page_title: 4 in the Morning
section_title: Critical reception
hierarchical_section_title: 4 in the Morning / Critical reception
caption_attribution_description: English: Rebel Heart Tour
context_page_description: "4 in the Morning" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her second studio album The Sweet Escape. It was written by Stefani and co-written and produced by Tony Kanal, with additional production by Mark "Spike" Stent. Interscope Records serviced the song to US contemporary hit radio on May 8, 2007, as the album's third single; elsewhere it was released in June 2007. Described as one of her favorite songs on the album, Stefani began writing the song while pregnant and finished with Kanal, drawing inspiration from Roberta Flack and Billy Idol records.
  A 1980s-inspired mid-tempo synthpop ballad, "4 in the Morning" features a light keyboard during its intro through its break, a guitar, synthetic strings and a slick sheen. Lyrically, the song talks about a relationship on the edge, with the protagonist trying to save her love. "4 in the Morning" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who noted it as an improvement over her last singles, while praising its tempo and highlighting her vocals.
  "4 in the Morning" failed to replicate the commercial success of previous singles in the United States, peaking at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100.
context_section_description: "4 in the Morning" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called it "coolly sensual", noting that "those celebrations of cool synths and stylish pop hooks that work the best for Stefani." Billboard editor Chuck Taylor called it "a melodic retro ballad that could have come from 1983's Flashdance soundtrack", praising the track for "pay[ing] homage to a time when hooks were more meaningful than aligning with hostage-taking producers." Gary Graff of the same publication wrote that "Stefani's Madonna reverence remains intact" on the song, with J. Freedom du Lac from The Washington Post agreeing, noting a "Madonnaism" on the track. Amanda Murray of Sputnikmusic also thought that the song "recalls a 'Crazy for You'-era Madonna", also noting that it is "pure Stefani—and understandably, [it's] far superior to any of her attempts at mimicking other artists." Norman Mayers of Prefix magazine wrote that the song "soar[s] thanks to Stefani's girlish vocals and brilliant hook that reference iconic moments from Madonna and Tears for Fears." Bianca Gracie of Idolator called it "a breezy yet emotive '80s-ballad that highlights her tender vocals." Alex Miller fron NME described the song as "an expertly conceived tear-jerker", stating that "[i]t feels like the kind of song a teenage Stefani, miming along to Talk Talk, would have dreamt of singing one day."
  Bill Lamb from About.com cited "4 in the Morning" as the best song on the album, calling it "beautifully performed and produced", and noting that Stefani "allows her signature vocals to sensually float and glide through the lyrical content." Similarly, a reviewer for CBBC enjoyed that the song is "a melancholy and reflective ballad about relationships, which is a breath of fresh air for Gwen", praising its "catchy melody and woeful lyrics." Nick Levine from Digital Spy compared it to Robert Palmer's 1986 single "Addicted to Love", writing that "it confirms what is rapidly becoming a universal truth: Gwen Stefani is far more likeable when she channels her new wave roots than when she tries to mould herself into a ghetto fabulous urban hipshaker." Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine praised Kanal's production for making the song "less forced and much less self-conscious." Quentin B. Huff from PopMatters referred to it as one of the "few real compositions" from the album. John Murphy from musicOMH agreed, writing that "she sounds great" on "the lovelorn ballad." Pitchfork's Mark Pytlik, however, disapproved of the song, commenting that it destroyed "the mallpop cred that Stefani accrued with Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'s impeccable 'Cool'." Spence D. from IGN was also critical with the song, calling it "the most generic, mainstream, and blasé-blah pop song on the entire album."
caption: Many critics noted that the song was influenced by Madonna's early records.
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