Shine (Gwen Stefani song) facts for kids

"Shine" is a song recorded by American singer Gwen Stefani, featuring collaborative vocals by American entertainer Pharrell Williams. Originally intended for Stefani's band No Doubt, it was written and produced by Williams, with songwriting contributions from Stefani. It is a reggae pop and ska song that is featured in the 2014 animated film Paddington. The lyrics revolve around the lead character Paddington Bear's journey to London and his identity crisis. Stefani initially disagreed with Williams' choice to use direct references to Paddington in the lyrics, but praised this decision after watching the film with her children. She reported that her involvement with the recording was inspired by her then-husband Gavin Rossdale and her children's connection to England.

A lyric video for the track was released on January 31, 2015, on The Weinstein Company's YouTube channel, and included on the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the film. The song was featured in the American trailer for the movie, and made available as a promotional CD as a result of its submission for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Although a low-quality version leaked on December 31, 2014, a full version of the recording was not released for public consumption. It was omitted from the film's soundtrack album, as well as Stefani's third studio album This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). Critical response to "Shine" was mixed; some praised Stefani and Williams' chemistry, while others compared it negatively to their previous collaborations. Commentators frequently likened it to Williams' 2013 single "Happy" and Stefani's 2014 song "Spark the Fire".

Promotion and music video

Although a low-quality version leaked on December 31, 2014, a full version of the recording was not made available for the public. A limited quantity edition CD single was issued in January 2015, and sent to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as part of the submission process to be considered for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The single was included in the list of 79 contenders for the award, but it did not receive a nomination.

A lyric video was uploaded onto The Weinstein Company's YouTube channel on January 13, 2015. It was a minute and 35 seconds, and featured clips from the film. The video received over two million views in 24 hours. The video featured scenes from the film in which "the iconic Peruvian bear finds himself in all manner of mishaps while trying to find a home and ultimately working his way into our hearts". The visual was included on the DVD and Blu-ray releases of Paddington along with a behind-the-scenes feature on the making of the track. Matthew Jacobson of The Spectrum, a newspaper which is part of the USA Today Network, criticized the video for being "just clips of the movie set to a song" rather than a proper music video. Alternatively, Cinemablend.com's Jessica Rawden found the video to be "satsifying".

"Shine" is featured in the American trailer and the closing credits for Paddington, but was not included in the British version of the film. Idolator's Christina Lee wrote that the track was an exclusive release for the United States and Canada. The song was excluded from the film's soundtrack album, as well as Stefani's third studio album This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). During an interview with Stefani and Williams on January 21, 2015, radio host Ryan Seacrest erroneously announced the track was available for purchase on the iTunes Store.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers:

Management

• ASCAP/Harajuku Lover Music
• Gwen Stefani appears courtesy of Interscope Records
• Pharrell Williams appears courtesy of Columbia Records and i am OTHER Entertainment

Personnel

• Writers – Gwen Renee Stefani, Pharrell Williams
• Performance – Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams