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Gwen Stefani reflects on 'Don't Speak' 25 years later: 'I was so naive'

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 4/16/21

Gwen Stefani is now blissfully engaged to Blake Shelton and preparing to release her untitled fifth studio album, but the three-time Grammy winner took time to reflect on her No Doubt origins with Variety's Ellise Shafer.

No Doubt's "Don't Speak" dropped 25 years ago Thursday (April 15). The Grammy-nominated track defined their lone No. 1 albumTragic Kingdom and chronicled Stefani's tumultuous breakup with then-bandmate Tony Kanal.

"When I was writing back then, I was so naive," the 51-year-old told Shafer. "I didn’t know anyone would hear it ever. We had been working on that record for so long before it came out. So I think when there’s something that honest and real and pure—and not done for any other reason than just to say it for your own heart—then people connect to that. ... It was so different from everything else on our record, so the fact that it was the defining world hit that it was—and continues to be—is insane."

Stefani posted to Instagram to commemorate the song's 25th anniversary, including a behind-the-scenes video of the band explaining the meaning behind the lyrics and video:

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A post shared by Gwen Stefani (@gwenstefani)

Stefani continued with Variety:

"Tony was my first real boyfriend and I was tragically obsessed with him. When my brother quit the band and then Tony quit me ... it was a really hard time. I lived at home until I was 26, I was quite sheltered and innocent you know, I just was. So I depended on Tony for so many things, like to help me with my homework, everything just to survive and live. ... Once the song came out, it went from a nine-year hobby that was our passion while we went to college, to all of a sudden it’s like we do the 'Just a Girl' video, we go from that video set to the airport and go on tour and don’t come home for two and a half years. It was a huge thing to be there with your ex who you love still who doesn't want to be with you."

The Southern California punk rock band debuted with a self-titled album in 1992 and went on to release six albums, with an 11-year gap between 2001's Rock Steady and 2012's Push and Shove.

Stefani seemingly seamlessly found solo success after releasing her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in November 2004. The 12-time project included "Hollaback Girl," nominated for record of the year and best female pop vocal performance at the Grammys in 2005.

The mother of three's most recent singles are "Let Me Reintroduce Myself" and "Slow Clap" featuring Saweetie. The former's music video features Stefani consoling a version of herself wearing the same polka-dot dress from the "Don't Speak" video (as well as the other iconic looks from her career):

The "Slow Clap" video arrived last week:

And unlike her formative writing days, Stefani fully expects people to listen to what she has to say whenever her new album does arrive.
"I feel excited for the people that listen to my music because this record really considers what they might want," she concluded with Shafer. "They are purely my inspiration for it, because I’m counting on them. You spend all this time writing this music, so you want someone to listen to it."

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