In what feels like her never-ending press tour for her new album, This is What the Truth Feels Like, Gwen Stefani talked to GQ about her latest musical effort, dealing with the press and how she was able to turn tragedy into triumph by using her own personal experience to make music. It does feel like she’s said a lot of this before, but I get that she’s enthusiastic about her first solo effort in 10 years. Here’s some of what she had to say:
On doing press for “Truth”: Getting that attention feels good. I feel quite defensive about my record. It’s like, Well, this is my life, so what are you going to say about that? I’m just telling you what happened. That’s it. You can’t even judge it, or I’ll be mad at you! But it feels good. I don’t want to be done with making my record. It’s weird, because I kind of wish I was still writing it.
Why “Truth” is a time capsule of sorts for Gwen: I can’t believe all those songs came out. They’re going to capture that time period of my life in such a magical, perfect way. I got a hold of things by writing those songs and giving them a little place where they can live, instead of being all over the place in my mind.
On her thought process in putting the songs together: I did not think anything. I wasn’t thinking. I was feeling and I was dying. And then I was just like, You can’t go down like this! You have to turn this into music. You have to try, at least. I was so embarrassed by just everything. I just didn’t want to be that person that just went down after all of that.
She really didn’t record the album just to respond to gossip: Everything happens so fast. It’s all happening in real time in the sense that, “Used to Love You” came out only a couple weeks after I wrote it. The only reason I did that was just being honest. There’s been a lot of dishonesty around me, and I just don’t understand that because it’s just not how I live. I didn’t want to make a record: I just wanted to not die. That’s it. The fact that now I have a record and people are hearing it, it just blows my mind.
I actually picked up the CD at Target today and then put it back. I need to check it out on Spotify or something. I do still love “Make Me Like You,” I even bought the ringtone for when my boyfriend calls. I wonder if Gwen uses it when Blake calls.
Speaking of Blake, another tabloid is accusing the country singer of cheating. This week’s National Enquirer features Blake on its cover along with accusations that he’s hiding 9 women from Gwen. The accompanying article says that Blake is also hiding “serial cheating,” “violent rages,” and “constant boozing” from his lady love. If I were the Enquirer, I’d employ an extra fact checker for this, as Blake isn’t afraid to take the tabloids to court over false accusations.
And, come on, if you watch The Voice, you can kind of tell that Blake is in LOVE. On the most recent episode, he told Gwen, who is serving as a mentor on Team Blake, “If I win this season, with you as my mentor, I will share the victory with you.” The singer he was coaching, Brittany Kennel, delivered a performance that prompted fellow judge Christina Aguilera to say, “There’s something Gwen Stefani about her.” Adam Levine then teasingly interjected, “That’s your girlfriend!” which elicited giggles from the crowd. I am still “Team Gwake”, but wouldn’t mind if the press coverage of the couple eased up soon.
Photo credit: WENN.com, Instagram/Gwen Stefani, National Enquirer, Getty Images
Gwen should just disappear for 5 minutes now. She went from ‘lovely’ to ‘gaaaaahhhhh stop whining’ in 2 seconds.
This is what she does every time. With Gavin, it was gushing one second, then whine when he’d inevitable cheat or blow her off. It’s like watching a high schooler.
Well she seemed to have gotten over her cheating hubby pretty quickly…and with a man that himself is a known CHEATER. Way to go Gwen !
She found out her husband cheated February of 2015 and the marriage imploded. She dealt with it privately back then because of her kids before going public with the divorce many months later, and anyone would realize she went through hell and back going through that.
I imagine for years to come she will be dealing with such a horrible betrayal, of the nanny she had for seven years, so like a part of the family, banging your husband for at least three under her roof and having to acknowledge your husband you thought love you could be that low for that long. The heartbreak and betrayal would be devastating.
But, hey, she should be out there all morose and giving the bastard that power and not having the time of her life because someone came into her life. She should be crying to us all for a year and staying home and crying to sad music reading self help books how to get over him.
How dare she seem in such a fantastic space in her life.
I disagree. She should do the classy thing and keep her dating life quiet and separate from the children rather than making a big production out of it. She is being ridiculous and is doing an injustice to the precious ones she brought in to this world. Anyone with common sense knows that kids are fragile and confused when their parents breakup. When they are in the care of their mother they need her to show them that she will always be there for them, and that all she needs in the whole world right now is them. When they’re much older they will thank her and she can go off and party and sleeze it up all she wants.
I am no prude believe me but this I truly believe.
I think she put up with a lot with Gavin.They were seeing a marriage counselor a long time before this came out.Gavin got around.I loved her heartbreak songs but these are not up to par to what she has written.If she is having a good time great for her.She deserves it.
I agree. A kiddo just needs a happy engaged parent- that doesn’t mean “engaged” to another partner, but ensconced and interested in the kid’s lives. I’m dating someone and my kid just knows I’m happy, but he doesn’t need my love life to confuse his stability- that’s my business for at least a year if/when it becomes serious. I’m glad Gwen is happy and romantically involved, but in an ideal world it would be totally private.
And there is your morning dose of vitriol, word. I got it too when I dared to say Gwen may want to take some of that energy and devote it to helping her kids through this. Having been through a similar situation myself, I vowed to take the time to get to know why I made such a poor choice in a partner and usher my young son through it. We also split our son’s time 50/50.
@ lurkingweirdo – Thank you ! God forbid someone have an opinion on this site ! I am going by what the media has presented to me…that is all. Gwen was incredibly hurt by her cheating husband. So what does she do? Run into the arms of another cheater. That’s what I don’t understand. Does she like being hurt or something? If you’re THAT emotionally distraught and you have three very young children who have to deal with this as well, why not take time to heal. It’s not all about making sure your ex sees you “happy” in the arms of another man. This is about mental wellness. She is obviously still in pain…and sorry but I don’t think dating another known cheater is going to help her.
Gwen has always been someone who could do no wrong since I first heard No Doubt when I was 15. Now, I wish she’d just chill out for a bit. I can’t imagine going through the pain of a marriage imploding while in the public eye when emotions are so intense and out of whack. I wonder if she’ll look back on this time with embarrassment at how thirsty she comes across these days.
It’s unfortunate that she’s made it so public, especially her follow up relationship. It must be very hard in the public eye, but why not just say yes it sucks, I’ll get through it, and leave it at that.
Yes to both of you.
I loved her back then… Now she just annoys the sh*t out of me
Album titles should be italicized… just saying 🙂
(*hides in corner*)
Between saying that she was going to die and feeling like she was channeling god in writing this album, I’m just so over her! And I used to be the hugest Gwen Stefani/No Doubt fan. I understand she’s using hyperbole, but to me it’s coming across as whiny and overly dramatic. She went through a terrible thing, yes. But there’s a big difference in saying “I felt like I was dying” and implying that if she didn’t write her music she would actually die. I think it’s because she just has so little experience with dating and men, but come on! She’s coming across like a 13 year old.
I agree with you C&P, but I cut her a little slack about the dying part. A divorce is like a death–the death of the dream of that couple. Your lives become so intertwined it’s like you lose your identity. Maybe music was her lifeline to being just Gwen again.
Can someone please tell Gwen to put the phone down. Her snapchats are obnoxious and she is too old for that anyway…. I’m 42. When does she actually spend time not on her phone… Go away for alittle bit. Make us miss you.
I’m enjoying Christina so much on The Voice, I don’t need them swapping her out for Gwen. Maybe swap out Pharrel. Gwen seems very immature for her age, I’ve always thought that…watching the voice she was at times painfully juvenile. ‘Pick me, I’m a girl!’ Bleh.
No, don’t take out Pharrell. He’s so cute and has the smoothest talks. I love him.
Sheesh. You have 3 kids and an irresponsible ex-husband. Somebody needs to be an adult for the kids. And don’t talk about dying, either. It doesn’t help the kids through this difficult time.
Good point!
He may be an irresponsible husband, but he has proven over and over he’s an excellent father. And in this big mess, that is all that matters. Their sons need a mentally strong parent and Gwen is proving over and over, she isn’t mentally stable.
Used to like her.
I like Gwen, really I do, but I hate her last two songs. Not that she needs to be an upbeat musician 24/7, but I think her music sooooo weak now. Even her older songs were more catchy with a slower tempo, and I liked them a lot. Now, I change the station anytime one of her repetitive songs come on.
Please stop throwing the word “tragedy” around willy nilly. Like “genius”, it will lose all meaning. So many of us have been cheated on. It’s not a tragedy, it’s just sadly is what it is, commonplace. I don’t see Gwen as some victim. There have been rumours about Gavin’s shaddiyness since they got married. And it only got worse throughout their marriage. I would have some sympathy for her, if it weren’t for the fact that she focuses on this thing with Blake instead of her kids, who truly need a stable parent at this time. When a spouse cheats, they cheat on the whole family, not just you. How on earth do they make sense of this all?
@ Iheartgossip: Imo you cannot be a good father if you cheat on the mother of your children, also causing the breakup of the family.
@ Pickles: Imo cheating is not commonplace, me and my women friends have long term relationships in which we have not been cheated on or cheated on our partners.
I do think the victim of cheating has a right to feel like dying/tragic as they realise their partner has been pretending to be there for them, while cheating and lying and destroying the family you built together over many years. To discover that the person you loved and thought loved you and chose to marry you, and to have children with you willingly, while promising fidelity was lying all along is like a death. That your partner for life is not only gone but never really existed would be a devastating loss.
None of this is Gwen’s fault and I think it is misogynistic to blame her instead of putting the blame squarely on Gavin’s shoulders, where it belongs.
I think Gwen has every right to find happiness with Blake after the hell she has clearly been through. If he also betrays her it will still not be her fault – I object to people blaming the victim instead of their abuser.
Amen.
Why is SHE supposed to behave like a cross between Emily Post and a reincarnated virgin?
Gavin cheated ceaselessly since they’ve been married. She had kids, worked, stayed in shape, tried to keep her family together. But after being publicly betrayed, with the accompanying humiliation, she can’t have any payback?
She’s showing her sons that a woman isn’t a doormat – that it’s not OK to lie and disrespect your partner.
Get it Gwen!
Enough already. People are tired of hearing all the whining. Grow up and get on with life.
We know the enquirer is lying. The other story on the cover is about Ted Cruz’s 5 mistresses. We know that’s not true because that implies 5 women like him. And they like him enough to sleep with him. Nope. Not buying it.