"Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex" was written by Cathy Dennis, were inspired by Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River", which is believed to be aimed at Britney Spears, his ex-girlfriend.

The lyrics are a message to the famous ex-lover who has talked about the relationship and break-up in public, with the person in the song now taking the time to deliver their side of the story.

The BBC called the song "perfectly pleasant" but "unlikely to set the world alight, despite heavy rotation on radio and TV".

The review also went on to say that while Stevens is popular, she will "need stronger material than this to maintain a pop career past her first album".

[4] In a separate review on Amazon.com, Georgina Collins, called the song a "corker of a popsong", praising it for being catchy and fun to listen to.

"Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex" was a commercial success in the United Kingdom, debuting at number two on the UK Singles Chart, being held off from number-one by "Where Is the Love?"

The video cuts between three main sequences, the first with Stevens in an enclosed glass box, representing that she is trapped in a relationship that she no longer wants to be a part of.

The third sequence sees Stevens singing to her "L.A. Ex", telling him that she no longer wants to be with him; the video ends with her walking away from the man and leaving the relationship.