In 2004, Stefani released her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. The album featured several collaborations with producers and other artists, including No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal, Linda Perry, André 3000, Nellee Hooper, and The Neptunes. It was primarily inspired by pop and new wave music of the 1980s, and emerged an international success with sales of over seven million copies. The third single Hollaback Girl became the first U.S. digital download to sell one million copies.
The debut album also drew attention to the Harajuku Girls, Stefani's entourage of four Japanese backup dancers named for the fashionable suburb in Tokyo. Originally hired in 2004 for the album, the Girls continued to appear alongside Stefani, and are featured in these music videos: "What You Waiting For?", "Rich Girl", "Hollaback Girl", "Luxurious", "Crash", "Wind It Up", "The Sweet Escape", and "Now That You Got It".
Stefani's second solo album The Sweet Escape was released December 5, 2006. Collaborating again with her on the project were Perry, The Neptunes, along with Akon and Tim Rice-Oxley of Keane, and producers Pharrell and Kanal. Despite mixed reviews of the album as a whole, the title track The Sweet Escape became an international success and earned Stefani a Grammy nomination, and remains the most successful song of her solo career.
Although it had been speculated that the album would contain only material originally written for L.A.M.B. that did not make the final cut, only two songs left over from L.A.M.B. were included in the record: 80's-influenced U Started It; and Wonderful Life, which features Depeche Mode's Martin L. Gore on guitar.
Stefani is equally known as a fashion trendsetter. In 2003, she created a clothing fashion line named L.A.M.B. which shares the initials of her debut solo album. This collection was later expanded with the introduction of a newer line in 2005 called Harajuku Lovers, which draws its inspiration from Japanese culture and fashion.
On May 26, 2006, Stefani gave birth to her first child, a baby boy named Kingston James McGregor Rossdale. The father is British grunge musician Gavin Rossdale, former frontman of the now-defunct bands Bush and Institute, who she married in 2002.
In January 2008, Stefani's now ex-father-in-law confirmed that she would be expecting her second child in the summer. On August 21, 2008, second son Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale was born.
Gwen Stefani said in 2011 that she was no longer planning to release another solo album.
On April 12, 2014, Stefani made a surprise appearance at the Coachella festival, where she joined Pharrell Williams onstage during his set to perform "Hollaback Girl". She and Williams were coaches for season 7 of The Voice. After nine years since her last appearance, she attended the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, and during an interview on the red carpet she said, "I didn't know I was gonna have a baby, I didn't know I was gonna be on The Voice, I didn't know I was gonna be writing new music, so I'm just like, what's gonna be next?".
On September 8, 2014, Stefani told MTV News during New York Fashion Week that she is working on both a No Doubt album and a solo album. She also revealed that she is working with Williams. Stefani released her comeback single "Baby Don't Lie" on October 20, 2014, co-written with producers Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, and Noel Zancanella. Billboard magazine revealed that her third studio album is set to be released in December and Benny Blanco is set to executive produce it. In late October, a sneak peek of a new track from Stefani's third album, named "Spark the Fire", was premiered. The song was produced by Pharrell Williams.
On October 17, 2015, Stefani performed a one-night concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, where she performed a new song, reportedly about her breakup with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, titled "Used to Love You". It was released as a digital download on October 20, 2015. The video was released later that same day. The song was released to Mainstream radio in the U.S. on October 27, 2015. The track is the first official single off her third solo album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like, which she has been working on since June of that year. Neither "Baby Don't Lie" or "Spark the Fire" were included on the album. Stefani said much of the previous material felt forced and inauthentic, while the songs written since she returned to the studio are more natural and better describe where she is in her life. The album's second single, "Make Me Like You", was released on February 12, 2016.
In November 2015, she announced that she began dating fellow “The Voice” judge Blake Shelton. The couple got engaged in October 27, 2020. The couple got married in July 3, 2021.
Hollaback Girl
Gwen Stefani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the girls stomp your feet like this
Few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
I heard that you were talking shit
And you didn't think that I would hear it
People hear you talking like that, getting everybody fired up
So I'm ready to attack, gonna lead the pack
Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out
That's right, put your pom-poms down, getting everybody fired up
Few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
So that's right, dude, meet me at the bleachers
No principals, no student-teachers
Both of us wanna be the winner, but there can only be one
So I'm gonna fight, gonna give it my all
Gonna make you fall, gonna sock it to you
That's right, I'm the last one standing
Another one bites the dust
Few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Let me hear you say, this shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S
This shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S
Again this shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S
This shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S
Few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
The song "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani is a pop song released in 2005. The song's lyrics are an empowering message to women who have been the victim of gossip and rumour-mongering. She talks about how she won't accept being called a "hollaback girl," which is a term that is often derogatory and is used to refer to women who are considered easy or promiscuous. The lyrics also talk about how she is ready to stand up for herself and fight back against anyone who is trying to bring her down.
The chorus "Few times I've been around that track, so it's not just gonna happen like that, 'cause I ain't no hollaback girl" means that Gwen Stefani is saying that she has been around the block a few times, and she knows how to handle herself. She is telling people not to mess with her because she is not someone who can be easily pushed around. The use of the term "that track" could be interpreted as a metaphor for life's experiences and challenges, showing that Gwen Stefani is experienced and knows how to handle life's difficulties.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh-huh, this my shit
I'm confident in what I'm doing and what I have to offer
All the girls stomp your feet like this
I'm inviting all the girls to join me and express themselves in their own unique way
Few times I've been around that track
I've faced challenges and setbacks before
So it's not just gonna happen like that
I know that success isn't instant or guaranteed
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I'm not someone who will be passive and let others talk negatively about me without consequence
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
I'm emphasizing my pride and ownership over my own abilities and actions
I heard that you were talking shit
I'm aware that someone has been speaking ill of me behind my back
And you didn't think that I would hear it
But they underestimated my awareness and strength
People hear you talking like that, getting everybody fired up
Their negative words are creating tension and animosity among others
So I'm ready to attack, gonna lead the pack
I'm taking control by confronting this person and being assertive
Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out
I'm going to prevail in this situation and defeat my opponent
That's right, put your pom-poms down, getting everybody fired up
I'm calling out their superficial support and encouraging genuine action
So that's right, dude, meet me at the bleachers
I'm issuing a challenge and inviting them to face me directly
No principals, no student-teachers
There will be no authority figures involved in this confrontation
Both of us wanna be the winner, but there can only be one
This is a competition where only one person can come out on top
So I'm gonna fight, gonna give it my all
I'm fully committed to putting forth my best effort
Gonna make you fall, gonna sock it to you
I'm determined to defeat them and come out victorious
That's right, I'm the last one standing
I will not back down and will persevere until the end
Another one bites the dust
They will face defeat and be forced to back down
Let me hear you say, this shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S
I want everyone to recognize how crazy and intense this situation is
Few times I've been around that track
I'm familiar with facing challenges and obstacles
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Success is not guaranteed and requires hard work and determination
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I will not be passive and let others talk negatively about me without consequence
Ooh, this my shit, this my shit
I take pride in my abilities and ownership over my actions
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gwen Renee Stefani, Pharrell L. Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind