Gwen Stefani and Blake Sheldon have been together for 10 years and married for three-and-a-half. Gwen has always been a devout Catholic, and for the last month or so, she’s promoting two things: her new album, Bouquet, and a prayer app called Hallow (Insert the lame “hallow-back girl” joke of your choosing here). Gwen started writing Bouquet when she and Blake got engaged and dedicated it to him and their “love story.” Gwen sat down for an interview with Today, in which she talks about the album, her musical journey, her favorite memory from No Doubt, her life’s purpose, and more.
Everyone has a purpose: “We all have a purpose. One of the purposes of my life is to be a wife and a mother. But the only time I feel like I’m really contributing to the world is when I’m writing songs.”
On the “magical” collabs on Bouquet: “Yes, yes! This album was magical and special and a miracle. It’s a pure miracle I received these songs. I was like, ‘What? Again? I get more?’ There was one really unexpected collaboration and that was that Blake Shelton hopped on a song called “Purple Irises.” That was pretty special because, you know, everybody wants him. The other huge collab was this producer called Scott Hendricks who is more of a country producer. But it’s not a country record. It’s a Gwen record.
How her dreams have grown throughout her musical journey: “The longer I get to be part of the world and try to fulfill the purpose — my purpose — of making songs, you want it more and more and more. Because it’s got to be over soon. It’s got to be. Once you get that love, once you got to share your life with people, it’s hard to stop. The dream just keeps getting bigger in a way, and the gratitude keeps getting more as well.”
She really loves collaborating with other artists: There’s never been a time where I haven’t like absolutely enjoyed collaborating. Collaboration is when I feel like I shine the most. That’s when like I feel like I’m the best. I would definitely go back in the studio with any collaborator that I’ve ever worked with and write a song. I love writing music. It is the one thing that makes me feel like I’m worthy of something to be on this planet for. I need to keep pressing that button and try to write songs. You want to collaborate, I’m right here, guys.
Her favorite memory from the No Doubt days: “I was sitting on the tour bus, and we had been on tour for a while. I was actually making a baby blanket for my sister. I was like sewing this blanket by hand, everyone else was like doing other stuff — I won’t say what — and I looked out the window and I see all these girls coming to the concert. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that girl, she’s dressed like me.’ It was just this amazing … how is that happening right now? It just made me feel like impossibly good.”
What music she’s listening to now: “I think there’s a lot of good music out there. I kind of went backwards in the last couple of years. As I’ve been writing this record, I rediscovered a lot of the music I was listening to when I was a kid. Back in the station wagon, going to church, listening to soft rock. One of my favorite new artists that my son turned me on to is Zach Top. I love that record so much; such good lyrics and voice and melody. I’m going to come and see the concert.”
At first, it was kind of jarring to reconcile that the woman who co-write “Just a Girl” was gushing so hard about her purpose being “a wife and a mother,” but then I remembered that this is what Gwen has always wanted. She tells us in several No Doubt songs. In “Simple Kind of Life,” she sings about wanting a simple man so she could “be a wife” and wanting to be a mom so badly that she sometimes wishes “for a mistake.” “Marry Me” is all about how she likes “tradition” and wants to get married and cook dinner. She’s in a happy marriage and a good place in her life, so I’m glad that she got what she’s always wanted. Good for her.
What she says about really wanting to keep making more music as she gets older because she’s realizing her own mortality is pretty poignant. I feel that sentiment hard. I also love the way she tells the story about her favorite memory from No Doubt in which she’s sewing a blanket by hand while the male bandmates are doing “other stuff” that she can’t say. It paints a picture of her sewing while all sorts of debauchery is going down around her. I don’t know if it’s being stuck inside all day because of the snow or what, but for some reason, this imagery is so funny to me right now.
Photos credit: Patricia Schlein/Wenn/Avalon, IMAGO/RW / MediaPunch/Avalon, Judy Eddy/Wenn/Avalon, Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon/
I appreciate that she’s calling wife and mother HER purpose and not saying that it’s so for all women (coughthatstupidkickeronkccough)
Also: Jennifer Garner
I just can’t reconcile her 90s persona with this. She seemed so strong, quirky, artsy and all about women power.
Now she’s a Stepford wife?
I don’t understand the Stepford wife comment. Where did she say this?
She was never that way though. She was always traditional and wanted to be a wife and mom. Listen to her lyrics. Hey You, Marry Me, Simple Kind of Life, etc. Her stage persona and her real life are two very different things.
Side eyeing “it’s not a country record it’s a Gwen record” as a swipe at Beyonce but that might just be in my head.
Good for her that’s her purpose (or one of) and I’m glad she’s feeling fulfilled. I hope she’s not just saying “my purpose” but secretly thinking every woman’s purpose but again, I acknowledge I’m biased and sensitive about nearly everything these days in these troubled times.
I will say this, while it can be hard for us to imagine given her earlier image, whether it’s that this is what she’s always wanted or she’s changed, either is fine. More power to her.
Nah, it’s not about Beyonce. Gwen never has beef with other artists. She has been getting some flack from her fans for “going country” because she’s married to Blake. She’s been trying to convince everyone her latest album is not country, but it definitely has undertones of it.
Gwen has always been at her core a pretty conservative traditional Catholic woman. It’s who she is and I don’t mind her because she never tries to force her opinions or views on other people and seems to take a live and let live approach.
She used Japanese women as props, has appropriated and used racist imagery, and she votes against the humanity of other people. Not sure that qualifies as a “live and let live approach”.
She has hosted democrat fundraisers and donated to democratic candidates. She has never done the same for the republicans. So I don’t think she voted for Trump. That is just a baseless assumption from you. There are plenty of Catholic democrats and moderates.
Yes she really has always wanted to be a mom and have a family. She can still be a spunky 90s chick too! Lots of my punk friends are actually the most into family and community.
BUT- she was definitely not always just sweet innocent making baby blankets on tour. My sis in law remembers seeing No Doubt and Bush in North Dakota in the 90s and Gwen running all over the girls bathroom looking for weed. Which is also not serious or anything but def not goody two shoes she is pretending she was like now.
I remember looking up to her in high school because of her whole situation with the bass player in the group. Unrequited love. I experienced so much of that growing up and seeing her actually write about it and sing it made me feel heard. It was good to know I wasn’t the only person feeling unloved while others around me were in relationships. I hope she comes out with some new jams but even if she doesn’t, I’m just a girl is a song I will jam to no matter how old I get, lol!