Gwen Stefani is clearly on a self-retro kick with her new single, “Let Me Reintroduce Myself,” which dropped on Monday. The song features a loping reggae/ska vibe similar to her hits with No Doubt — particularly that group’s 2001 album “Rock Steady” — in addition to the title the song’s lyrics contain a reference to bananas (from her 2004 solo hit “Hollaback Girl”), and the lyric video features vintage Stefani photos from the ‘90s.
Synergizing her business interests, Stefani will debut the single with a performance on Monday night’s episode of “The Voice,” airing at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT, where she is now in her fifth season as a coach on NBC’s four-time Emmy Award-winning musical competition series.
The new single was recorded in quarantine and co-written with Ross Golan (Selena Gomez, Harry Styles, Maroon 5) alongside songwriter/producer Luke Niccoli.
“This song is a way of saying I’m back with new music,” Stefani said in a statement accompanying the single. “It’s a fun, lighthearted song, because I got inspired and hopefully to bring a little bit of joy. 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.”
The single marks a return to the singer’s roots in many ways: She had two country hits with fiancé Blake Shelton this year, “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere,” and recently re-released her holiday album, “You Make It Feel Like Christmas.”
The announcement concludes by teasing new material: “If 2020 is any indication, listeners should keep an eye out for more from Stefani soon.”