Thu Nov 14 13:40:00 UTC 2024: ## Gwen Stefani Reflects on ‘Love.Angel.Music.Baby.’ 20 Years Later, Releases New Album ‘Bouquet’

Pop icon Gwen Stefani is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut solo album, “Love.Angel.Music.Baby.”, while simultaneously gearing up for the release of her fourth solo album, “Bouquet,” on November 15th.

Stefani, who rose to fame with her band No Doubt, took a bold step into the solo world in 2004 with a clear vision and an undeniable drive. “I had such an unbelievably clear vision of what I wanted to do,” she tells PEOPLE. “I had made a style bible. This is before we had internet the way we do now, but I had torn every magazine, everything from makeup images, to hair, to clothes, to musical references. Everything was collected.”

This dedication to her artistic vision resulted in hits like “What You Waiting For,” “Rich Girl,” and the iconic “Hollaback Girl,” a collaboration with Pharrell Williams. “I knew what kind of song I was going to write,” Stefani recalls of writing “Hollaback Girl.” “I had been so put down that I was like, ‘I’m just going to show them what I got.’ It was that attitude when I went in the studio, and I was like, ‘OK, this is the cheerleader I always wanted to be, and I want it to sound like a marching band.'”

Following the success of “Love.Angel.Music.Baby.”, Stefani continued to release critically acclaimed albums like “The Sweet Escape” and “This Is What the Truth Feels Like.” Now, with “Bouquet,” she delves deeper into her personal journey, drawing inspiration from the recent changes in her life.

“The last four years of my life, I got engaged, then I got married and started my life over,” says Stefani, referring to her 2021 marriage to country singer Blake Shelton. The album explores the aftermath of her 2016 divorce from Gavin Rossdale, while celebrating the joy she’s found with Shelton and their three sons.

“If I feel like I have any purpose,” Stefani tells PEOPLE, “it’s writing a song.” “Bouquet” is a testament to that purpose, offering a glimpse into Stefani’s evolution as an artist and a woman.

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