 " The Sweet Escape " received generally positive reviews from contemporary pop music critics . In a review for AllMusic , Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the song as " an irresistible [ ... ] track , driven by a giddy ' wee @-@ oh ! ' hook and supported by a nearly anthemic summertime chorus " . John Murphy of musicOMH referred to " The Sweet Escape " as " a lovely , summery bouncy pop song with a very infectious chorus " . Murphy compared the song to Weezer 's 2002 single " Keep <unk> ' " , and Blender 's Ben Sisario compared it to the work of The Beach Boys . Alex Miller from the NME compared the song to Madonna 's early work but added that it sounded " cringey and saccharine " . Anna Britten from Yahoo ! Music commented that it sounded like music from 1970 , specifically that of soul group Chairmen of the Board . Bill Lamb of About.com called the song " a welcome change from the over @-@ produced ' Wind It Up ' " , but noted that it " easily jets in one ear and out the other leaving little trace of its presence " . MuchMusic 's video review program Video on Trial referred to the song as " incredibly intoxicating " . 
