Used to Love You
"Used to Love You" is a song recorded by American singer Gwen Stefani for her third studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like. It was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels, J.R. Rotem and Teal Douville, and produced by Rotem. After scrapping the album and its two singles, "Baby Don't Lie", and "Spark the Fire", in favor to start over, Interscope Records released "Used to Love You" as the album's first official single on October 20, 2015. It was then serviced to mainstream radio on October 27, 2015.
"Used to Love You" is an emotional midtempo synthpop ballad, with its instrumentation consisting of a piano, restrained synths and drum taps. Lyrically, the song talks about a painful break-up, with the protagonist questioning why she fell in love. Stefani described the song as being inspired by the end of her 13-year marriage with Bush lead singer, Gavin Rossdale.
"Used to Love You" received widespread critical acclaim, with many critics praising its lyrical content and Stefani's emotional delivery. Others appreciated it for being a heartbreaking song. Critics viewed the single as an improvement over her 2014 releases, which Stefani herself later described as "rushed". Stefani first premiered the song during a concert on October 17, 2015, and its music video was released three days later. The music video is a single shot of Stefani on a black background, displaying her emotions, and occasionally mouthing some of the words of the song. The song received its first televised performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on October 26, 2015.
Background and release
In October 2014, Stefani released her first solo single in six years, "Baby Don't Lie", and following its moderate impact and reception, a new single, "Spark the Fire", was released in December of the same year. However, both singles underperformed on the charts, prompting the album to be postponed for a 2015 release. After months with no updates on the album, Stefani revealed in an interview for Entertainment Weekly that she scrapped the entire album in favor of starting over, since she did not feel fulfilled and totally involved with the previous project. Stefani started writing new material in June 2015, and following her divorce from Gavin Rossdale a month later, she felt very inspired. In the same interview, Stefani claimed: "I needed to go through what I needed to go through to write the record that I needed to write. These songs are really natural – they’re from not worrying about what happened or what’s going to happen but about living in the moment, from trying to be present and trying to feel."A&R President Aaron Bay-Schuck at Interscope Records asked songwriters and producers J.R. Rotem, Justin Tranter and Julia Michaels to work with Stefani on the album. Stefani recalled saying the following to them during a recording session: "'Listen, I don’t care about anything. I don’t care about hits. I don’t care about anything except for coming in this room right now…all I want to do is just say the truth. I just want the truth to come out'." Michaels, revealed that "Gwen had written down of all of these things she was feeling at that moment. There was this one phrase that read, 'I don't know why I cry but I think it's because I remembered for the first time since I hated you that I used to love you.' I said, 'Whoa, what a crazy line that is.' She just goes, 'Cool, make it a melody. Let's go." The song was written after Stefani was told by her label that the album was too personal to release; she rebelled against their advice and continued writing personal songs. The next day she ended up writing what she thought was the least commercial song on the album, "Used to Love You", and they approved it.
On October 17, 2015, Stefani performed at a MasterCard Priceless Surprises concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Prior performing the show's encore, she wrote on her official Twitter account, "Ready for the encore? Hold tight—new single in 5–4–3–2–1!". Before performing "Used to Love You", she said, "I just want to share a song that I wrote recently. This song is really special." On October 19, 2015, Stefani revealed the single's cover art featuring a close-up picture of herself. A day later, October 20, 2015, the song was released to digital download on iTunes and other online platforms, while on October 27, 2015, Interscope Records serviced the song to mainstream radio as the official lead-single from the album.
Composition
"Used to Love You" was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels and J.R. Rotem; Rotem is also one of the song's producers. The song is a vulnerable and "emotional" midtempo synthpop ballad, having a "driving piano melody", with a length of three minutes and forty-seven seconds. Spins James Grebey wrote that the song "largely showcases her passionate, conflicted vocals over restrained, electropop-leaning swells of emotional synths and drum taps." Lyrically, "Used to Love You" is a break-up anthem, where Stefani is questioning how she fell in love with her ex in the first place. The majority of music critics noted that the song is inspired by Stefani's divorce from Gavin Rossdale, after a 13-year marriage. In an interview for Today's Matt Lauer, Stefani confirmed that the track was inspired by the end of her marriage, claiming: "I’ve never put a record out where I’m actually going through things in real time. his is like, I wrote that song like a couple weeks ago." According to Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone that could be seen in the lines of the chorus, "I don't know why I cry / But I think it's cause I remember for the first time / Since I hated you / That I used to love you." In other poignant lyrics, she sings, "I guess nobody taught you, nobody taught you how to love." Kreps further compared the lyrical content of "Used to Love You" to "Dreaming the Same Dream", a song from No Doubt's sixth album Push and Shove. Alex Kritselis of Bustle claimed that the song "recalls some of best ballads, like 'Cool', 'Early Winter', and '4 in the Morning'."Critical reception
Since its release, "Used to Love You" has received critical acclaim from contemporary music critics. Madison Vain of Entertainment Weekly felt the song's "hyper-personal lyrics" were "immediate and affecting". Immediately following its release, Maeve McDermott from USA Today awarded the track "Song of the Week" in October, further adding that "he song's spiritual sibling is another of Stefani's best works: 1996's No Doubt classic 'Don't Speak'," but noting that "this time around, coming from a more mature artist with fewer things to prove, the pain feels dizzyingly fresh." Bianca Gracie of Idolator praised the fact that the singer was "stepping away from the pumped-up vibes of previous tracks like 'Spark The Fire' & 'Baby Don’t Lie', also noting that "eartache is immediately relatable and Gwen is often praised for her underrated slow songs , so it is refreshing to witness her jumpstart this current album era with a new vibe." Alex Kritselis of Bustle called it "a fantastic 'comeback single' – a tremendous improvement over 'Baby Don't Lie'," praising that "when she repeatedly sings, 'I don't know why I used to love you,' during the climax, you feel it." Music Times Carolyn Menyes agreed, noting that "we haven't heard a breakup anthem from this girl since her Tragic Kingdom days. After a series of less-than-stellar singles, it's safe to say Stefani is back." In a later review of the parent album, Menyes stated she was "impressed with the vulnerability displayed", comparing it to Stefani's previous singles "Cool" and "Ex-Girlfriend". Menyes concluded by saying the potential on This Is What the Truth Feels Like is evident on tracks like "Used to Love You".Sean Fitz-Gerald of Vulture wrote that "the song veers toward Stefani's more mellifluous, sentimental fare," calling it a "heartrending track". Amanda Dykan of AltWire praised the track, stating: " reaches through, wraps its acrylic-nailed fingers around your pulsating heart, rips it from your chest, throws it on the floor, and stomps all over it." Jillian Mapes of Pitchfork Media claimed that "Stefani – now 20 years wiser – flips it"; she continued with: "It’s a rare moment on the album where you can pick out Stefani from a sea of other pop singers." Mapes concluded by claiming that "Used to Love You" was her greatest song since "Don't Speak", comparing its effect to Madonna's 1989 single "Like a Prayer". Sean Fitz-Gerald of Vulture warned that when listening to this "heartending track" that "tissues are a must". Consequence of Sound critic Adam Kivel enjoyed the track, calling it a "recognizable moment in heartbreak delivered in a charming falsetto burble". Nate Jackson from OC Weekly appreciated the "somber" of the track, while Marcus Floyd from Renowned for Sound awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars, claiming that "every lyric and every note are sung with heart and chorus just gets you". Michael Smith from the same website acknowledged "Used to Love You" as one of the strongest songs on This Is What the Truth Feels Like, calling it "unexpectedly heartfelt".
Spencer Kornhaber, writing for The Atlantic, called "Used to Love You" the "most heartbreaking" on the parent album, due to "its sentiment and execution". However, Kornhaber stated: "A raw observation and vocal squeak in the chorus might prompt tears like the ones in the accompanying video, but the rest of the song struggles." In a mixed review, Adam R. Holz of Plugged In found Stefani's "loiter precariously close to bitterness". However, Holz complimented the singer for "illsutrat the beautiful sanctity of matrimony when its sacredness is violated". Mesfin Fekadu, a critic for The National, claimed the single "don't feel connected to Stefani – it's as if another pop star could sing the track and you wouldn't notice the difference".