Gwen Stefani never disappeared from the spotlight or music — but she’s back … to her old roots, that is.
Stefani has spent a lot of 2020 being a featured artist. She jumped onto country track, “Happy Anywhere,” with her fiancé, Blake Shelton, and appeared on Dua Lipa‘s remix of “Physical.” She also treated fans to more festive tunes for the holiday season.
Stefani’s latest single, “Let Me Reintroduce Myself,” is almost a little dig at those who had questioned whether she was still in touch with her old self that grew up in Anaheim, CA. During the first verse, Stefani states that this is “not a comeback” and that “I’m recycling me.”
Seconds into hearing the song, it almost sounds like a track that could have made it on No Doubt’s 2001 Rock Steady album. The intro is very reminiscent of their Grammy Award-winning track “Underneath It All.”
Its infectious and very catchy chorus hears Stefani sing over a reggae-influenced instrumental that was produced by Luke Niccoli: “Let me re—, let me reintroduce myself / Case you forgot, no, I’m not records on your shelf / I’m still the original-riginal old me, yeah / Original-riginal old me / So let me re—, let me reintroduce myself, yeah.”
The song’s mood is very carefree and a reminder that no matter where life takes Stefani, she’s still the same woman everyone fell in love with when preaching about being “just a girl in the world.”
“This song is a way of saying I’m back with new music. It’s a fun, lighthearted song, because I got inspired and hopefully to bring a little bit of joy,” Stefani revealed in a statement.
“The idea was to write a song that had a bit of a nostalgic feeling to it, so I think musically it reminds you of back in the day, going back to where I started musically which was with ska and reggae. I’m still the same me but here’s something a little bit new in case you feel like hearing a little bit more of me.”
Stefani has proved time and time again that she is a versatile artist who can conquer any genre. “Let Me Reintroduce Myself” hears her re-visit her reggae roots with some added Latin flavor.
