"Early Winter" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her second solo studio album, The Sweet Escape (2006).

Written by Stefani and English pianist Tim Rice-Oxley, the song was released in Europe as the album's fifth and final single on January 18, 2008, by Interscope Records.

Upon its release, "Early Winter" received generally positive reviews from music critics, many of whom commended Stefani's vocal delivery and the song's emotional appeal.

An accompanying music video for "Early Winter" was directed by Sophie Muller and was filmed in destinations like Budapest, Milan, and Prague.

"Early Winter" was included in the setlist of The Sweet Escape Tour, and the performances featured a special coda section delivered by American musician and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey.

"Early Winter" was written by Tim Rice-Oxley, pianist of English alternative rock band Keane, and Gwen Stefani for the latter's second solo studio album The Sweet Escape (2006).

"[3] In the studio, Rice-Oxley played "Early Winter" on a piano, and after hearing the song, Stefani approved of it and commented, "It was so beautiful and addictive.

Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe viewed "Early Winter" as a "winsome anthem" and Dorsey's coda performance "thrilling".

Club praised Stefani's vocal delivery, saying her "nasal voice suits the whiny sentiment of the subject matter" and opining that she "sounds most commanding in songs that flirt with blush-making drippiness".

[8] Nick Levine of Digital Spy rated "Early Winter" four out of five stars, and complimented its emotional nature, naming it a "forgotten classic from an eighties movie soundtrack" and deeming it "the most affecting moment of Stefani's solo career to date".

[13] Alex Miller of NME complimented Rice-Oxley's involvement in "Early Winter" and singled it out as "one of the few potential hits" from The Sweet Escape.

[15] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine complimented "Early Winter" for being "less forced and much less self-conscious" in comparison to the rest of the songs on The Sweet Escape, and felt that "it's refreshing to hear Stefani in her more natural habitat".

Scenes of Stefani staring at herself in the mirror with her hair up and snow falling slowly down, with the lights turning on and off intermittently, are interspersed throughout the video.