Gwen Stefani recently shared how her former The Voice co-star Kelly Clarkson inspired her to start making new music during the pandemic. In a new Audacy Check In, the singer teased her upcoming album and discussed her new song “Purple Irises.”
Gwen Stefani Says Kelly Clarkson Inspired Her During the Pandemic
Earlier this month, Stefani spoke to the Klein.Ally.Show at KROQ in Los Angeles about her songwriting process. She shared that former The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson texted her demos of songs she had been working on during quarantine in 2020.
“I was like, ‘But wait a minute, we’re in quarantine. I’m doing homeschool, I’m cleaning toilets, I’m, like, trying to make three meals a day. I’m learning how to make sourdough like everybody else. When are you writing these songs?'” Stefani recalled. “And I was so jealous. She was like, ‘I don’t sleep.'”
After spending over 100 days in Oklahoma with her family, Stefani was inspired to go to Los Angeles to work on new music. The singer said she “wrote so many songs” at that time. However, she added that it felt like she was trying to “compete with myself in some way.”
It was only when she wrote the song “Purple Irises” during a “vulnerable week” that she knew “what the record’s gonna be.” She confirmed that she does have more music for an entire album.
Stefani Recorded ‘Purple Irises’ with Blake Shelton
Stefani recently released “Purple Irises,” which features her husband and former The Voice co-star Blake Shelton. The chorus includes the lyrics, “Wonder why you took a risk / On a broken heart you cannot fix / No, I never knew a love like this / Now I’m picking purple irises.”
“Blake was never supposed to be on this record,” Stefani shared about his feature on the song. “It was just a song I wrote, and it just evolved into this. It just happens that Blake doesn’t have anything out right now, so here we are.”
The singer also shared her philosophy on songwriting, saying that songs are “sent down.” She calls it a “spiritual gift,” adding, “I didn’t do the song. I just received this song. And I pray about it all the time. I’m always like, ‘God, just show me what I’m supposed to do next.'”
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Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
