Gwen Stefani Talks New Music: ‘This Album Is Literally For Me’

“The Voice” is helping to inspire Gwen Stefani’s first solo album in nearly a decade. 

The pop superstar and fashion designer dished to Access Hollywood’s Liz Hernandez on Thursday about how coaching aspiring singers on NBC’s reality smash has influenced her own musical endeavors.

“You don’t understand right now, how excited I am. It doesn’t get more exciting,” Gwen said, while celebrating the launch of her Harajuku Lovers and Chasing Fireflies children’s collection in Los Angeles.

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“Being on ‘The Voice,’ and being around all that music, sharing everybody’s stories, and thinking back to what I’ve done, it’s just been magical,” she continued. “I know that had a lot to do with this record.”

Returning to the Emmy-winning competition series was a no-brainer for the No Doubt frontwoman. Gwen told Access that her experience on the show, which she was reluctant to call a “job,” has been much more rewarding than she ever expected.

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“I just got so much out of it, in a spiritual way, that I never thought I would,” she said, adding that her emotional response to the contestants’ personal lives is something she’s glad doesn’t happen until after the blind auditions.

“How can you not? I mean, it’s real. That’s happening right there,” Gwen said of watching the competition unfold.

She went on to explain that the coaches don’t learn anything about their teams’ backgrounds until the show is further along. In hindsight, she said, the structure makes sense despite seeming cutthroat at first.

“I watched it the other night, the premiere, and I was [thinking], ‘Thank God I didn’t know the stories or the people I didn’t turn for,'” she continued. “Like, how does that happen? It was so devastating, watching it. I’m like, ‘Just turn around! What are you doing?’ But that’s the game, I guess.”

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As for her latest songwriting sessions, Gwen said her rejuvenated creativity has been worth the wait. The mom of three hasn’t released a full-length solo album since 2006’s “The Sweet Escape,” and said that switching focus to herself has made the process that much more satisfying.

“This album is literally for me. I’m sorry. I’ll share it,” Gwen said, adding that the productivity has given her a newfound sense of gratitude for her work.

“I haven’t digested it enough because the songs are so fresh, but I’ve never written like this before,” she said. “I started writing at the end of June. I have probably 18 songs. Every single time I’ve gone in the studio I’ve written a song. It’s literally the biggest, most incredible, unexpected blessing that’s ever happened.”

— Erin Biglow

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