This Is What the Truth Feels Like is the third studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani. It was released on March 18, 2016, by Interscope Records. Initially, the album was scheduled to be released in December 2014 with Stefani working with a handful of high-profile producers, and Benny Blanco serving as executive producer. However, after the underperformance of her 2014 singles and the writer's block Stefani suffered, she did not feel comfortable curating an album and scrapped the whole record in favor of starting again. The album's release was scheduled after Stefani hinted at it on her Twitter account.
Inspired by both the end of her marriage and eventual newfound romance, Stefani returned to writing new songs. With the help of producers J.R. Rotem, Mattman & Robin, and Greg Kurstin, as well as songwriters Justin Tranter and Julia Michaels, Stefani wrote the album in a few months. Describing it as a breakup record, she created songs with a sarcastic and dark-humor vibe, in addition to ones that felt real, joyful, and happy. Musically, This Is What the Truth Feels Like is a pop record that is similar to the material on Stefani's previous studio albums. The record includes a guest appearance by rapper Fetty Wap.
The album received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised its honest and vulnerable nature and considered it her most personal album. However, some thought the album was too calculated and did not capture the essence of a breakup album because it lacked a clear focus. Commercially, the album was moderately successful, becoming Stefani's first number one on the Billboard 200; in several other major music markets, it peaked within the top 40 on the charts. To further promote the album, Stefani embarked on her third concert tour, the This Is What the Truth Feels Like Tour with rapper Eve in North America and headlined the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre Final Shows with opening act Young the Giant.
The album's official lead single, "Used to Love You", was released on October 20, 2015, to a positive response and had moderate success on the charts. Its second single, "Make Me Like You", was released on February 12, 2016, with a similar reception. The accompanying music video was the first to be created live on television, and was broadcast during a commercial break for the 2016 Grammy Awards. "Misery" was originally issued as a promotional single before being released as the album's third single on May 23, 2016.
Background
After giving birth to her third son on February 28, 2014, Gwen Stefani made her first public appearance at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 12, 2014, performing "Hollaback Girl" at the request of her longtime collaborator and friend Pharrell Williams, who was one of the festival's headliners.[2] After the performance, Williams hinted at a possible return for the singer.[2] In September 2014, she revealed she was writing for two records: her third solo studio album and her band No Doubt's seventh studio album. She told MTV News: "At this point I'm thinking about both, I can do both. [...] And it's just an amazing time; so many opportunities. I'm going into the studio tonight with Pharrell [Williams], I'm going to be writing and also just seeing what comes along my way. I've been recording a few things."[3] In the same month, Stefani's manager Irving Azoff confirmed she was finishing the record with Williams, as well as planning to perform its lead single live on The Voice. Interscope Records chairman John Janick also revealed that producer Benny Blanco would be the album's executive producer and that it was slated to be released sometime in December 2014.[4]
On October 20, 2014, Stefani released "Baby Don't Lie", produced by Blanco and Ryan Tedder, as the album's tentative lead-single.[5] The song met with a mixed response from critics[6] and saw moderate success on the charts.[7] Soon after it was announced that a new song titled "Spark the Fire" would be released;[8] produced by Pharrell Williams, it was released on December 1, 2014.[9] She revealed to Spin in December 2014 that she worked with Calvin Harris, Charli XCX, and Sia on the album, and her desire to work with Chris Martin and Diplo at some point in the future.[10] Despite performing the Sia-penned track "Start a War" during a concert,[11] and registering two Charli XCX tracks ("Hard 2 Love" and "Hell Yeah Baby") with the BMI,[12][13] they were never released physically. In January 2015, the singer revealed she had decided to slow the album's recording process because she felt it was not complete.[14] In May 2015, rapper LunchMoney Lewis told Ryan Seacrest he was working with Stefani on the record.[15]
In August, Stefani filed for divorce from her husband Gavin Rossdale after almost thirteen years of marriage.[16] In October, Stefani revealed to Entertainment Weekly that she scrapped the album and started again, since "[i]t didn't feel right. [...] I didn't feel fulfilled. That record with Benny was done that way because I had just given birth and had just started on The Voice and felt like I should do something in music, but what was I going to do? There wasn't enough time. So I tried to make a record where I was just kind of involved—which is how a lot of people do it, but it didn't work for me".[17] She later told Zane Lowe that she had attempted to curate an entire album, but it did not feel right and she needed to write her own material.[18] She also revealed that she felt inspired again and started writing a lot of songs in a rapid progression, revealing: "I think I have enough for probably two albums. [...] I have to write a few more songs, because I feel like, might as well keep going while it's there. [...] I got 20 songs. I have a whole record in eight weeks, but I want to keep writing."[19][20] Stefani also revealed she had worked with musicians Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels, Greg Kurstin,[21] in addition to production duo Mattman & Robin and the Stargate production team.[22] The album was completed in January 2016. Stefani revealed in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on February 25 that "'four of five' songs" were written in the previous month.[23]
Writing and inspiration
There's this crazy thing where I was given this gift– which I didn't know about until it happened– that I could write these songs. But I was always so not confident about it and worried about it, and like writer's block, and all these things, and I was like that, I was so blocked for so long [...] But now it's happening again, and it's like the most incredible thing ever. It's so incredible to be able to use my gift again.
—Stefani about being inspired again to write songs for the album.[20]
Thematically, Stefani considered the album to be mainly "a breakup record",[24] declaring: "I would consider it a breakup record. [...] It just makes me believe in God and my journey. My cross to bear was to go through these heartbreaks and write these songs and help people."[25] The singer also told Ryan Seacrest that while writing the songs for the album during her personal struggles with the end of her marriage, she felt the process was therapeutic. She commented: "The record company was like, 'Listen, we really think your record is too personal and no one is going to relate to this record and maybe you should just put it out as an artistic body of work—don't even think about radio'." She described the sensation of hearing this was like being punched in the stomach.[18]
According to Stefani, the various emotions she had experienced in the past year would be reflected on the album. The first songs written for the album had a sarcastic and humorous vibe, while she later described the other songs as having a "realness" to them.[26] The first song written for the album was "You Don't Know Me", a personal song penned with Rick Nowels.[20][26] According to the singer, the song was "the first opening of the channel" of her songwriting inspiration.[26] In the early stages, she also wrote a song with Linda Perry called "Medicine Man" while flying to No Doubt's Jazz Festival show in New Orleans.[20] Another song, "Red Flag", was the first song she wrote with J.R. Rotem, Justin Tranter and Julia Michaels. She described it as a "work of art" for "express[ing] so clearly what [she] was [going through] at the time".[26][27] They also worked on other songs, such as "Naughty", "Misery", which she considered a "really happy song," and "Make Me Like You", produced by Mattman & Robin,[28] which, having been surprised by the result, she called "so good"![29]
Themes
The album focuses on Stefani's divorce from Gavin Rossdale (left) and her subsequent relationship with Blake Shelton (right).
This Is What the Truth Feels Like focuses on several themes, including "moving on from a broken relationship" to "falling in love again".[30] Her divorce from Gavin Rossdale served as the main source of inspiration for the former,[31] while her subsequent romance with Blake Shelton served as an inspiration for the latter.[32] The singer intended the album to show her desire for "forgiveness" instead of "revenge".[33] Stefani's take on her "messy divorce" is evident in the single "Used to Love You",[1] while tracks like "Send Me a Picture" and "Rare" find her embracing a new love.[34] She kept the news of her divorce hidden from her writing and production teams during the recording sessions, however, Stefani "suspect[ed] her collaborators knew she was in crisis because of her lyrics".[35] When asked in a GQ interview: "Did you think this project was going to be a heartbreak album? It seems like a falling-in-love album. Was that a surprise?" Stefani responded:
You are right. I did not think anything. I wasn't thinking. I was feeling and I was dying. And then I was just like, You can't go down like this! You have to turn this into music. You have to try, at least. I was so embarrassed by just everything. I just didn't want to be that person that just went down after all of that. A lot of the time in the sessions, they weren't letting me write. They were giving me tracks and doing it all. I was like, Why am I here? Then I got the perfect combination of people to really support me and make me feel confident. It was an amazing awakening. I walked into the session and I was like, You gotta know, I don't care about anything except the truth right here.[36]
John Janick, the chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M Records,[37] told Stefani that he was unsure of her songs "connect[ing] with people", encouraging her to create an "artistic record" and to skip radio altogether. Janick later changed his mind and got in touch with Stefani after listening to "Used to Love You".[21] She called it "the most personal song" she had ever written and appreciated Janick's decision commenting: "That's never happened in my entire career."[21] After writing "Truth", she was inspired to title the album with something similar.[35] By the time several personal themed tracks were completed, Stefani began creating songs dealing with her newfound relationship with Shelton; "Make Me Like You" details "the early stage of their romance", while the title track suggests what the public might think of their romance, with lyrics such as: "They're all gonna say I'm rebounding, so rebound all over me".[35]
This Is What the Truth Feels Like features a range of genres; including pop,[1]reggae,[38][39]disco and dancehall,[40]R&B, hip hop and "punky" electro-pop music.[41] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly viewed it as "an album so directly torn from Stefani's recent, much-documented romantic upheavals that it could be called 'The Ballad of Blake and Gavin'".[38]Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic added that: "Stefani spends roughly half of the record singing breezy songs of liberation."[42] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine commented: "While an artist converting personal tragedy into creative capital is hardly new, the nakedness with which Stefani assesses the ruins of her relationship is stark, especially compared to the self-proclaimed guilty pleasures of Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and The Sweet Escape."[43] On writing about both relationships, Stefani claimed: "I don't have any secrets; I don't have anything to hide. I haven't done anything wrong. I'm happy to share my story. [This] is really the only record I've written that's mostly happy; all the others are about heartbreak. And there's some of that on here—it needed that, to make the rest feel as good as it feels."[44]
Music and lyrics
This Is What the Truth Feels Like begins with "Misery". An electropop song[45] with "future-disco beats",[40] the album's third single "captures the highs and lows of being gobsmacked in love".[39] According to Nicki Gostin, writing for the New York Daily News, the song's lyrics are unclear and either detail Stefani's former relationship with Rossdale, or her current relationship with Shelton.[46] The track makes several references to love and drugs through the use of hyperbole and cliches.[47] "You're My Favorite" has "Super Mario 64 cave synths and [a] tinny, trap-adjacent percussion".[48] The song was dubbed "the most 'Stefani-esque'" by Nicholaus James Jodlowski of Reporter magazine,[49] while Jillian Mapes of Pitchfork found it comparable to Top 40 music.[1] It was compared to her earlier songs, "Simple Kind of Life", "Underneath It All" and "Serious" by Theon Weber of Spin magazine.[34] The third track, "Where Would I Be?", produced by Kurstin, is a reggae-flavored[38][39]ska song.[50] Its bridge has a "cheerleader taunt"[34] and, according to Leonie Cooper of NME, it "sounds like she doesn't give a shit".[40] Lyrically it mentions the possibilities of finding love, particularly in the line "Fill up my Solo Cup when I'm feeling so lonely."[51] Weber found similarities between "Where Would I Be?" and Kurstin's earlier work with Lily Allen.[34] The album's second single, "Make Me Like You", is a pop and disco song,[39][43] written by Stefani, Tranter, Michaels, Mattias Larsson, and Robin Fredikkson.[52] After the group completed the track, Stefani commented: "We were losing our minds."[29] Its lyrics detail the "complicated feeling of falling hard when [one] least expect[s]",[1] as well as reflecting Stefani's personal life.[53]
Greg Kurstin produced tracks "You're My Favorite", "Where Would I Be?", "Send Me a Picture" and "Rare".
"Truth", the album's title track, is an electropop composition with a guitar hook.[32] According to Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe, Shelton was the source of inspiration for the track, which reveals Stefani's "giddy new-crush enthusiasm".[50] Both "Truth" and lead single "Used to Love You" are described as "truth-telling" songs by Kitty Empire of The Observer.[54] With "Used to Love You", Stefani comes to terms with herself, dealing with the aftermath of her divorce,[55] and realizing that her relationship with Rossdale is over.[51] Produced by Rotem, the track is a "vulnerable" and "emotional" midtempo synth-pop ballad,[56][57] designed to "showcase her passionate, conflicted vocals".[31] In an interview with Today's Matt Lauer, Stefani confirmed that the track was inspired by the end of her marriage, and claimed that the song was only written a few weeks before its release.[58] The seventh track, "Send Me a Picture", has dancehall elements,[40] and was described as a sexting ode by several publications;[1][59] furthermore, Mapes stated the song has a "Bieber-hits-the-islands vibe", while Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club summarized its meaning as "captur[ing] the delicious anticipation of a crush potentially texting a snap".[51] "Red Flag" begins with "an intro that sounds like a melting violin",[60] followed by Stefani scorning her ex: "This is what happens when you don't listen to what your mother say."[30] Amanda Dykan of AltWire found it reminiscent of 2000's "Ex-Girlfriend" and compared Stefani's rapping style to that of Lady Gaga's.[61]
Track nine, "Asking 4 It", features rapper Fetty Wap.[62] The composition consists of a "bopping, hip hop tinged beat flecked with dancey synths",[63] while lyrically Stefani "asks a crush if they're sure about being with her".[51] Stefani felt Fetty Wap had "a voice with so much character", so she told her team that she wanted to collaborate with him.[44] Due to several scheduling conflicts with Fetty, the collaboration barely occurred, with Stefani calling it "a miracle" that it even happened.[64] "Naughty"'s lyrics serve as a "kiss-off to a no-good guy who's been 'shady'".[30] A "sly"[38] and "bratty new wave" track, Stefani "chides someone for keeping secrets".[51] In addition, the song has "piano swagger, Radiohead references, and a finger-wagging cheerleader chant".[48] The next track, "Me Without You", finds Stefani "embrac[ing] a new life without a toxic partner"[51] and "capturing the sense of relief and possibility" that follows a "painful breakup".[43] Influenced by hip hop,[51] it is primarily a ballad.[55] The standard edition album closer, "Rare", is a folk song accompanied by an acoustic guitar and galloping beat.[60] Several critics speculated that a particular lyric may have been aimed at Shelton's ex-wife, Miranda Lambert;[65][66] an article from Fox News reported that "the lyrics appear to be a slam at Lambert for letting Shelton go", particularly: "You're rare / And only a stupid girl would let it go."[67] Chuck Campbell of Go Knoxville compared Stefani's vocals in "Rare" to Ariana Grande's.[68]
On the Target deluxe edition of This Is What the Truth Feels Like, "Rocket Ship" is the thirteenth track.[69] It is a "chorus-less" song[34] with a "solid hip hop arrangement" and a "melodic use of vocal samples".[70] "Obsessed" contains "batty vocals" and the "hip hop style" that was displayed before on "Rocket Ship".[70] The sixteenth track, "Splash", is the last song on the Target edition.[69] The international edition of the album features bonus track "Loveable", while Japan-exclusive "War Paint" is a tribal song,[71] with a critic from Est. '97 thinking of it as "an anti bully jam where confidence is key to protecting oneself".[72]
Release
During promotional interviews about "Used to Love You", Stefani confirmed the album was to be released in 2016.[24] Since the release of "Baby Don't Lie" and "Spark the Fire", her then-untitled album was among many magazine's lists of The Most Anticipated Albums, for both 2015[73][74] and 2016.[75][76][77] On February 9, 2016, she posted the album's track list through her Twitter account with the caption "This Is What the Truth Feels Like...", which was later confirmed as the album's title.[78][79][80] A day later, the album's art cover was released, along with the titles of four bonus tracks exclusive to the Target edition.[80] The release date was scheduled for March 18, 2016.[81] The cover features a close-up shot of Stefani with "hand drawn hearts, tears and flowers", which according to Carolyn Menyes of Music Times, "giv[es] the record a sense of femininity and raw emotion".[82] Using Stefani's official website, fans were able to create their own album cover with the same doodles on it by uploading a picture of their face to the site.[83] Regarding the deluxe edition cover of the album, Christina Marfice from SheKnows Media speculated that it "includes a secret dis aimed at" her ex-husband; she stated: "And, in the corner, a ring drawn on her finger with a frowny face [is] connected to it by an arrow."[84] However, the drawing was ultimately covered up by a sticker on this edition.[84] Prior to the release of Shelton's tenth studio album, If I'm Honest (2016), several publications compared the cover to Stefani's,[85] with Maeve McDermott of USA Today calling them "eerily similar".[86]
Stefani announced in February 2016 that "Make Me Like You" was the album's second single and that its music video would be filmed on live television, the first video produced this way, and aired during the Grammys.[95] She partnered with Target for the event. It cost $12 million to produce, making it one of the most expensive music videos ever made.[96] The performance went as planned, with a body double of Stefani taking a fake tumble towards the end of the video, leading several critics to believe Stefani herself messed up on live television.[97] The following evening, Stefani appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and confirmed that the tumble was planned.[98] At another MasterCard concert in Tokyo on March 16, 2016, "Misery" was performed live for the first time.[99] Her outfit consisted of "cropped red track pants and a red sequined cage top over a black bra" as the lyric video was displayed as the backdrop; the track was followed by "Make Me Like You".[100]
Following the album's release, Stefani continued promoting This Is What the Truth Feels Like with several more television appearances. She performed "Misery" and "Make Me Like You" during a Saturday Night Live episode on April 2, 2016.[101][102] She wore torn jeans and a high-waisted top, and was accompanied by several backup singers, including No Doubt touring members Gabrial McNair and Stephen Bradley.[103] Two weeks later, she sang "Misery" on The Voice where it was announced as the album's third commercial single. On stage, Stefani and her backup dancers wore "colorful, tribal style ensembles" and performed using "a trippy, psychedelic lighting scheme".[104] On July 1, 2016, it was revealed that the singer would be joining Today's "Summer Concert Series" on the fifteenth of the same month.[105] For that show, she performed "Make Me Like You" and "Misery" from the parent album, in addition to earlier solo singles "The Sweet Escape" and "Hollaback Girl".[106]
Singles
The album's lead single "Used to Love You" was released on October 20, 2015, three days after its live premiere.[107][108] It was sent for radio airplay in the US on October 27.[109] The song was critically acclaimed, with USA Today awarding it "Song of the Week" in late October, calling it the "spiritual sibling" of No Doubt's 1996 single "Don't Speak".[110] An accompanying music video was released on the same day as the song. It consists in a single shot of Stefani in a white tank top, blue brassiere and gold necklace on a black background, emoting, and occasionally mouthing some of the song's words.[111] The song performed moderately on the charts, peaking at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100,[112] and number 10 on the Adult Pop Songs, where it became Stefani's second highest entry on the chart.[113] Elsewhere, it reached the lower regions of charts in Australia,[114] Canada,[115] and Scotland.[116] Coinciding with her New Year's Eve performance, a MAIZE remix of the single was released on December 31.[117] On March 11, 2016, "Used to Love You" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying sales of 500,000 copies.[118]
"Make Me Like You" was released as the album's second single on February 12, 2016.[119] It was first sent to mainstream radio in the United States on February 16, 2016,[120] followed by an Italian radio release on March 25, 2016.[121] Its music video was directed by Sophie Muller, and filmed on live television during the 2016 Grammy Awards, the first to be produced this way.[95] Several easter eggs appear in the video, including references to her relationship with Shelton, in addition to cameos from her hairstylist, makeup artist, and various celebrities.[122] The finished project was later posted on Vevo.[95] The single was also moderately successful, peaking at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100,[112] and in the mid-regions of charts in Canada,[115] France,[123] and Japan.[124] A remix EP featuring three different renditions of the track was made available on April 22, 2016, as a digital download.[125] They were uploaded to Stefani's Vevo account the same day.[126]
One week before the album's release, "Misery" was issued as a promotional single on March 11, 2016,[127] followed by the release of a lyric video including hand-drawn lyrics and illustrations created by Stefani herself.[128] The then-promo single charted in the lower regions of several countries. In Scotland it peaked at number 72,[129] in Australia it peaked at number 74,[130] and in the United States it peaked at number 11 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles extension chart.[131] Stefani announced on Instagram that "Misery" would be the album's third single in April 2016.[132] The song was sent to hot adult contemporary radio stations on May 23, 2016,[133] and peaked at number 34 on the Adult Top 40 chart in the US, becoming her third consecutive entry from the parent album.[113] As had been done with "Make Me Like You", a "Misery" three-track remix EP was released on June 24.[134]
Stefani performing No Doubt's "Hella Good" during the This Is What the Truth Feels Like Tour.
To further promote the album, Stefani announced on April 18, 2016, that she would embark on her third solo concert tour, the This Is What the Truth Feels Like Tour, visiting 28 venues the United States and Canada, beginning July 12, 2016. American rapper Eve toured with the singer as a guest artist.[135] The concert series ended on October 15–16, 2016, with a two-night performance at The Forum in Inglewood, California.[136] The This Is What the Truth Feels Like Tour marked Stefani's first solo tour since The Sweet Escape Tour (2007) and first overall tour since the No Doubt 2009 Summer Tour. Through a partnership between Live Nation Entertainment and Yahoo! Music, a live feed was generated for the opening show at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts.[137] Several costume designers and stylists were commissioned for the tour's entirety, including The Blonds fashion house, and Mariel Haenn and Rob Zangardi.[138]Corsets were a centerpiece of her wardrobe, with three originally designed pieces created for the singer.[138] Her costumes generated positive reviews from critics, with Michelle Amabile Angermiller from Billboard nothing that her presence was "incredibly fun to watch".[139]
In March 2016, the Los Angeles Times announced that the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre would close in the fall, during its thirty-fifth year of seasonal performances.[140] Prior to the news of the closure, City of Irvine officials discussed continuing the expansion of a local apartment development, which would be built atop the site.[141] Representatives working with Stefani announced on September 9, 2016, that she would be the final act to perform in the theater in an event called Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre Final Shows, before deconstruction of the facilities began. She spoke of its closure: "I have so many memories at Irvine Meadows [...] It has been such an important part of my life both as an artist and as a fan and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I am humbled to perform there once again as it comes to a close."[142] In an interview earlier in the week on a California radio show, she expressed her devastation at the closure. It was the venue for her first live performance with her band No Doubt opening for Ziggy Marley in 1990.[143]
This Is What the Truth Feels Like received generally favorable reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 62, based on 16 reviews.[144] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly stated that Stefani's material "feels truer—and sounds stronger—than it has in years".[38] Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times was very positive in his review, highlighting that "[h]er singing—and, more important, what her singing is saying—is always front and center, which gives the music an intimate quality even at its most polished".[30] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe called it "the best and most personal of her three solo releases".[50] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine discussed its urban-leaning beats, saying: "It's easy to chastise aging pop stars for chasing trends or trying to recapture past glories, but those efforts here are thrown into sharp relief by the maturity of the album's first half."[43] Leoni Cooper of NME called it "an altogether glossier and more redemptive affair" than her first breakup record on her band's album Tragic Kingdom (1995).[40] Kitty Empire of The Observer noted that the album gives emphasis on "bouncy, sonically unadventurous pop and fixated on Stefani's new relationship with Blake Shelton," but felt that: "A little more courage would not have gone amiss."[54] Reviewing for The A.V. Club, Annie Zaleski observed that "Stefani never gets too juicy with the details, but her zings and observations are subtle enough to make these songs resonate deeply. [...] While the album has its flaws, it is undeniably compelling when its glimmers of vulnerability push to the forefront."[51]
Rob Sheffield wrote for Rolling Stone that the album "has a rushed feel – a likable but low-personality version of her familiar bubble-pop solo mode".[32] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic found the album "a bit of mess" since "there's a lot of ground for her to cover". He also noted that, "By pursuing the twin inclinations to spill her heart while pushing musically forward, Stefani often mangles the mood." However, Erlewine noted that despite the "moments of emotional bloodletting or thirsty appeals to the top of the charts," the album "manages to be as fleet, giddy, and charming as Gwen Stefani ever is".[42] Patrick Ryan of USA Today felt that "[d]espite the album title and Stefani's refreshingly candid press tour, it's sometimes hard to believe this is what her truth actually sounds like. But even if she's not being totally honest here, it's still more so than many of her pop peers."[39] Jillian Mapes of Pitchfork criticized the songs she perceived were tailor-made for Top 40 radio, calling them "unremarkable" saying they "fail to match the unique specificity of her early solo hits". But she praised "the ones in which she is audibly upset—sometimes pissed off, sometimes sad, but best-case scenario, both. [...] [I]t's the fleeting moments like this—where she reminds us why we used to love her—that redeem 'This Is What the Truth Feels Like'."[1] In a mixed review, Theon Weber of Spin commented, "[I]n creating a schism between her punkish pep and her new-wave nostalgia, it leaves the former stranded and the latter generic."[34] Kate Hutchinson of The Guardian found the album to be "calculated" and a "little more than careerist chart fodder".[145]
Commercial performance
In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 84,000 album-equivalent units in the week ending March 24, according to Nielsen Music.[146] In addition, This Is What the Truth Feels Like was also the best-selling album of the week, ranking number one on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart, with pure album sales of 76,000 copies (90% of overall units).[146] It became Stefani's first number-one and third top-five album as a solo artist. The only time she previously reached the top was with her band No Doubt with their third record Tragic Kingdom (1995). With this feat, she became the fifth woman to first reach number one as part of a band or group, and then later earn their own solo leader.[146] However, it also marked the lowest first week sales for one of her albums, with Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and The Sweet Escape selling 309,000 copies and 243,000 copies in their first weeks, respectively.[147][148] With the release Stefani peaked at number four on the Billboard Artist 100 chart, up approximately 557% from her previous peak of 53, the chart's fourth-highest jump ever.[149] The following week, Billboard reported that the album dropped 16 places on the Billboard 200, with sales decreasing 78% to 17,700 copies.[150] For the next five weeks, the album continued to drop down the charts. In its seventh week, it jumped from number 82 to number 59, the same week she appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden.[151] The record was on the chart for 13 weeks; its final position for the week ending August 6, 2016, was number 114.[152] On May 27, 2016, This Is What the Truth Feels Like was made available on vinyl exclusively at Barnes & Noble in the United States;[153] after its release, it debuted and peaked at number 23 on the Vinyl Albums component chart.[154]
On the Canadian Albums Chart compiled by Billboard, the record debuted and peaked at number three,[155] becoming her third consecutive album to do so.[156] The album sold 4,400 copies in its first week, and was held back from the top spot by compilation album La Voix IV, and Justin Bieber's Purpose.[157] In the week ending April 16, 2016, the album dropped to number 18, before dropping off the charts altogether seven weeks later.[156] In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 14, becoming the week's fifth highest debut.[158] Stefani's two earlier albums coincidentally also made their first appearance on the UK chart at number 14.[159] The following week, This Is What the Truth Feels Like dipped 54 positions, the week's largest drop.[160] In Australia, the album debuted at number six, becoming her third consecutive top-ten solo album.[161]This Is What the Truth Feels Like was the week's second highest debut,[162] and was present for two weeks before departing the chart.[161] On France's SNEP albums chart, it entered at number 44,[163] becoming her lowest debut behind The Sweet Escape's peak at number 33.[164]
The album fared moderately well on Switzerland's Hitparade, where it became her second highest performing album, peaking at number 10.[165] Similarly in Spain, the album peaked at number 42, lasting a total of two weeks on the chart. Stefani's 2006 release, The Sweet Escape, did not chart.[166] On Belgium's Ultratop Wallonia chart, it became her highest peaking album, where it debuted at number 21 and charted for four consecutive weeks.[167] On Belgium's Flanders chart, it peaked at number 32 and lasted six consecutive weeks.[168] In Scotland and Ireland, the album debuted at numbers 13 and 17 respectively.[169][170] Elsewhere, This Is What the Truth Feels Like peaked in the lower regions of the charts. In Italy, the album peaked at number 56 before dropping off the chart the next week.[171] In Japan and South Korea, it peaked at numbers 74 and 75, respectively, despite Stefani's promotional efforts in the former country.[172][173]
Accolades
During a midyear report of albums released in 2016, Entertainment Weekly critics ranked This Is What the Truth Feels Like at number 11; a selected review by Greenblatt reads: "Loves lost and found provide the twin poles for Stefani's gorgeously honest chronicle of a very complicated year—and inspired some of her most purely satisfying pop songs in years."[174]Newsday also ranked it in their midyear list at number 16. A Newsday critic called the album "a return to form", and compared it to her "fearless, boundary-pushing pop days of [...] Love. Angel. Music. Baby.".[175]
This Is What the Truth Feels Like was also included on year-end lists compiled by several publications. Slant Magazine ranked the album at number 22 on their "25 Best Albums of 2016" list. Sam C. Mac from the magazine highlighted the album's assortment of "modern, commercially competitive and stylistically diverse pop" and compared Stefani's break from No Doubt to Annie Lennox's hiatus from the Eurythmics with the release of her 1992 solo album Diva.[176]Glamour listed it at number 18 out of the year's 20 best and wrote, "Stefani has never sounded more vulnerable than she does on This Is What the Truth Feels Like, a vivid assortment of urgent, top 40 goods".[177]
Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. She is a co-founder and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", and "Don't Speak", from their 1995 breakthrough studio album Tragic Kingdom, as well as "Hey Baby" and "It's My Life" from later albums.
American singer Gwen Stefani has released five studio albums, two extended plays, 37 singles, six promotional singles, one video album, and 28 music videos. She has sold more than 60 million records worldwide. Stefani is also the lead singer of the rock band No Doubt, with which she has released several albums.
"Used to Love You" is a song recorded by American singer Gwen Stefani for her third studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). It was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels, J.R. Rotem and Teal Douville, and produced by Rotem. After scrapping the album and its two singles, "Baby Don't Lie", and "Spark the Fire", in favor to start over, Interscope Records released "Used to Love You" as the album's first official single on October 20, 2015. It was then serviced to mainstream radio on October 27, 2015.
"Misery" is a song recorded by American singer Gwen Stefani for her third solo studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). Initially released as a promotional single, it became the record's third and final single on May 23, 2016, when it was sent to hot adult contemporary radio. Stefani co-wrote the song with Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels, Mattias Larsson, and Robin Frediksson, with the latter two serving as the producers. An electropop song, "Misery" uses digital hand clapping and an upbeat samba to produce a futuristic-sounding melody. The lyrics describe a lover who has recently started a relationship and is confused over what to think about it. Several critics drew comparisons between these lyrics to Stefani's personal and romantic life with her boyfriend, Blake Shelton.
"Make Me Like You" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani for her third solo studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). The record's second single, it was released digitally on February 12, 2016, and distributed to contemporary hit radio on February 16 in the United States by Interscope. Mattias Larsson and Robin Frediksson produced the song, which was co-written by Stefani, Larsson, Frediksson, Justin Tranter, and Julia Michaels. A pop and disco recording, "Make Me Like You" incorporates light rock, with guitars and digital harps over an uptempo melody. The lyrics, which were inspired by Stefani's relationship with singer Blake Shelton, explore finding and renewing love after a fractured relationship.
"Asking 4 It" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her third studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). The song features guest vocals from American rapper Fetty Wap. It was released on March 18, 2016, as the ninth track on This Is What the Truth Feels Like by Interscope Records. The track was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels, Tor Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen, and Fetty Wap. The track's production was handled by Stargate, while additional production was made by Tim Blacksmith and Danny D.
"Rare" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her third studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like, which was released on March 18, 2016, by Interscope Records. The album's closing track, it was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels, and its producer Greg Kurstin.
The This Is What the Truth Feels Like Tour was the third solo concert tour by American singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani, in support of her third solo studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). It began on July 12, 2016, in Mansfield, Massachusetts at the Xfinity Center and continued throughout North America before concluding on October 30, 2016, in Irvine, California at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, the venue's final show before closing permanently.
"Go Ahead and Break My Heart" is a song that was written and recorded by American singers Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani for the former's tenth studio album, If I'm Honest (2016). Shelton's longtime producer Scott Hendricks produced the track. It was released as its second promotional single for digital download on May 9, 2016. The song is Shelton and Stefani's first collaboration. The ideas behind the song began after the pair shared similar insecurities with each other, leaving Shelton to write the first verse, followed by Stefani analyzing it and writing her own.
"What U Workin' With?" is a song recorded by American singers Gwen Stefani and Justin Timberlake for the official soundtrack to the 2016 film Trolls. Timberlake co-wrote and co-produced the track with Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh with additional writing from Savan Kotecha and Peter Svensson. The song was first announced on August 22, 2016, with Stefani's appearance being a secret. An urban and dance song, the lyrics talk about having a good time and standing out amongst a crowd.
"Christmas Eve" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her fourth studio album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas (2017). The song was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, and busbee, with the latter of the three handling production alongside Eric Valentine. It was the first song conceived for the album, and "originated from a run Stefani took in rural Oklahoma. Details about the song first emerged in August 2017, when its title appeared as a registered work on two global music databases. The song a slow-burning Christmas ballad with lyrics that reference the holiday season.
"My Gift Is You" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her fourth studio album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas (2017). It was released digitally on October 6, 2017, along with the rest of the parent album, through Interscope Records. The track was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, and Busbee while production was handled by Busbee and Eric Valentine. Musically, the track is a Christmas song that contains elements of pop-soul music.
"Under the Christmas Lights" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani for her fourth studio album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas (2017). It was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, and busbee, who co-produced the song with Eric Valentine. The song was released alongside the rest of the album on October 6, 2017, through Interscope Records. Details about the track first emerged in August 2017, when the song title appeared as a registered work on BMI and GEMA. "Under the Christmas Lights" is a pop and Christmas song with a doo-wop melody and romantic lyrics.
You Make It Feel Like Christmas is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani. The album, which is Stefani's first full-length Christmas-themed album, was released on October 6, 2017, by Interscope Records. The record was executively produced by Stefani and Busbee, with additional production coming from Eric Valentine. The standard version of You Make It Feel Like Christmas contains twelve songs, featuring six original songs penned by Stefani, Busbee and Justin Tranter, and six cover versions of Christmas standards. While going on a nature walk near the Oklahoma ranch house belonging to boyfriend Blake Shelton, Stefani felt inspired to record a Christmas album and began writing what would later become "Christmas Eve". Recording sessions took place in the summer months of 2017; several of the tracks' titles leaked in August, leaving Stefani to confirm the project in September. The album's original songs make references to Stefani's newfound love and relationship with Shelton.
"You Make It Feel Like Christmas" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her fourth studio album of the same name (2017). It features guest vocals from Blake Shelton. The song was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, Shelton and busbee, while production was handled by busbee and Eric Valentine. It was recorded during the summer months, with the song title leaking in August 2017. The song was eventually released for digital download and streaming as the lead single from the album by Interscope on September 22, 2017. It was influenced by popular holiday music from Stefani's childhood and marks Stefani and Shelton's second collaboration following their duet "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" in 2016. A Christmas track, the song includes country and pop music elements, with lyrics describing a romantic holiday season.
"Nobody but You" is a song recorded by American singers Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani for the former's fifth compilation album, Fully Loaded: God's Country (2019). It was produced by Scott Hendricks and written by Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, and Tommy Lee James. Following "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" (2016) and "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" (2017), "Nobody but You" marks Shelton and Stefani's third collaboration. The song was first revealed in October 2019, although Stefani's contributions remained a secret until a week prior to its release in December of the same year. It was sent to United States country music radio outlets by Warner on January 21, 2020, becoming the third single from the parent album. Promotional acoustic and live versions of the song were released to the public in March and June 2020, respectively.
"Here This Christmas" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from the 2020 reissued edition of her fourth studio album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas (2017). The song was written and produced by Brent Kutzle, with Ryan Tedder and Josh Varnadore also serving as co-writers. Prior to its release, rumors of new music from Stefani circulated throughout 2020 after releasing "Nobody but You" and "Happy Anywhere", with fiancé Blake Shelton, as singles that year. The former of the three remained a secret until it was released as a single for digital download and streaming on October 23, 2020 by Interscope Records, the same day the rest of the reissued album was distributed. The Hallmark Channel announced that the song would be used in advertisements and played on their Sirius XM radio channel in order to promote their seasonal block of programming called Countdown to Christmas.
Bouquet is the fifth studio album by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani. It was released on November 15, 2024, through Interscope Records. The album serves as her first release since You Make It Feel Like Christmas (2017) and was preceded by two singles: "Somebody Else's" and "Swallow My Tears". It also includes the duet "Purple Irises" with husband Blake Shelton, which was released in February 2024.
"Somebody Else's" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her fifth studio album Bouquet (2024). Interscope Records released the song on September 20, 2024, as the album's lead single alongside the album's announcement. It was produced by Scott Hendricks and written by Stefani, Fred Ball, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Nick Long, Madison Love, Jake Torrey, and Henry Walter. Love developed the song after a series of vulnerable writing sessions with Stefani where they discussed their lives.
↑ Anderson, Kyle; Vain, Madison; Bacle, Ariana; Brown, Eric Renner; O'Donnell, Kevin; Holub, Christian; Falcone, Dana Rose; Goodman, Jessica (January 12, 2016). "31 most anticipated albums of 2016". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
↑ Goodman, Jessica; O'Donnell, Kevin; Greenblatt, Kevin; Brown, Eric Renner; Feeney, Nolan; Vain, Madison (May 26, 2016). "The 25 best albums of 2016 (so far)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 14.Týden 2016 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
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