Not only was Gwen Stefani’s birthday this month, but she also released her first solo video in eight years! The former Bust cover girl and edgy pop goddess partnered with Sophie Muller who has directed a number of videos for No Doubt’s and Gwen Stefani’s solo songs. It’s been a long wait since the 2006 release of Sweet Escape, and I am very thankful for the strange yet catchy new video release. There are quite a few reasons.
First of all, the Harajuku backup dancers are gone, and are replaced with a more diverse group. THANK YOU! Next, there are super funky color palettes throughout the video. From a Wizard of Oz like yellow brink road to a city street. There are some words that wave across the screen maybe symbolizing the annoyance of lies, and the disruption it causes. There are also color highlights and Stefani clones that flash across the screen as she is walking. It is both interesting and strange.
Overall though the polka dot, black and white stripes, and pop of pinks and reds throughout the video do have an appeal. The video opens up with about ten seconds of alluring Stefani poses, and then shows Stefani waking up in a world of neon and moving black and white landscapes. At times the video may look like a fuzzy television fluke, with the colorful creatures dancing in the background, but it is entertaining regardless. There also seems to be some subtle product placement in the video for Puma sneakers, Beats headphones, and a shining gold iPhone. Watch the video below and let’s count the days until a new album gets released!
