Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Driver charged in deadly high-speed crash ... Pair charged in rural drug raid outside Jacksonville ... Rogue Disposal wants to increase garbage rates by 12 percent ... Driver charged in deadly high-speed crash ... Pair charged in rural drug raid outside Jacksonville ... Rogue Disposal wants to increase garbage rates by 12 percent ... REVIEW Gwen Stefani turns pain into musical pleasure Comment By Alan Sculley The Morning Call MailTribune.com By Alan Sculley The Morning Call Posted Aug. 10, 2016 at 4:29 PM By Alan Sculley The Morning Call Posted Aug. 10, 2016 at 4:29 PM » Social News For Gwen Stefani, her new album "This Is What the Truth Feels Like" was more than just a chance to create music. In a sense, she says it saved her life. Around February 2015, her 13-year marriage to Gavin Rossdale — lead singer of the band Bush and father of her three sons — was coming to an end. Stefani responded by doing what she knows best, writing songs. Along the way, she started connecting with country star Blake Shelton, one of her fellow coaches on the television show "The Voice." Shelton was going through his own divorce from his wife, country star Miranda Lambert, and the two bonded over the similar life-changing events they were experiencing. The Stefani-Shelton romance has since gone public, and "This Is What the Truth Feels Like" is heavily informed by the saga. "Music has to be from real life and it has to honest and with the right intentions for people to connect to it," Stefani says during a teleconference interview. "And this record, that's what this record was. And so I just feel grateful to have to go through the pain to get to this place, because that's sometimes what you have to do." Several songs on "This Is What the Truth Feels Like," such as "Naughty" and "Red Flag," hint at secrets and betrayals, while "Used to Love You" is the sound of a relationship ending and a woman ready to move on. That song, in a sense, sets the stage for several other songs ("Rare," "Where Would I Be?" and "Truth") that revel in the excitement of new love and emotional renewal. Musically, the new album isn't as bouncy and bubbly as much of Stefani's previous music, but songs like the tempered ballads "Misery" (the current single), "Truth" and "You're My Favorite" are rich musically. And the album gets a measure of energy from the sunny "Make Me Like You" and the slyly playful "Naughty." The backdrop that produced "This Is What the Truth Feels Like" has some direct parallels to the album that first introduced Stefani to a large audience — "Tragic Kingdom," the 1995 release by her band, No Doubt. Featuring the hits "Just a Girl," "Spiderwebs" and "Don't Speak," it sold 16 million copies worldwide. Written in the wake of her breakup with the bassist in that band, Tony Kanal, it included songs that were inspired by the pain Stefani was feeling, with "Don't Speak," a prime example of a song that captured the breakup experience. Stefani says she sees parallels between the two albums, which involved simply pouring her emotions into her songwriting. "I'm devastated that my best friend (Kanal) doesn't want to be with me anymore," Stefani says. "So it was, like everything I lived for was, I was being abandoned, do you know what I mean? So I wrote these songs. " 'Tragic Kingdom' is pure like that. 'What The Truth Feels Like' is pure. I wasn't making this record to talk to the media about it. I wasn't making this record to go on tour. I wasn't making this record to share it. I was making it because it's all I could do, you know what I mean, to save my own life. And so I don't know, there is a similarity between the two albums, emotionally and the the intention or the purpose for making them." No Doubt's follow-up album, 2000's "Return of Saturn," was well-received critically, but was a commercial disappointment. But the group bounced back in 2001 with "Rock Steady," an album that produced two Grammy-winning singles, "Hey Baby" and "Underneath It All." Following that album, No Doubt went on hiatus and Stefani launched her solo career. She made an eclectic debut with "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." in 2004 that gave her a hit single with "Hollaback Girl." She returned two years later with another successful solo effort, "The Sweet Escape." Stefani then turned her attention back to No Doubt. But she struggled creatively, and it wasn't until 2012 that the group's comeback album, "Push and Shove," arrived. By that time Stefani had started to find her creative confidence again, and that feeling was furthered after getting pregnant with her third son, Apollo, and then getting the offer to be a coach on "The Voice." By Alan Sculley The Morning Call MailTribune.com By Alan Sculley The Morning Call Posted Aug. 10, 2016 at 4:29 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501