Baby Don't Lie

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"Baby Don't Lie"
reggae-pop
  • Afrobeat
    • Length3:21
    Label
    Songwriter(s)
    Producer(s)
    • Ryan Tedder
    • Benny Blanco
    Gwen Stefani singles chronology
    "Glycerine"
    (2012)     		"Baby Don't Lie"
    (2014)     		"Spark the Fire"
    (2014)

    "Baby Don't Lie" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter

    mainstream radio stations. It served as Stefani's musical comeback as a solo artist; her previous solo single, "Early Winter
    ", was released in January 2008.

    Lyrically, "Baby Don't Lie" discusses insecurities in a relationship. The song received generally mixed to favorable reviews, with some being receptive towards its reggae environment, while a few were ambivalent towards the song, noting that it wasn't as assertive as they expected. Its music video was released on October 21, 2014, and was directed by Stefani's longtime collaborator Sophie Muller, who directed a handful of videos for Stefani's solo career. Intended to be featured on Stefani's third studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like, the single, along with others, was scrapped in favor of new material.

    Background and release

    After releasing two solo albums,

    Diplo announced that he had produced some songs for her new album.[3] In September, during an interview for MTV News during New York Fashion Week, she confirmed to be working on a solo album and a No Doubt album, stating, "I'm going into the studio tonight with Pharrell [Williams], I'm going to be writing and also just seeing what comes along my way. I've been recording a few things." Williams completed, "When I tell you she's killing it, it's another level."[4]

    Later in the same month, music website

    mainstream radio on October 21, 2014.[11]

    Composition

    "Baby Don't Lie" was written by Stefani,

    reggae-pop song[16] which begins with Stefani announcing, "Uh huh, here we go," to a rubbery bass line and hand claps.[14] The song also has a hip hop-inflected spoken word breakdown, in which Stefani semi-raps, "You can tell me what you're hidin' boy/And you can tell me if I'm gettin' warm".[13] Lyrically, the song discusses insecurities in a relationship, where Stefani questions her man's love.[17] Nolan Feeney of Time complimented that the song is "about falling in love with someone who's got a few skeletons in their closet."[18] As noted by Spin's Brennan Carley, "Stefani sounds shattered as she sings, "But there's something behind those eyes / Those eyes / That you can't that you can't disguise / Disguise."[16] In the "stomping, infuriatingly catchy"[17] chorus she sings, "Baby don't, baby don't, baby don't lie…/I don't want to cry no longer."[17] Melodically, "Baby Don't Lie" is written in the key of B♭ minor, performed in a common time moderate tempo of 100 beats per minute and follows the sequence B♭m - G♭ - D♭ as its chord progression. Stefani's voice spans two octaves from the lowest note A♭3 to the highest note A♭5.[19]

    Critical reception

    "Baby Don't Lie" received generally mixed to favorable reviews from music critics, who commended the song's reggae-flavour, but some dismissed Stefani's performance on the track. Sal Cinquemani wrote for Slant Magazine that the single "doesn't venture too far from her band's established template," claiming that "it finds Stefani effortlessly grooving to a reggae-flavored beat and an admittedly catchy hook, complete with her signature yelp, but it hews too close to the sound of No Doubt's slept-on sixth album, Push and Shove." Cinquemani also noted that during the song's breakdown "she feels forced, even for the eternally youthful Stefani, on an otherwise breezy track."[13] Bradley Stern wrote for MuuMuse that the song is "dangerously catchy, and an obvious radio smash upon first listen."[17] Nolan Feeney of Time remarked that, "In less capable hands, 'Baby Don't Lie' would leave a weaker impression, but Stefani and all her vocal idiosyncrasies find a way to make it her own."[18]

    Christina Lee from

    AXS was mixed with the song, writing that "Gwen had always been ahead of the pop curve on her past two albums but 'Baby Don't Lie' sees her on par with everyone else currently on the charts."[20] Mike Ayers of The Wall Street Journal believed that Gwen "doesn't sound too inspired here,"[21] while Carolyn Menyes of Music Times disagreed, noting that the song "doesn't seem to have quite the infectious annoyance of some of Stefani's other works, but it's a more solid, well-rounded pop single". Menyes also praised "her signature sassy, slightly reggae-touched vocals, which according to herself, sells the emotions of this song."[22] Steven J. Horowitz from Billboard noted that even though the song "embraces her [Stefani] less experimental side," it misses her "signature bite", rating it three stars out of five.[23]

    Chart performance

    "Baby Don't Lie" charted moderately in

    Ultratip charts,[27] while peaking at number 19 in Finland,[28] number 58 in France,[29] and number 26 in Germany.[30] Elsewhere, the song peaked at the lower positions of several charts, including number 53 in Australia,[31] number 78 in Italy,[32] and number 128 in Russia.[33]

    Music video

    Background and storyline

    Stefani during the music video, where she is on the yellow brick road.

    The

    polka-dotted outfits," with "a dance troupe eventually arriv[ing] to jazz up the clip a little."[37] The beginning of the music video finds the singer in a gray world, but by the end of the video, the same scenes are now shown in full color.[38]

    Reception

    The video received divided critics. Lipshutz was disappointed in it, commenting that "the colorful video lacks the innovation of, say, Stefani's '

    Idolator that the video's geometric and graphic animation is nothing new, but praised "the fun dance scene towards the end, which breaks the monotony of the video."[42]

    Track listing
    1. "Baby Don't Lie" — 3:21
    • Digital download (The Remixes)[44]
    1. "Baby Don't Lie" (Kaskade & KillaGraham Remix) — 3:01
    2. "Baby Don't Lie" (Dave Matthias Remix) — 5:06

    Charts

    Chart performance for "Baby Don't Lie"
    Chart (2014–2015) Peak
    position
    Australia (ARIA)[31] 53
    Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[45] 26
    Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[46] 26
    Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[47] 21
    Canada
    AC (Billboard)[48]
    		 29
    Canada
    CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[49]
    		 19
    Canada
    Hot AC (Billboard)[50]
    		 8
    CIS (TopHit)[33] 128
    Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[51] 30
    Denmark (Tracklisten)[52] 26
    Finland (
    Suomen virallinen lista)[53]
    		 19
    France (
    SNEP)[54]
    		 58
    Germany (Official German Charts)[55] 26
    Hungary (Single Top 40)[56] 35
    Italy (FIMI)[57] 78
    Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[58] 22
    Netherlands (Single Top 100)[59] 32
    New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[60] 36
    Romania (
    Airplay 100)[61]
    		 76
    Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[62] 25
    Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[63] 71
    US Billboard Hot 100[64] 46
    US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[65] 23
    US
    Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[66]
    		 21

    Certifications

    Certifications and sales for "Baby Don't Lie"
    Region Certification Certified units/sales
    United States (RIAA)[67] Gold 500,000‡

    ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

    Release history

    Country Date Format Label
    France[68] October 20, 2014 Digital download Universal
    Japan[69]
    Italy[70]
    Spain[71]
    United States[72]
    United States[11] October 21, 2014 Contemporary hit radio
    Italy[73] November 11, 2014 Universal
    Germany[74] December 5, 2014 Digital download
    United States[75] January 6, 2015 Digital download (The Remixes)
    • Mad Love
    • Interscope

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    External links

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baby_Don%27t_Lie&oldid=1185667525"