Cool (Gwen Stefani Song) - Writing and Composition

Writing and Composition

"Cool" was originally written by Dallas Austin after listening to Gwen Stefani's group No Doubt's song "Underneath It All" (2002). Austin commented that he was trying to write his version of No Doubt's "Simple Kind of Life", but he was unable to finish the song. He later asked Stefani if she wanted to co-write lyrics. During a studio session together, they finished "Cool" in fifteen minutes. Stefani commented, "When he told me about the track and where it came from for him, it just triggered something in me". The lyrics of "Cool" reflect Stefani's former relationship with No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal. Although their romantic relationship ended, the lyrics portray Stefani's attitude that it is "cool" that they still remain very good friends. Stefani and Kanal's relationship had provided the inspiration for No Doubt's "Don't Speak" (1996), and while "Cool" presents an amicable friendship between former lovers, "Don't Speak" is about a failing relationship and never arrives at a solution for the couple. Stefani said that she had never intended to include "personal" material on Love. Angel. Music. Baby., and commented, "but no matter what you do, things just come out. It just ended this whole thing for me in my head, and it puts an end to a chapter in a really nice way". The lyrics of "Cool" sum up the evolution of their relationship with the line "After all that we've been through, I know we're cool".

"Cool" is a mid-tempo love song featuring a New Wave production. The single is composed in D major. It is written in common time, it moves at a moderate tempo of 112 beats per minute, and it has a vocal range from the tone of F♯₃ to the note of C♯₅. The song is written in the common verse-chorus form, featuring five instruments: bass guitar, drums, guitar, keyboards, and synthesizer. "Cool" opens with all five instruments, and as Stefani begins singing, the synthesizer is lowered, and the hard-hitting drum beat steadily increases in volume. She performs her highest pitch (C♯₅) during the chorus, after which she sings in a softer, almost sotto voce, and her lowest pitch (E₃) at the beginning of the verses. The synthesizer emulates brass and woodwind instruments, while the bass and guitar retain a prominent and regular eighth note pulse, using a I–IV–V chord progression for the verses. In the percussion section a drum kit is used, and the snare is introduced at the beginning of the first chorus, which maintains its beat. During the song's fade-out, Stefani repeats "I know we're cool" and "yeah", and she occasionally emphasizes "cool". Her vocal range covers close to two octaves.