Gwen Stefani is making her comeback and her next single "Spark the Fire," with production from Pharrell, has hit the Internet. She has not released a full-length album since her 2006 LP The Sweet Escape. Stefani has immersed herself in other projects outside her music realm, like raising a family and her fashion line. But 2014 has seen the revival of the No Doubt frontwoman's solo career, as Stefani readies new material for an upcoming album set for release next month, according to Billboard.
Pharrell first premiered "Spark the Fire" at Odd Future's Camp Flog Gnaw festival. He took out his phone and played it over the speakers, and that was the first taste the Internet got of the track. Then it appeared in a recent Fiat commercial, via Pop Justice. Now the full version has hit the Internet and is yours to stream.
Stefani has taken advantage of her fellow Voice judges, teaming up with Adam Levine's Maroon 5 for one of the tracks "My Heart Is Open" on Maroon 5's album V. She has also teamed up with Pharrell, another judge on the show, to produce her entire album. "Spark the Fire" is the first real taste of what to expect from these two.
She released her first single, "Baby Don't Lie" last month as the lead single from her upcoming album. The reggae-tinted pop tune featured production work and songwriting from hit-makers Benny Blanco and Ryan Tedder. She was also featured on Calvin Harris's latest album Motion, collaborating on "Together"
Stefani uses the same type of vocal rhythm and intonation on her earlier material like "Hollaback Girl." This time, however, Pharrell delivers a left-field beat with an odd mixture of percussion including an incessant triangle. The two lead singles take different directions, and it is hard to pinpoint what sound the new album will take on, but we will see when it hits stores.
Listen to "Spark the Fire" here:
