During her MasterCard Priceless Surprises solo gig Saturday at the Hammerstein Ballroom, Gwen Stefani unveiled her first track since her divorce from Gavin Rossdale. The singer offered an emotional debut of "Used to Love You," a track seemingly inspired by her 13-year marriage to Rossdale from which the two share three children, Kingston, 9, Zuma, 7, and Apollo, 19 months.
"I don't know why I cry / But I think it's cause I remember for the first time / Since I hated you / That I used to love you," Stefani sings on the song's chorus. Before debuting the track, the 46-year-old singer said, "I just want to share a song that I wrote recently...This song is really special."
"Used to Love You" was produced by J.R. Rotem and sits next to Stefani's recent tracks "Spark the Fire" and "Baby Don't Lie," along with the Pharrell partnership on "Shine" and the ballad "Start a War." Before announcing her split from Rossdale in August, the "Hollaback Girl" had already joined forces with Williams, Calvin Harris, Charli XCX and Benny Blanco for her first studio album since 2006's The Sweet Escape. The Voice coach, however, has experience crafting songs post-break-up. In 1996 she co-wrote No Doubt's wildly popular ballad, "Don't Speak," in reference to her breakup with the band's bassist, Tony Kanal, E! Online reports.
[It's] just truth," Stefani told People last month about an overall theme for her new music. "Just being clear and being true to myself. I just want to be fulfilled." In the passing months since the couple's termination, Stefani has been dedicating her time to the recording studio as well as her return as a judge on NBC's The Voice alongside Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Pharrell.
