Formed in 1986 in Anaheim, California, United States as a ska punk band ins… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in 1986 in Anaheim, California, United States as a ska punk band inspired by Madness, the lineup of No Doubt initially comprised John Spence as lead vocal, Gwen Stefani on back-up vocals, and her brother Eric Stefani on keyboards. While playing the party-band circuit around Anaheim, the trio picked up bassist Tony Kanal. Hardened by the suicide of Spence in December 1987, No Doubt nevertheless continued; Gwen became the lone vocalist and the group added guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young. During their early years on the party scene, they played with Sublime, and Brad Nowell sang on No Doubt's Total Hate 95. Gwen Stefani returned the favour on Saw Red.
No Doubt's live act began to attract regional interest, and Interscope Records signed them in 1991. The band's debut a year later, an odd fusion of '80s and ska, sank without a trace in the wake of the grunge movement. As a result, Interscope refused to support No Doubt's tour or further recordings. The band responded by recording on their own during 1993-94; the result was the self-released The Beacon Street Collection, much rawer and more punk-inspired than the debut. Eric Stefani left just after its release, later working as an animator for The Simpsons. By late 1994, Interscope allowed recordings to resume, and Tragic Kingdom was released in October 1995. The album's third single, Don't Speak, which although originally written by Eric was later altered by Gwen to document her breakup with bassist Tony Kanal. Tragic Kingdom went platinum and has sold over 15 million copies to date. As Tragic Kingdom obtained success, the band toured furiously until late '97.

After a long break, the band had prepared a more mellow, and powerfully dramatic album entitled Return of Saturn. It emphasized Gwen's encounters with men, her biological clock, and miscellaneous topics. Although the album had a completely different approach to it, the band was making rock music with less of a punk/ska flare. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts in early April of 2000, and then declined to a flop. The public never did justice to the album, and it serves as a favorite for many die-hard fans.

While touring in Jamaica for Return of Saturn, the band wanted to try adding Reggae to their music, and making more of a dance rock record. 20 months after Return of Saturn debuted, the band was quick to jump on the creation of Rock Steady, released in December of '01. The singles Underneath It All and Hey Baby became international dance club symbols as top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. This album proved that No Doubt had not lost their potential with the public, and that they could appeal to various groups of people.

In 2004, No Doubt announced they would be going on hiatus after the release of the singles compilation The Singles 1992–2003, which contained one new song, a cover of experimental rock band Talk Talk's "It's My Life". Tony Kanal did several projects with Gwen and other artists. Adrian Young married and had a child; Tom Dumont formed a new band, Invincible Overlord, often plays with Matt Costa's band. Gwen embarked on a sucessful solo career which consisted of two albums - "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." and "The Sweet Escape". The first of these albums contains the single "Hollaback Girl", a song which was inescapable for most of 2005 and hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won her a Billboard Award for first track to reach 1 Million legal downloads ever. The self titled track off "The Sweet Escape" went on to become her most notorious calling card.

With the hiatus officially over in late 2008 No Doubt announced tour plans for 2009, kicking it off in Atlantic City. The tour concluded with four dates in Irvine, CA. In May, 2009, the band was featured as a fictional 80's band, "Snowed Out", on CW Network's "Gossip Girl" The band performed their cover of Adam and the Ants 'Stand and Deliver.'

The group entered the studio in May 2010 to start recording on their sixth studio album: Push and Shove which will be release on September 25, 2012 and its first single will be "Settle Down". Their first music video for the new album will also be for "Settle Down" and it will be directed by Sophie Muller (who previously has done numerous music videos for No Doubt). The whole album has been recorded with producer Mark "Spike" Stent (who worked on their previous album Rock Steady) but they have also collaborated with Major Lazer (now Diplo's solo project). No Doubt previously revealed they are taking influence from ska, 80s new wave and Jamaican reggae music for the new record.

Artificial Sweetener
No Doubt Lyrics

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Oh yes I'm guilty
For leasing myself out
Not ready to go up for sale
Can't seem to give it up
Stubborn, so selfish
I'm showing off the worst in me

The return of Saturn

Assessing my life
Second guessing

I'm full of artificial sweetener
My heart's been deceitful
It's all artificial sweetener
I'm faking I love you's
You're forcing me to

You really deserve love
I want to love you
But I can't seem to find myself
My wilting effort
Our progress report
I'm only sure that I'm not sure

I shudder to be honest
Who's behind it all now?
Who's the author?

I'm full of artificial sweetener
My heart's been deceitful
It's all artificial sweetener
I'm faking I love you's
You're forcing me to

Re-read, re-write, redo, undo
I'm stuck on this page
I was born two weeks late
Is that why I hesitate?
I'm on the fence
Push me off it
I want to be on your side now
And keep a promise

I'm full of artificial sweetener
My heart's been deceitful
It's all artificial sweetener
My heart's been deceitful
I'm faking I love you's
You're forcing me to
I'm faking I love you's
You're forcing me to
I'm faking I love you's
You're forcing me to

I'm faking I love you's
You're forcing me to

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to No Doubt's song Artificial Sweetener explore the singer's struggle with being true to themselves and their emotions, particularly in a romantic relationship. The singer begins by admitting their guilt in "leasing themselves out," essentially putting on a facade or pretending to be someone they're not in order to maintain the relationship. The singer recognizes their own stubbornness and selfishness, acknowledging that they're not ready to fully commit themselves to their partner. These traits are representative of the "worst" in the singer and suggest a deeper internal struggle with authenticity.

The reference to the "return of Saturn" and "assessing my life" speaks to the singer's introspection and examination of their own choices and trajectory in life. However, this self-reflection leads to "second guessing" and uncertainty about who they are and what they want. The repeated reference to "artificial sweetener" represents the singer's desire to "sweeten" their emotions or feelings in the relationship, rather than confronting them head-on. This artificiality is tied to a sense of deceit and dishonesty, with the singer "faking I love you's" and feeling forced to do so by their partner.

The final lines of the song express a desire to break free from this forced falsehood and be more honest with themselves and their partner. However, the singer is still uncertain and hesitant, symbolized by the metaphor of being "on the fence." The song ends with a sense of unresolved tension and ambiguity, leaving the listener to question the singer's ultimate decision.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh yes I'm guilty
I admit that I am at fault

For leasing myself out
I have been putting myself up for display and using myself to gain something

Not ready to go up for sale
I am not willing to be sold to someone's expectations

Can't seem to give it up
I have a hard time letting go of my current ways and beliefs

Stubborn, so selfish
I am being obstinate and only thinking about myself

I'm showing off the worst in me
I am displaying the negative and undesirable parts of my character

The return of Saturn
The astrological event of Saturn returning to its original position in the sky, symbolizing a time of reassessment and reflection

Assessing my life
Examining my past and present choices and actions

Second guessing
Doubting my own judgments and decisions

I'm full of artificial sweetener
I am pretending to be something I am not

My heart's been deceitful
I have not been honest with my own emotions

I'm faking I love you's
I am pretending to have feelings I do not truly possess

You're forcing me to
I feel obligated to behave a certain way based on your expectations

You really deserve love
You are worthy of genuine affection and care

I want to love you
I desire to feel genuine love towards you

But I can't seem to find myself
However, I am struggling with identifying my true self and feelings

My wilting effort
My attempts are not thriving or successful

Our progress report
An assessment of our relationship so far

I'm only sure that I'm not sure
I am certain that I am uncertain about our relationship