"The Sweet Escape" is an apology for a fight between two lovers and describes a dream of a pleasant life for them.
It reached the top 10 of most singles charts and topped the New Zealand Singles Chart.
The song was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 50th Grammy Awards.
In the song's accompanying music video, Stefani attempts to escape from a golden prison.
It is written in compound quadruple meter, commonly used in doo-wop, and has a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute.