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.
The Real Thing
Gwen Stefani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have all your stories memorized
I've kissed your lips a million ways
But I still love to have you around
I've held you too many times to count
I think I know you inside out
And we're together most days
And you're the one I want and it's not just a phase
And you're the one I trust, our love is the real thing
Don't go away
My love (my love)
I want you to stay
In my life
Don't go away
My lover (my love)
I'm happiest when we spend time
You're a salty water, ocean wave
You knock me down, you kiss my face
I know the storms will always come
But I still love to have you around
Heavens knows what will come next
So emotional, you're so complex
A roller coaster, built to crash
But I still love to have you around
You're the one I want and it's not just a phase
You're the one I trust, our love is the real thing
Don't go away
My love (my love)
I want you to stay
In my life
Don't go away
My lover (my love)
I'm happiest when we spend time (it's only you and I)
It's you there when I close my eyes
And you in the morning
I never thought you'd still be mine
Or I'd really need to have you around
Don't go away
My love (my love)
I want you to stay
In my life
Don't go away
My lover (my love)
I need you, you're my love supply
Don't go away
My love (you're my love supply)
I want you to stay
In my life (every day, every night)
Don't go away
My lover (you're my love supply)
I need you, you're my love supply
The song "The Real Thing" by Gwen Stefani expresses the feelings of a person who has been in a long-term relationship. She has seen and experienced almost everything with her partner, from the highs to the lows, but still enjoys having him around. The opening lines convey a sense of familiarity and comfort with her lover as she describes having seen his face and memorized his stories. These lines are followed by her confessing to have kissed his lips in a million ways, suggesting that their relationship is not new, but rather mature.
The chorus is a declaration of her love and trust for her partner. She acknowledges that their love is not just a phase or temporary, but rather the real thing. The next verse describes her partner as emotional and complex, a roller coaster built to crash. However, despite the challenges, she loves having him around. The bridge repeats the chorus, but with added emphasis on the need for her partner to stay in her life as he is her love supply.
The song overall provides insight into the depth of emotions and experiences that come with long-term relationships. It emphasizes the importance of trust and a strong emotional connection as essential components of a lasting relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen your face a thousand times
I've seen you so often that I've memorized your face
Have all your stories memorized
I know all your stories by heart
I've kissed your lips a million ways
I've kissed you so many times and in so many ways
But I still love to have you around
But I still love being with you
I've held you too many times to count
I've held you so often that I can't keep count
I think I know you inside out
I feel I know you completely
And we're together most days
We spend most of our days together
And you're the one I want and it's not just a phase
I truly desire to be with you and it's not just a temporary attraction
And you're the one I trust, our love is the real thing
I trust you completely and our love is genuine
Don't go away
Please don't leave me
My love (my love)
My dear, beloved one
I want you to stay
I desire for you to remain with me
In my life
As a part of my life
My lover (my love)
My romantic partner, my beloved
I'm happiest when we spend time
I am the happiest when we are together
You're a salty water, ocean wave
You're like a sea wave, salty and strong
You knock me down, you kiss my face
You bring me down, but you also show me affection
I know the storms will always come
I understand that the difficulties in life will consistently present themselves
But I still love to have you around
But I still love being with you
Heavens knows what will come next
It's unclear what's going to happen next, only the heavens may know
So emotional, you're so complex
You're very emotional and complicated
A roller coaster, built to crash
Our romantic relationship is like a rollercoaster that is destined to fall apart
You're the one I want and it's not just a phase
I truly desire to be with you and it's not just a temporary attraction
You're the one I trust, our love is the real thing
I trust you completely and our love is genuine
It's you there when I close my eyes
When I close my eyes, I see you
And you in the morning
When I wake up, I see you
I never thought you'd still be mine
I never imagined that you would still be with me
Or I'd really need to have you around
Or I would find myself desperately needing to have you with me
I need you, you're my love supply
I need you, you're the source of my love
My love (you're my love supply)
My dear, beloved one (you provide the love I need)
It's only you and I
It's just the two of us
Every day, every night
All day, every day, and all night long
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LINDA PERRY, GWEN STEFANI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind