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.
Magic's in the Makeup
No Doubt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I want to be myself
A counterfeit disposition
Can't be good for my health
So many different faces
Depending on the different phases
My personality changes
I'm a chameleon
I can fool you and attract attention
Camouflage my nature
Let me demonstrate
Makeup's all off
Who am I?
The magic's in the makeup (the magic's in the makeup)
Who am I?
If you bore me then I'm comfortable
If you interest me I'm scared
My attraction paralyzes me
No courage to show my true colors that exist
But I wanna be the real thing
But if you catch my eye can't be authentic
The ones I loath are the one's that know me the best
My makeup's all off
Who am I?
The magic's in the makeup (the magic's in the makeup)
Who am I?
The makeup's all off
Who am I?
It's the magic's in the make up (the magic's in the makeup)
Then who am I?
Magic's in the makeup
But I want to be the real thing
But the magic's in the makeup
And I want to be the real thing
Mmh, mmh
My makeup's all off
Who am I?
The lyrics to No Doubt's song Magic's in the Makeup are a reflection of the different personas that people often put up in order to fit in or project a certain image. The song talks about the struggles of wanting to be authentic but feeling the need to put on a facade in order to be accepted or loved. The opening lines "Can you tell I'm faking it? But I want to be myself, A counterfeit disposition, Can't be good for my health," delve into the self-doubt that arises when one's true self does not meet the expectations of the society. The chorus "Makeup's all off, Who am I? The magic's in the makeup" highlights the notion that one's identity is so malleable that it can be shaped by the mere act of applying or removing makeup.
As the song continues, the lyrics explore the fear of vulnerability that comes with showing one's true self. The line "If you bore me then I'm comfortable, If you interest me I'm scared" suggests that it's easier to hide behind a false facade when one doesn't feel like they are being judged or scrutinized. The line "My attraction paralyzes me, No courage to show my true colors that exist" reveals the fear of rejection that often keeps people from being their true selves. The song concludes with the lines "Magic's in the makeup, But I want to be the real thing, And I want to be the real thing," emphasizing the desire to break free from the constraints of societal expectations and show one's authentic self.
Overall, No Doubt's song Magic's in the Makeup is a powerful reflection of the struggles that come with being true to oneself in a world that often demands conformity. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has ever felt like they needed to put on a mask to fit in or be accepted. The song serves as a reminder that the real magic is in the courage to be oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you tell I'm faking it?
I'm not being real and I'm not comfortable with myself
But I want to be myself
I want to embrace my true personality
A counterfeit disposition
Acting like someone else is not good for my well-being
Can't be good for my health
It's not healthy to constantly put on a fake persona
So many different faces
I have a lot of different personas depending on the situation
Depending on the different phases
My behavior and actions change depending on what's going on around me
My personality changes
I act differently in different situations
I'm a chameleon
I can adapt and blend in with different environments and social groups
There's more then one dimension
I have many sides to me and can show different personalities
I can fool you and attract attention
I can make people think that I'm someone else in order to get noticed
Camouflage my nature
I hide my true personality and behavior
Let me demonstrate
Watch and see how I can pretend to be someone else
Makeup's all off
I'm not pretending anymore and showing my true self
Who am I?
I'm trying to figure out who I really am
The magic's in the makeup (the magic's in the makeup)
The power to be someone else is in the makeup, but that's not who I really am
If you bore me then I'm comfortable
I'm fine with being myself if I'm not interested in someone or something
If you interest me I'm scared
If I'm attracted to someone or something, then I'm afraid to show my true self
My attraction paralyzes me
My infatuation with someone or something makes me unable to act like myself
No courage to show my true colors that exist
I'm afraid to be myself in front of people I'm attracted to
But I wanna be the real thing
I want to be true to myself and show my true colors
But if you catch my eye can't be authentic
If I'm attracted to someone, I'll struggle to be myself around them
The ones I loath are the one's that know me the best
The people I dislike are the ones who know me the best because they see through my fake persona
It's the magic's in the make up (the magic's in the makeup)
The power to be someone else is in the makeup, but that's not who I really am
Then who am I?
I'm trying to figure out who I am without the masks and makeup
Magic's in the makeup
The power to be someone else is in the makeup, but it's not who I really am
But I want to be the real thing
I want to be true to myself and show my true personality
And I want to be the real thing
I don't want to hide behind fake personas and want to be authentic
My makeup's all off
I'm not wearing any masks or pretending anymore
Who am I?
I'm figuring out who I am without the masks and makeup
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gwen Stefani, Thomas Dumont
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind