Album: This Is What The Truth Feels Like
Artist: Gwen Stefani
Label: Interscope Records
Release Date: Mar. 18
Grade: A
Ten years.
The last time Gwen Stefani released a solo album was 2006. The Sweet Escape, the title song that many of us still sing today, was the last we heard of her.
Jump forward to 2016 – she just released a third solo album called This Is What The Truth Feels Like.
Stefani, an American singer and songwriter whose pop hits are the latest radio jams, made this album to heal her heart and free her spirit. Released on March 18, these 12 tracks are inspired by her recent divorce from Gavin Rossdale and new romance with fellow The Voice judge Blake Shelton.
There can be a lot of pressure riding on someone who waits 10 years to release new music, but this seems to be just what Stefani needed to be back on top in the music industry.
“Used To Love You” is the first single off the album and becomes the power break-up ballad everyone needs after a relationship collapses. Stefani sings about how she never thought this would happen, but remembers the love that she for her ex. One thing is for certain – she certainly knows how to belt her emotions while keeping the clear intention for the lyrical piece.
The second single released, “Make Me Like You” does a complete 360 with this upbeat anthem. With memorable lyrics in the chorus and cheerful drum progressions, one can tell that this is not Stefani’s first time in the world of pop music.
Other favorites on the album include “Naughty,” a hip-hop crowd please which basically calls out Rossdale for his cheating ways, and “Truth,” an electro-pop song where Stefani realizes that honesty is not always what you expect it to be.
This is not your typical break-up album.
While Taylor Swift will have you crying on the floor going through a box of your ex’s things, Stefani’s new music is a realization of life after a crumbled relationship.
Stefani stated her new album is honest without trying to hide the fact that her imperfect marriage was not perfect enough to last.
While some have compared Stefani to Christina Aguilera, Gwen is trying to do her own thing. The rugged growl belt that Aguilera is known for is not comparable to Stefani’s chart music whose voice is not recognized for just one quality.
While a decade can seem like a long time, it appears that it was just the right time for the truth to be set free.
This album does not sugarcoat heartbreak, but also does not overstep its boundaries for singing new love songs. Although this is what the truth feels like, it sounds like winner.
Francesca Harvey is a staff writer and can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com
