|
Gwen
Stefani—
Rhythmic and Rebellious
 In
her own unique way, pop diva Gwen Stefani has managed to shift
our culture since coming on to the scene as the lead singer of No
Doubt. With years of defining style and 30 million in album sales
under her belt, she will again turn heads with this debut solo
record that is as fresh as it is retro and as progressive as it is
feel good familiar. With this project, Gwen has enlisted some of
the biggest names in the music industry (Dr.Dre, Eve, The Neptunes,
Andre 3000, Nellee Hooper, Dallas Austin, Jimmy Jam and Terry
Lewis, Linda Perry, and Tony Kanal) to create a true genre bending
masterpiece that is guaranteed to be one of the most talked about
records of the year and beyond. Gwen also appeared as Jean Harlow
in the Martin Scorsese film Aviator with Leonardo DiCaprio and was
given the usual rave reviews. We've all had that moment when we
sense that things are about to change. For Gwen Stefani, that
epiphany occurred as a high school senior in Orange County,
California. "I remember being this 17 year-old girl, in love and
really excited about my future with the boy that I thought was
going to be my husband and wed have babies and that, she pauses,
was my passion. Then I learned that I could write songs and that
is when my life changed. I went from being this really passive
girl to Oh my God. This makes me feel so powerful when I write
these words. It was such a turning point to find out that I had a
talent and I had something to contribute, somewhere." Mission
accomplished. As lead singer and songwriter for Grammy-winners No
Doubt, and over the course of the groups four platinum-plus
albums, Gwen Stefani has reigned as one of rocks most iconic and
cool females. The name of Gwens much-anticipated solo project is
Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and it is absolute Gwen. Its rhythmic,
rebellious, confessional, sexy, fierce, playful, funky, ballsy,
emotional and oh yeah... very fin cool.
Working with
an eclectic array of musicians and producers who rep everything
from New Wave to hip-hop, Gwen has fashioned an album that
shimmers with exuberance, which was the plan from the start. "I
definitely wanted to make a record that would get underneath the
skin, Gwen offers. I wanted to make a good feeling, classic upbeat
dance record that when you first heard it, it would be your guilty
pleasure." Helping Gwen achieve that goal were artists like Dr Dre,
The Neptunes, Andre 3000, Linda Perry, New Order, Nellee Hooper,
Wendy & Lisa, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. As you'd expect, that
blending of skills and influences makes for a sonically
adventurous album. Gwen beams, "This record is a collaboration of
a lot of great talents coming together and trying to make
something thats classic. Something that you want to listen to over
and over, Gwen explains, speaking to the projects overall
intention. I want the album to be the record of now and to give
people some kind of satisfaction and release."
A solo effort from a member of a popular band always begs
the question: how will this be different? "That was the big
controversy because for years people were pulling (No Doubt)
apart. I never for one minute thought that I'd go solo. It never
crossed my mind, except when people would ask me. The real
difference is that with No Doubt everything is a full
collaboration, everybody has their vote and their energy: were a
real band. Nothing would be without all of us. Working with (new
collaborators) and letting people in to try new melodies and new
lyrical ideas was very hard. The idea was to be open and let my
ego shut up and sit over in the corner and make something great
based on a concept. That's why I don't really see this as a solo
record in the typical sense. It's an art project; it's me
collaborating with some different people to create something
magical."
 While
it's actually true that Gwen might not have been
actively mulling over the possibilities of doing something on her
own, she definitely had a sense of the music that mattered to her.
A long time ska fan, Gwen was also drawn to other influences and
would often flash back to those more innocent days when the rush
of going out dancing or checking out a song on the radio totally
fueled you. Depeche Mode. Club Nouveau. Early Madonna. Prince. The
Time. Debbie Deb. The Cure. The sensations of that era were
dormant in Gwen's soul. After No Doubt's successful Rock Steady
tour, Gwen approached band mate bassist Tony Kanal and said,
"Dude. Wouldn't it be fun to do like a Club Nouveau record? Do a
record just on the side. We're going to take a year off, why don't
we do it? You could produce it, we could write songs like those
songs. That's how the process started and it snowballed. I thought
it was going to be easy and fast because I'd work with a few
people, do a few covers and I could just put a side record out,
which people do all the time. After 17 years you try something
different." Fast and easy it wasn't. Gwen procrastinated. She was
distracted by life, (shed just gotten married), and exhausted.
"The clock was ticking in my ears. I knew I had to get started on
the album or I'd never get to the next No Doubt record, or the
baby or the movie."
As fate would
have it, Gwen received a call from Linda Perry. They had known
each other since Perry was with fellow Interscope act 4 Non
Blondes. Gwen dug Linda but despite Perry's insistence to the
contrary, just didn't envision her as the woman who could bring
Gwen a dance record. Perry let Gwen know that she was ready to
begin work and had a brief window of time available. Yet Gwen
wasn't feeling inspired and was still unsure of what Perry could
offer. Despite her misgivings she pushed herself to meet with
Perry. The two women clicked and immediately began to write,
coming up with several tracks among them the albums first single,
What You Waiting For? High energy and all attitude, What You
Waiting For? is an insistent, spiky new wave/dance track that was
inspired by Gwen's self doubt and hesitancy to begin the recording
process. "When Linda said to me, What are you waiting for? I was
like Oh no. You did not just say that! The next thing I know I'm
writing my first single. Completing that song really triggered
something in me. I had found my inspiration."
 If
Gwen was hesitant to work with Perry, she was eager to join
forces with Andre 3000, whom Gwen had first met when OutKast
remixed Hey Baby. If I could be a boy, Id want to be like Andre. I
relate to him so much. I just feel like he's so talented and my
dream was to do something with him and he said yes. Andre came to
the studio with one song that was nearly completed: an utterly
modern Prince-influenced observation about interracial romance
called Long Way To Go which he'd originally intended for OutKast's
Grammy award winning Speakerboxx... The Love Below. Gwen and Andre
expanded that song, with Andre handling most of the production
duties. Its hard going in with another artist because, for me, you
have the whole fan thing going on. Andre is so calm and I was so
shy but he did everything to make me feel great and by the time we
began working on Bubble Pop Electric, it really felt like a
collaboration. That song, which has a vibe like Grease on acid, is
a caffeinated hyperspace duet that pushes boundaries previously
unthought of as Andre and Gwen work their inner John Travolta and
Olivia Newton-John. Offers Gwen, Were perfect for each other on
Bubble Pop Electric.
Drawing vitality and love from an amazing group of artists,
Gwen Stefani was able to not only express herself but also find
commonality in the process of doing so. Asked how she sees Love.
Angel. Music. Baby. and her enthusiasm is contagious. I can't
believe how good it is. It's fun to be able to brag in that way
because it was a lot of different energies and talents coming
together. All of these different elements made it so great. In the
beginning of the process I was scared to let other people into my
creative world, but doing that fueled some fire in me and I love
that." UB
Biographical material
courtesy of Universal Records
|
