now?" is a song recorded by American rock band No Doubt. It was released as the fifth single from their third studio album Tragic Kingdom (1995). The single was issued on January 20, 1997 as a CD single. It was written by Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont, and Tony Kanal, with its production handled by Matthew Wilder. Its lyrics allude to Stefani's relationship status with Kanal, who broke up their seven-year relationship when creating Tragic Kingdom.

Musically, "Happy Now?" is an alternative rock and ska punk song, like the majority of its parent album. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with one of them calling it an improvement over No Doubt's previous releases. Commercially, the single was unsuccessful and the only from Tragic Kingdom not to peak on any record chart.

Background and release

"Happy Now?" was recorded during sessions for No Doubt's third studio album Tragic Kingdom (1995). Band members Eric Stefani, Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, Adrian Young, and producer Gary Angle collaborated for the effort.[1] However, after their record label Interscope brought in outside producer Matthew Wilder to improve the album's sessions, Eric became distraught and decided to leave the group.[2][3] The single was recorded at eleven different studios in California in 1995.[4]

A CD single featuring the song was released in both Australia and Sweden; however, the single was the only one released from Tragic Kingdom that did not peak on any significant record chart. The Australian CD included three tracks: the album version of "Happy Now?", plus bonus tracks "Let's Get Back" and a cover of Sublime's song "D.J.'s".[5] The Swedish CD featured the single and a cover of the ska-holiday song "Oi to the World".[6] The CD's cover art would be later used for Tragic Kingdom's seventh and final single, "Hey You!".[7]

Composition and lyrics

"Happy Now?" was written by Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont, and Tony Kanal, while Matthew Wilder solely produced it.[4] A critic from Sputnikmusic stated the track had a "great melody", while calling the guitar-driven lead "melancholic".[8] Similarly, Thomas Bleach from his music blog stated it "brought back the ska/rock sound that they created on their earlier releases".[9] A critic from Classic Rock Review called it "a more vocal and lyric driven track with strong guitar riffing and chords",[10] while Maggie Lange of GQ labeled it a "real classic breakup song".[11]

Lyrically, the song details Stefani's former relationship with Kanal. The same critic from Classic Rock Review agreed that it "deal[s] with Gwen Stefani's recent breakup with Kanal".[10] Kenneth Partridge's Billboard review stated that the song's lyrics involved Stefani's feelings towards Kanal, adding that it was "written about the guy that got away – and who was standing a few feet away with a bass around his neck".[12] Similarly, David Browne of Entertainment Weekly approved of the "taunt[ing]" and "savor[y]" lyrics that describe a man who ended a relationship but "wants back in", such as "All by yourself / You have no one else".[13]

Critical reception

"Happy Now?" received generally favorable reviews upon its release. Mike Boehm of the Los Angeles Times favored the single and cited it as an "example of the band's improved craft".[14] Kenneth Partridge, writing for The A.V. Club, enjoyed the song, mentioning that although it "didn't chart as high... the damage was done".[15] A reviewer from Sputnikmusic listed it under his "recommended" tracks from Tragic Kingdom,[8] while Thomas Bleach from his self-titled blog similarly called it one of his favorites.[9]

Track listings and formats

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from the Tragic Kingdom liner notes.[4]

Personnel

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
United States January 20, 1997 CD Interscope [16]

References

  1. ↑ "No Doubt". AllMusic. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  2. ↑ "No Doubt". Behind the Music. VH1. April 9, 2000.
  3. ↑ Heath, Chris (May 1, 1997). "Snap! Crackle! Pop!". Rolling Stone. New York (759). ISSN 0035-791X. OCLC 1787396.
  4. 1 2 3 Tragic Kingdom (Liner notes/ CD booklet). No Doubt. Interscope Records (Barcode: 6 0694-92580-2 3). 1995.
  5. 1 2 Happy Now? (Liner notes/ CD booklet). No Doubt. Interscope Records (Barcode: 0-606949-556020). 1997.
  6. 1 2 Happy Now?/Oi to the World (Liner notes/ CD booklet). No Doubt. Interscope Records (Catalog: IND-97529). 1997.
  7. ↑ Hey You! (Liner notes/ CD booklet). No Doubt. Interscope Records (Barcode: 6 06949 55732 4). 1997.
  8. 1 2 superpeer (January 17, 2005). "No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Bleach, Thomas (July 23, 2014). "Classic Album Review: No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom". thomasbleach.com. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt". Classic Rock Review. December 29, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  11. ↑ Lange, Maggie (March 23, 2016). "Gwen Stefani Wants the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth". GQ. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ Partridge, Kenneth (October 10, 2015). "No Doubt's 'Tragic Kingdom' at 20: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  13. ↑ Browne, David (August 2, 1996). "Tragic Kingdom". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  14. ↑ Boehm, Mike (November 13, 1995). "Album Reviews : 'Kingdom' Is Band's Best Yet, No Doubt". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  15. ↑ Partridge, Kenneth (March 25, 2014). "With Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt gave ska a chance". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  16. ↑ Jenny (September 27, 2015). "TK20: 'Tragic Kingdom' Singles Ranked". Beacon Street Online. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
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