Gwen Stefani released a new single from her first album in more than a decade today and it’s very, very good.
“Make Me Like You” is a shimmery pop anthem that splits the difference between No Doubt and Love.Angel.Music.Baby. Da Robin and Matt Man produced the song, which seems like an instant hit. The lyrics are vintage Stefani, with a driving hook and chorus that will have you humming it for days.
“Why’d you have to go and make me like you? I’m so mad at you ‘cause now you got me missing you,” she sings.
Our first reaction is that the song is almost certainly about Blake Shelton. The pair have been the model couple of late, though their romance started in less-than-ideal circumstances. Then again, it’s a danger to assign direct meaning to any non-Taylor-Swift song, since few artists write about their life in such an identifiable way.
The song will make its live debut during the Grammys, Monday, February 15, on CBS. Stefani plans to produce an accompanying video for the song live, which is a cool idea. Basically, she plans to film a performance then broadcast the official music video live during a four-minute commercial break in the midst of the telecast.
This Is What the Truth Feels Like is due out March 18.