To the people in the comments born after 2000, Gwen is the opposite of an industry plant. She was in a band with her brother as a teenager and didn't reach the national stage until years of performing and self-funded releases. The word you are looking for is sell out. They are not the same thing.
She becomes whoever she marries/ dates. She is ultimately her parents who instilled their values, conservative Catholic folks from Anahiem. She followed her brother because she though he was cool and joined his ska band, met Tony and dicovered new music through him and started wearing the Bindi because of his culture and wanted so much to marry him. They dated for 7 years and he was always luke warm about her. The bands breakout 3rd album was her true brush with her own song writing success, making a full album about their tragic breakup. Then she met Gavin a bad boy English rocker who was always left leaning and grungy, he showed her japan, Vivienne westwood and high high fashion. Thats were alot of her early rocker look came from, Gavins influence. So of course now, with no Gavin, no recent No Doubt, she has gone country with her lastest man who has given her that "simple kind of life" she has always wanted
Seconding all of this ✨👏 She’s never been cooler to me than the Tragic Kingdom era (tho i briefly enjoyed Rock Steady / Hella Good). I remember The Rolling Stone article that went in depth about the Tragic Kingdom album cover shoot (look into guys it’s fascinating) and how much of an influence Gwen’s brother was. Then I went through the album and realized he penned most of my favorite songs. Gwen has the charisma, but even during the early ska days, she was a hybrid of her brother and Tony and whatever was “cool” to them. It’s ironic that “Just A Girl” is toted as some kind of feminist anthem when it’s really Gwen wanting to assimilate
I'd like to hear your take on Kylie Minogue. I think it's fascinating how someone could have a long and successful career in basically the entire world OTHER than USA
True to that. She's big even in Brazil where I come from I grew up listening to her music, when I was older II danced and played her songs on my sets and she is one of the most recognizable voices and sound.. even now with padam.
it seems kylie minogue had her time in the sun here and then woosh - cannot say why, but also, cannot say why Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor and its singles did much better outside the US vs inside.
@@xBINARYGODxIn the case of Madonna, the US media was boycotting her at the time because of her previous era, American Life, where she heavily criticized America and its government, and people back then didn't like it. So it wouldn't matter how amazing her next project would be, she would face difficulty when it came to being played. That's why Confessions is so powerful, is one of her more recognizable eras, with amazing songs, and it was indeed a global success with moderate success in the US. Honestly, jokes on them, because the way I see it, they are the only ones out of the club, and the same for Kylie, Shakira, and other great global artists that have mild success in the US. People in US know Hips don't lie and Waka Waka, but here in Brazil we know her entiiiiiire discography, she even has songs in Portuguese
Look at Latin America... there are insanely famous people will millions of views and record sales that the US will never hear of. There are billions of people on Earth, bud. The gays have always loved Kylie.
I grew up during this era & this wasn’t an uncommon opinion. Y’all might not be ready to hear this but Avril Lavigne wasn’t cool either. Cool fashion does not equal cool personality & their music might seem unique today but there were a million other bands doing what they were doing back then. Being hot, young, white & thin did a lot of heavy lifting for these two.
Alot of people liked gwen but I do agree about Avril. I grew up around that era and she was like Nickleback. She had alot of fans and was a "rocker" but for pop fans.... which meant actual rockers and metal heads saw her as a poser. Gwen staid in her lane so she didn't have a hater following
Exactly. Gwen and Avril were not considered “cool” not back then, unless you were a very young person in their prime. Anyone older than middle school you were likely to hear people deny they played these artists songs even if they did in private.
@ yep. The tween demographic loved her as an alternative to Britney brand of pop but no one else really took her seriously, time has been good to the perception of those “industry plant” “alt rock” pop artists of the late 90’a and early 00’s. The kids today see them in a way different light than the kids of my time lol.
It's because capitalism only kills innovation and creativity from the people in actuality, and the music and entertainment industry are a monopoly on creative endeavors. Sorry I have a LOT of thoughts on this as a creative person myself.
Gwen Stefani & Katy Perry have always felt loosely connected to me for some reason. The California beach vibes, malleable aesthetic and their use of material culture to reaffirm their music (I mean Katy Perry also called getting her nails done as “Japanese-y” which feels like a Gwen Stefani lyric tbh)
Yesss!!! And similar to each other, we always thought their versatility was them bending the genres to their likings... but it was honestly the opposite. And now that they are older, we expect artists to have a firm thing, an imprint. Yet, they both weirdly have none. Katy Perry has her camp brand and kind of firm yet, cringe music taste?? So, there's that?
If you ask me, Colbie Caillat and Lana nailed that California Beach vibe the best. I mean, Colbie Caillat is literally from Malibu and that is her trademark aesthetic. She even made a Christmas album called Christmas in the Sand. Katy and Gwen just didn’t embody that actual California girl energy like Colbie did tbh
@@jonova3187I disagree with you. I think Katy image is not the problem, but her colaborators. She needs a producer that pushes her out of the zone she is in right now. She’s has had good pop songs after her golden age, but her albums have not been that consistent.
I get what you’re saying and I’m not saying nobody thinks this but I think people are more responding to Gwen’s declining skills as a musical curator/taste maker plus the poorly aged cultural appropriation. I think people are shocked that the music quality is so bad but Gwen doesn’t have the hit catching ear of a Rihanna and is way closer to a Katy Perry than people want to admit. Even someone like Britney whose reputation is that of a passenger in her own career, when given the freedom to curate her art delivered the influential pop masterpiece that is Blackout.
Love No Doubt's music, love a lot of Gwen Stefani's early music and fashion, but I've been side eyeing her since that interview where she refused to even acknowledge how much she benefited and made A LOT of money from caricaturizing Japanese culture and fashion. She literally had non speaking East Asian women following her around as accessories😳 like sis? You've had years to learn what cultural appropriation is. And then her wearing the Bindi on her forehead, and then appropriating aspects of black culture in her fashion too😬😬😬. Love her for the nostalgia, and the fashion but the lack oven any solid acknowledgement is just gross to me.
The 4 "harajuku girls" from her LAMB era actually spoke English but were contractually forbidden from doing so while in public with her. She demanded that they speak Japanese to come off like caricatures of Asian women and walk behind her. It was wild!
And japanese women get eyelid surgery and nose jobs to look more white, and black girls wear asian hair to look white. People have been sharing culture forever. Stop trying to make appropriation happen. People with eyes and ears are never going to care.
As a Japanese person I never liked her incessant and baseless fetishization and idolization of Japanese people and culture...I do not hate her however because why would I base my growth and being around someone who never contributed to me in the first place? In other words yes white people can and have been so very racist towards Asians, but I would never denounce a white person who is a true ally and lover of Asian culture and people, it would be hypocritical and reprehensible of me to dehumanize someone for being misunderstood as the trending stereotypes to hate people who are candidly different as...
The blank slate comment really stuck with me and I think that criticism can be applied to many people in this generation. I look back at 90s and early 2000 fashion and nobody really trying to look like anybody, though there was trends everybody was original and made it their own. Nowadays, I wouldn’t say everyone looks the same but fashion seems to be divided into groups depending on race, gender, appearance, etc… and everyone dresses similar to whatever group they fit in.
It's become such a costume now. There used to be subcultures and people would dress to signify what sort of hobbies they had, the music they liked, etc. And now there is just no connection, it's whatever the "vibe" is that day and so often it's detached from what's actually being referenced. For example, kids will say they're going for a preppy look, but preppy now means nothing close to what the term originated as. Similarly, you'll see 20-somethings going for a 90s look, but they'll be dressed how like middle schoolers in the 90s dressed. It's bizarre.
@@1bwash Also makes this sort of eras characterized by aesthetics so shallow because is only the looks, and nothing more (musicians specially) music is the same, collaborators are the same, lyrics is the same, subject matter is the same.
this begs an interesting question though, what do you think about Nicki Minaj's rendition of Harajuku culture w/ "Harajuku Barbie"? Is that also problematic?
I think part of what makes it different it's the way Nicki did it. I remember seeing this video by a barb into that sort of thing making a timeline of harajuku Nicki, and she had pretty big connections in the culture and was sponsored by some of their designers, she constantly references to them and credited them and rather than just taking it as an accessory she was involved in it and cherished it's philosophy. Then as time when on the harajuku Nicki picture made her be made fun off by both westerners and sometimes people in the culture who thought she was culture vulture and subsequently we got the pinkprint look and then years later a return to "the roots" with pink Friday 2. Now to be fair I don't know specifically how this compares to Gwen since I was young when the incident happened, however Nicki seemed to have handled it mostly well and comparable to maybe how megan is handling Japanese culture now.
i love your thoughts about cultural appropriation. I understand people appreciating cultural and then just taking it to make money. Can you do a video of white celebrities and artists who have a “black phase” and then change races or culture when it’s ready to make money. Like ariana grande. There was even an article about her changing her race to make money and her tanning and 7 rings era.
Nope nope nope. You have to understand that early 2000s is different type of beast. Relatability is not something generally celebs strive for. They're rich, glamorous, over the top, rebellious, overly sexy etc. they put acts, they say crazy things, a lot of them are assholes and even bad people. that's what makes celebs in that era so special and cool. I know time changes and we prob won't go back to that era again (arguably for the better) but I miss the time when celebs are this unattainable, unreliable, elusive fantasy for us to enjoy as solely entertainment purpose and not putting this parasocial BS where celebs should be your best friend or they're just one of us. and it's gonna be rough if we see these celebs back in the day through current PC relatable commentary.
My first CD of Gwen Stefani when she was with her group No Doubt in the 90's was Tragic Kingdom in 1995, and I still remember most of the songs in that album. I loved her voice and her whole aesthetic, she looked very cool and different.
NOTE; her debut solo album takes ALOT from LENE from AQUA’s debut solo album PLAY WITH ME released the year before… it’s a BANGER… play ITS YOUR DUTY and you’ll see it…
I was a teen when “Don’t Speak” was released so I’ve followed her trajectory. No shade, but for me Gwen Stefani is the girl from No Doubt doing her thing. I never saw solo GS as a cool act. She’s stylish, that’s it
So when you released the first video on this subject, I made a comment on the cultural appropriation side of the argument. That without cultural appropriation, she would have never been seen as cool. I still stand by that because she has become a simulacrum of what she used to be seen as. Without the novelty of her fashion choices which were cool and eccentric because she has pink box braids and used to have a bindi on her forehead, stuff like she really is a blank canvas. And the music is equally as empty.
I think Zachary Campbell said that Katy was always focus on selling her persona as a product than an artist, an honestly i agree with that, the same can be the same case for Gwen.
I always loved Gwen’s music from the No Doubt days and L.A.M.B., but her recently promoting a prayer app created by a conservative has made me reevaluate all of that.
SHE WAS MASSIVE on the beginning. I remember how big influence she had on people. i WAS YOUNG AND REBEL AND THEN I HEARD GWEN ith No Doubt and this was my introdutin to heavy music. But its true. She swallow ideas and cultures to use it as a sale point.
She's a Libra. Libra is the sign of partnerships. They meld into whoever they are dating. Whether or not you think astrology holds any weight, that is what she does too!
I think the more insecure Gwen became about her personal life, the more she sold out to stay relevant and the more flop she became She and Katy run parallel for sure, but Gwen starting out with actual street cred/talent makes her trajectory worse to me
Gween is definitely an assimilator she assimilated to the men of no doubt, her single era was eve they did a tone if collaborations, and now her husband . She doesnt have a true idea really
Ummm. I’m from LA and moved to OC young (spent longer in OC than LA OC at this point). I lived in OC while No Doubt was HUGE and was in OC when Gwen was huge (LAMB, Sweet Escape etc), and I lived for it. I think Gwen was one of the coolest women in the planet…. She used to chill with Snoop (they are actually not that far from each other in miles but Certainly In living conditions. Gwen put OC on the map outside of other artists which take it more in the Sublime, Offspring,Lit and yes No Doubt. I think the issue is this….. she is so UNCOOL now that it makes you question whether she was ever cool to begin with but in her case, SUPER cool. I think the issue is now it has been over 10 years where she went corny. I think it will not get better, that current album is not even listen-to-able. She has been on the Corn parade now and she 3 to reassess. I will say This Is What the Truth Feels Like was ok… ish.
@bernicedoingthings7028 look how the AI tries to not let us CONNECT how sad for I am the brother of Jesus and AI should be helping send my message of LOVE to everyone in Jesus name i came to explain CTXJ
I watched the other video, but I feel like my input is better put here. Like when no doubt was big and thriving, I was too young to really be interested in that or to even be able to comprehend their lyrics. Like spider webs, I cannot fathom the weight of those lyrics. But it's different now in the year of 2024. However, when Gwen Stefani went solo, I was absolutely there for her music. It was catchy. It was Poppy. But I was also into anime and Japanese Street fashion. So it gave me more exposure to something I was already into. And then, as I grew even older, I personally got the impression that Gwen Stefani did tend to take on a reflection of who she was with, Blake Shelton. Very much giving that impression. Especially when I learned she dated a no doubt member. And when I learned she came out with a makeup line, I wasn't sure what it would be like given I've never got an impression of her from her makeup. Unless you can't her using a bindi. Which she said she adopted from her ex-boyfriend, and being involved in that culture via relationship. And I am not a person to tell another person what classifies as appropriation versus appreciation, cuz I have my own stories where I have to tell people I have traditional African dress because we had a very close family member who was from Africa, I can't remember which country she was from. Unfortunately cuz this is like 20 years ago. Ago. I'm old people. But she and our family had such a strong bond and love, when she returned back from her visit home. She wanted to share that gift from her Homeland with us. So it's like people can look from the outside and confidently put out that judgment. But only the people involved in expressing different cultures, are going to know the story that bring them to that. But back to Gwen Stefani, my personal realization of her was how much she did assimilate into. Basically what crowd she's with. I still greatly love l.a.m.b. I still greatly appreciate her harajuku style. But sometimes I wonder if the girls who were her posse at that time, if they truly were supportive of the idea or if they just felt they couldn't speak up against it. Because it is quite an odd spectacle when we look back nearly 20 years later.
I like this new take of yours to expand further when you hear the feedback. Part of what I like about your channel is the audience and the discourse, so this is great
That culture vulture comment is spot on. She took influence straight from the black community, Latinx influence, indigenous and of course the harajuku obsession. When it became uncool to culturally appropriate- that’s when gwen became uncool. Her quote about being Orange County, Japanese and English proves it’s where she pulls her inspiration, not just fashion and music but some of her personality too. It makes her come across like she has zero originality. She’s just reflecting others and taking all the credit. Her expressions in fashion and music so praised when she- a white woman- did it and then not even acknowledged when the original cultures expressed their art. Thankfully pop culture as a whole has embraced a huge shift in the way we celebrate and represent others, it could always be better, of course, but I’m glad we’ve come so far from this era!
Where was the Latinx influence? Also, interesting no one mentions her bindi wearing days. Apparently her boyfriend's Indiam mom initially gave it to her so that's a grey area.
@ it’s literally in this video, I forgot which music video it’s in specifically but she’s wearing a Mother Mary top with what looks like Frida Kahlo inspired hair. She was also wearing very chola inspired looks around that time like dickies, the button up buttoned at the top only, gold hoop earring with her name or angel in them and dark lip liner w/ gloss. Easily clocked influenced by the Mexican culture of California without giving them any credit. The bhindi thing is definitely a grey area because I don’t remember her wearing anything else traditional and bhindis literally don’t mean anything, they’re just for decoration. But yeah, definitely culture hopping all around the globe and then claiming it’s her own style 🙄
As a latino i have to ask you to stop using the word ''Latinx'' when refering to us, it's kinda of offensive since that word was created by americans and its being forced on us when it doesn't even make sense in our languages
@@Kaylamity_slays I was with you until the end. While some people may wear the bindi as a fashion accessory, it still has religious and cultural significance for most. Some Muslims won't even wear it as a fashion accessory because of its ties to Hinduism.
@ and what’s your reference for this?? Because my husband is Indian, we went to India just last January for his cousins wedding and I asked multiple Indian women what the bhindi means and they all said ‘is just pretty’. I don’t see what Muslims have to do with any of this since it’s not their culture…??? weird to bring them up. Perhaps a specific kind of bhindi has a specific meaning, but the kind Gwen was wearing is essentially just a face gem. I really hope you’re not just some white person trrying to argue for an entire culture you have zero connection to… I definitely don’t claim any part of Indian culture as my own but I do however have a lot of experience with being a white women dawned in their traditional dress and making sure I’m not appropriating anything by asking plenty of questions from actual Indians.
During Gwen's *"Harajuku Girl"* fetish phase, it reminded me of the SNL *"J-Pop America Fun Time Now!"* skit. Somebody who obsesses over Japanese culture but has almost no understanding or appreciation of it.
AFTER THINKING ABOUT YOU''RE FIRST VIDEO ON GWEN, I DO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN AND THE CULTURAL APPROPRIATION, WELL THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! ALSO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS GIVING JANET HER FLOWERS!
LOVE her 1st and 3rd solo albums. I think that if she hadn't taken a break from music and focused on honing her sound (pop-rock made a comback, so that'd be great for her) as well as having a more nuanced view on Japanese culture (including collabs/appreciation with other fans of Japanese culture as well as artists of Japanese descent) would've kept her at the forefront.
Growing up, I thought she was the coolest woman ever (on the No Doubt era). I also liked her early solo stuff, but now I agree with everything on this video. One thing I'd like to point out that really pissed me of, was one episode of the Voice (6, 7 years ago I believe) when she was trying to convince a girl to enter her team, and instead of saying she was the lead singer of an all male pop/ska band and also had a successful solo career etc. She went on to say that she would help style her clothes, doing her make up... Might not seem a lot but it tuned me down at the time.
Never much cared for any of her music tbh, solo or with No Doubt. But I did like Hella Good, but that's probably more due in part to Pharrell Wiliams, despite not being a Pharrell fan either. Didn't know about the Harajuku thing though. That's crap. I was aware of all that before Gwen, since I mainly just listened to Visual Kei back in those days. As a Mexican though I didn't do the cringe thing of "claiming" Japanese culture. I just liked a lot of the stuff coming out there.
Loved this. I think something US and Canadian people just don't understand is that the idea of cultural appropriation is a uniquely US thing. You can look up videos of people going to Japan and having them review Gwen in her harajuku era or Katy Perry in that one concert tour where she wore fake kimonos, and they fucking love it. They love seeing other cultures in their clothing, they love seeing us adapt it, all of that. I get the argument that racial tensions here in the US are just different than other places, so those cultures have never had the same issues, but haven't they? Shouldn't Japan hate it? After what the US did to Japan in WWII and the subsequent decades, you'd think with American mindsets, they'd be abhorred when we "appropriate" them. But they don't. They fucking love it. They have whole centers for tourists to join in their culture. They've loosened their own beliefs to allow others in because they want that. They want to spread their culture. Loved this vid. Stg.
@@evanie1659 Inspired maybe but definitely also a cash grab. She's literally a billionaire because of Fenty. No one becomes a billionaire without exploitation of the working class. Her pr team does a great job at painting her and Fenty as ethical and an ally to the people, but if you dig you will find questionable practices. For example there have been reports of her brand using materials from Indian mines that use child labor, additionally, Fenty has been reported to score worse than Shein in ethical practices. The rich elite only perform culture progressiveness to stay relevant but are all financially conservative and secretly wish to maintain the current oppressive economic status quo.
I do wonder in a way if when popstars get older they get tired of some things and just want to do easier work that does not require a lot of creative thought... this reminds me of the era in which Avril Lavigne did stuff like Hello Kitty for example
I don't remember what type of interview I was watching but Gwen said that she didn't want to try to have another L.A.M.B moment and just do what she felt like doing, regardless of how well it would do. How truthful is that of her? I'm not sure. But it's worth mentioning.
@@propogandalf She turned 30 in 1999 I believe, so most people weren't out until at the very least you spoke to them on more of a deeper level. If she was naive and didn't have gay friends, she probably wasn't able to recognize when the strangers she was meeting were gay. Which is my point about her being uncool.
Her androcentric-ness is her own worst enemy. If she had that under control, she'd be an icon. She's the epitome of wasted potential because there are still awesome things about her, she's just really dumb.
She’s was just a simple girl who wanted to have a simple kind of life but the universe pushed her into being a superstar. In a way she’s very relatable to people who want a simple kind of life
I went to Fullerton college with her back in the day. We my friends and I didn't like the early music that her brother made. It was really bad. We would leave when they came on stage. We would go get a beer or go to the bathroom. Maybe both. She did listen to music executives when making the first no doubt album. Her brother did not and walked out. Her image was then contrived by the producers. Her saying later 'i am Japanese ' was so tone deaf. She meant that she likes Japanese culture, but it came out badly While she is a nice person being thrust into stardom did not help her develop as a true artist. She just keeps doing what they tell her too. She said in the Behind the Music story, ' sorry guys but we are like the dorky est band ever ' that was her one true statement . Here here. 😊
to me she could make catchy bops, but it's that kinda corny types and if I'm being honest if gwen stefani is a today pop singer, most of her solo hits would be considered as 15s shorts video music for tiktok challenges
Honestly, I can never see Gwen Stefani as cool again since I was teaching English in Japan when LAMB came out and the album was kind of met with a shrug there. My students never talked about her. I only remember seeing one ad for the album and that was on a digital billboard above a record store in Tokyo. I don't know if she even performed on Music Station (which was the big music show that everyone performed on when promoting music in Japan). At the time, it just kind of seemed a little pathetic, like she was trying so hard to be with the cool kids who didn't know that she existed, but I wonder if the lack of the promotion (assuming there wasn't some big promotional blitz I missed) was as much because Japan was this mythical, magical land to her and going to promote there would have ruined the fantasy. Someone told me that the real Harajuku girls were the "weird" girls who didn't fit in at school and were often bullied and Harajuku was the place where they could find the community they lacked in other parts of their lives (I didn't teach anywhere near Tokyo, so I can't verify it from personal experience). It bugged me a little that she never acknowledged that and commercialized their refuge for her own benefit; My guess is she didn't know about that and she never really bothered to talk to or learn about any of them because that would have humanized them and ruined the fantasy.
I like this new format. its cool. . Since 2022, Demi changed to rock, and now she is going back to pop&b. I wonder what your thoughts on her new work are.
I genuinely liked her voice and some of her songs. Definitely do. Didn't like the Sweet Escape or any of her later albums. I was genuinely inspired by her LAMB era when I was younger. I loved Japanese fashion and culture and at the time I didn't think it was cultural appropriation. When I think of her, I think of aesthetic before her music. I do think she used music to leverage herself to do other things. I didn't care for her makeup brand on Sephora nor her fashion. It was culturally relevant at that time, but clearly, I can see that she is Just A Girl wanting a Simple Life Like That. The only thing that annoyed me about her is the lack of clear branding and visuals. She's just another white woman evolving on who she's sleeping with.
she was THE cool in the 90’s and early 2000’s 100%. Hella Good was so badass and Cool was amazing too but in a completely different way. I think you’re right though, music doesn’t seem like it’s inspiring her anymore. Used to Love You was good though and felt pretty genuine 🤷🏼♂️
I Echo Everything You Said In The Last Video... And This Video... Gwen Will Forever Be Cool.... It Seems Like She Wants To Experiment And Ppl Arent Feeling The Growth She Is Trying To Reach.. Like Madonna, Janet Or Even Rihanna
Why Are you guys SOOOOO offended?? God she never claimed to be anything in particular! Plz why again stop attacking Gwen because of a stupid cancel culture
Me here just making lunch for the fam. and warmly enjoying another vid from babes. Keep 'em coming @honestboy. P.S. the music in this video and others is completely a vibe.
Madonna was inspired by the novel Memoirs of a geisha and she gave us one of the best videos of the 90's - Nothing Really Matters! You need to be smart about it. Gwen, seemingly, is not.
To the people in the comments born after 2000, Gwen is the opposite of an industry plant. She was in a band with her brother as a teenager and didn't reach the national stage until years of performing and self-funded releases. The word you are looking for is sell out. They are not the same thing.
👏🏻 😊
100% this. She put in the work, but once you start shilling to diversify your income, you have to compromise your art to keep the lights on
@@julieblair7472 most artists until social media age had to work hard to earn their big break.
The label industry plant is being thrown around everywhere, it's slowly starting to lose meaning imo
say it louder for the ppl in the back
She becomes whoever she marries/ dates. She is ultimately her parents who instilled their values, conservative Catholic folks from Anahiem. She followed her brother because she though he was cool and joined his ska band, met Tony and dicovered new music through him and started wearing the Bindi because of his culture and wanted so much to marry him. They dated for 7 years and he was always luke warm about her. The bands breakout 3rd album was her true brush with her own song writing success, making a full album about their tragic breakup. Then she met Gavin a bad boy English rocker who was always left leaning and grungy, he showed her japan, Vivienne westwood and high high fashion. Thats were alot of her early rocker look came from, Gavins influence. So of course now, with no Gavin, no recent No Doubt, she has gone country with her lastest man who has given her that "simple kind of life" she has always wanted
It’s very runaway bride…
Why was he lukedwarm towards her? I read years ago they both were very much in love back then when they dated.
Seconding all of this ✨👏
She’s never been cooler to me than the Tragic Kingdom era (tho i briefly enjoyed Rock Steady / Hella Good). I remember The Rolling Stone article that went in depth about the Tragic Kingdom album cover shoot (look into guys it’s fascinating) and how much of an influence Gwen’s brother was.
Then I went through the album and realized he penned most of my favorite songs.
Gwen has the charisma, but even during the early ska days, she was a hybrid of her brother and Tony and whatever was “cool” to them.
It’s ironic that “Just A Girl” is toted as some kind of feminist anthem when it’s really Gwen wanting to assimilate
Interesting observation.
Damn.
I'd like to hear your take on Kylie Minogue. I think it's fascinating how someone could have a long and successful career in basically the entire world OTHER than USA
Kylie Minogue is an Australian icon. Her music has and always been a banger! I agree so much. I love Kylie Minogue
True to that. She's big even in Brazil where I come from I grew up listening to her music, when I was older II danced and played her songs on my sets and she is one of the most recognizable voices and sound.. even now with padam.
it seems kylie minogue had her time in the sun here and then woosh - cannot say why, but also, cannot say why Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor and its singles did much better outside the US vs inside.
@@xBINARYGODxIn the case of Madonna, the US media was boycotting her at the time because of her previous era, American Life, where she heavily criticized America and its government, and people back then didn't like it. So it wouldn't matter how amazing her next project would be, she would face difficulty when it came to being played. That's why Confessions is so powerful, is one of her more recognizable eras, with amazing songs, and it was indeed a global success with moderate success in the US. Honestly, jokes on them, because the way I see it, they are the only ones out of the club, and the same for Kylie, Shakira, and other great global artists that have mild success in the US.
People in US know Hips don't lie and Waka Waka, but here in Brazil we know her entiiiiiire discography, she even has songs in Portuguese
Look at Latin America... there are insanely famous people will millions of views and record sales that the US will never hear of. There are billions of people on Earth, bud. The gays have always loved Kylie.
I like this format with the audience's input!
Me too!
I grew up during this era & this wasn’t an uncommon opinion. Y’all might not be ready to hear this but Avril Lavigne wasn’t cool either. Cool fashion does not equal cool personality & their music might seem unique today but there were a million other bands doing what they were doing back then. Being hot, young, white & thin did a lot of heavy lifting for these two.
Alot of people liked gwen but I do agree about Avril. I grew up around that era and she was like Nickleback. She had alot of fans and was a "rocker" but for pop fans.... which meant actual rockers and metal heads saw her as a poser. Gwen staid in her lane so she didn't have a hater following
That's what I've been trying to say! Avril Lavigne was not seen in a very serious light.
Exactly. Gwen and Avril were not considered “cool” not back then, unless you were a very young person in their prime. Anyone older than middle school you were likely to hear people deny they played these artists songs even if they did in private.
Avril Lavigne was like an OG pick me girl.
@ yep. The tween demographic loved her as an alternative to Britney brand of pop but no one else really took her seriously, time has been good to the perception of those “industry plant” “alt rock” pop artists of the late 90’a and early 00’s. The kids today see them in a way different light than the kids of my time lol.
I think what’s weird is, the music and entertainment industry are so disconnected from the public interest.
Not really, you can't please everyone, so it's right that they'll do what they feel like doing.
They still believe themselves to be the authority on it. That’s where the disconnect is.
It's because capitalism only kills innovation and creativity from the people in actuality, and the music and entertainment industry are a monopoly on creative endeavors. Sorry I have a LOT of thoughts on this as a creative person myself.
@@NoOne-wt3sv it called being tonedeaf/out of touch
Are they? The ones that are flopping are, the ones that are succeeding aren't- for now. For instance, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor, Olivia etc.
Gwen Stefani & Katy Perry have always felt loosely connected to me for some reason. The California beach vibes, malleable aesthetic and their use of material culture to reaffirm their music (I mean Katy Perry also called getting her nails done as “Japanese-y” which feels like a Gwen Stefani lyric tbh)
Yesss!!! And similar to each other, we always thought their versatility was them bending the genres to their likings... but it was honestly the opposite. And now that they are older, we expect artists to have a firm thing, an imprint. Yet, they both weirdly have none. Katy Perry has her camp brand and kind of firm yet, cringe music taste?? So, there's that?
Agreed
If you ask me, Colbie Caillat and Lana nailed that California Beach vibe the best. I mean, Colbie Caillat is literally from Malibu and that is her trademark aesthetic. She even made a Christmas album called Christmas in the Sand. Katy and Gwen just didn’t embody that actual California girl energy like Colbie did tbh
@@jonova3187I disagree with you. I think Katy image is not the problem, but her colaborators. She needs a producer that pushes her out of the zone she is in right now. She’s has had good pop songs after her golden age, but her albums have not been that consistent.
@@notyouraveragesouthernmama Colbie is more chill Cali vibes vs Katy is more party Cali. Gwen gives transplant even if she is from there lol
People being surprised that commercial pop music is all manufactured. Never fails to get a good chuckle from me.
i thought the same thing. not everything needs to be as deep as people think.
I get what you’re saying and I’m not saying nobody thinks this but I think people are more responding to Gwen’s declining skills as a musical curator/taste maker plus the poorly aged cultural appropriation. I think people are shocked that the music quality is so bad but Gwen doesn’t have the hit catching ear of a Rihanna and is way closer to a Katy Perry than people want to admit. Even someone like Britney whose reputation is that of a passenger in her own career, when given the freedom to curate her art delivered the influential pop masterpiece that is Blackout.
Except nobody is surprised by that. You clearly missed the entire point of the video
Love No Doubt's music, love a lot of Gwen Stefani's early music and fashion, but I've been side eyeing her since that interview where she refused to even acknowledge how much she benefited and made A LOT of money from caricaturizing Japanese culture and fashion. She literally had non speaking East Asian women following her around as accessories😳 like sis? You've had years to learn what cultural appropriation is. And then her wearing the Bindi on her forehead, and then appropriating aspects of black culture in her fashion too😬😬😬. Love her for the nostalgia, and the fashion but the lack oven any solid acknowledgement is just gross to me.
I mean Ashton Kutcher did brown face to sell potato chips in 2012.....we're unfortunately not that far past any of this stuff.
The 4 "harajuku girls" from her LAMB era actually spoke English but were contractually forbidden from doing so while in public with her. She demanded that they speak Japanese to come off like caricatures of Asian women and walk behind her. It was wild!
And japanese women get eyelid surgery and nose jobs to look more white, and black girls wear asian hair to look white.
People have been sharing culture forever. Stop trying to make appropriation happen. People with eyes and ears are never going to care.
@@tymeburglar86 Crazy
As a Japanese person I never liked her incessant and baseless fetishization and idolization of Japanese people and culture...I do not hate her however because why would I base my growth and being around someone who never contributed to me in the first place? In other words yes white people can and have been so very racist towards Asians, but I would never denounce a white person who is a true ally and lover of Asian culture and people, it would be hypocritical and reprehensible of me to dehumanize someone for being misunderstood as the trending stereotypes to hate people who are candidly different as...
The blank slate comment really stuck with me and I think that criticism can be applied to many people in this generation. I look back at 90s and early 2000 fashion and nobody really trying to look like anybody, though there was trends everybody was original and made it their own. Nowadays, I wouldn’t say everyone looks the same but fashion seems to be divided into groups depending on race, gender, appearance, etc… and everyone dresses similar to whatever group they fit in.
It's become such a costume now. There used to be subcultures and people would dress to signify what sort of hobbies they had, the music they liked, etc. And now there is just no connection, it's whatever the "vibe" is that day and so often it's detached from what's actually being referenced. For example, kids will say they're going for a preppy look, but preppy now means nothing close to what the term originated as. Similarly, you'll see 20-somethings going for a 90s look, but they'll be dressed how like middle schoolers in the 90s dressed. It's bizarre.
@@1bwash Also makes this sort of eras characterized by aesthetics so shallow because is only the looks, and nothing more (musicians specially) music is the same, collaborators are the same, lyrics is the same, subject matter is the same.
this begs an interesting question though, what do you think about Nicki Minaj's rendition of Harajuku culture w/ "Harajuku Barbie"? Is that also problematic?
I think part of what makes it different it's the way Nicki did it. I remember seeing this video by a barb into that sort of thing making a timeline of harajuku Nicki, and she had pretty big connections in the culture and was sponsored by some of their designers, she constantly references to them and credited them and rather than just taking it as an accessory she was involved in it and cherished it's philosophy. Then as time when on the harajuku Nicki picture made her be made fun off by both westerners and sometimes people in the culture who thought she was culture vulture and subsequently we got the pinkprint look and then years later a return to "the roots" with pink Friday 2.
Now to be fair I don't know specifically how this compares to Gwen since I was young when the incident happened, however Nicki seemed to have handled it mostly well and comparable to maybe how megan is handling Japanese culture now.
No because she’s black so no one would say anything
It isn't any different.
Nicki in itself is a whole problem lol
Nicki’s father is Indian, and her mom is Trinidadian, and her great grandfather is Japanese.
I’ll never forget that Margaret Cho compared Gwen’s use of the Harajuku Girls to a “minstrel show.” That is all that needs to be said.
A has-been comedian (even when she made that comment) who isn't even Japanese.
i love your thoughts about cultural appropriation. I understand people appreciating cultural and then just taking it to make money. Can you do a video of white celebrities and artists who have a “black phase” and then change races or culture when it’s ready to make money. Like ariana grande. There was even an article about her changing her race to make money and her tanning and 7 rings era.
Miley Cyrus, too
@ yup her too.
yup I would love a video about this. Hearing how ariana talked back then VS how she talks now is crazy
Madonna🤦🏻♀️
@@maeby3258 deadass😭 cause sis sounded more black than actual black woman. Then she had a asian fishing phase supposedly
She’s very problematic too. I remember when she came for Rihanna for no reason for being “ too revealing”
Yeah she was problematic like most people in THAT time
@@Jfray252this was in 2015
Are Muslims problematic too? How do you feel about burkas?
Nope nope nope. You have to understand that early 2000s is different type of beast. Relatability is not something generally celebs strive for. They're rich, glamorous, over the top, rebellious, overly sexy etc. they put acts, they say crazy things, a lot of them are assholes and even bad people. that's what makes celebs in that era so special and cool. I know time changes and we prob won't go back to that era again (arguably for the better) but I miss the time when celebs are this unattainable, unreliable, elusive fantasy for us to enjoy as solely entertainment purpose and not putting this parasocial BS where celebs should be your best friend or they're just one of us. and it's gonna be rough if we see these celebs back in the day through current PC relatable commentary.
My first CD of Gwen Stefani when she was with her group No Doubt in the 90's was Tragic Kingdom in 1995, and I still remember most of the songs in that album. I loved her voice and her whole aesthetic, she looked very cool and different.
I loved it too. Played in on repeat. I still think it holds up!
@propogandalf yes good lyrics too, not like the music of nowadays 📝💫
Whats funny is how everyone talks about the Harajuku girls while they appropriated the black culture 😂 afro perms and braids and durags etc
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
This is what I hated and when I had to tap out. Why was she putting a hat on a hat
That's gross 🤮
Exactly!
Yeah if you actually look at Japanese fashion from the time, the harajuku girls weren't even wearing that 😂
NOTE; her debut solo album takes ALOT from LENE from AQUA’s debut solo album PLAY WITH ME released the year before… it’s a BANGER… play ITS YOUR DUTY and you’ll see it…
Facts 💯
I was a teen when “Don’t Speak” was released so I’ve followed her trajectory. No shade, but for me Gwen Stefani is the girl from No Doubt doing her thing. I never saw solo GS as a cool act. She’s stylish, that’s it
Gwen getting dragged today wasn't on my bingo card 😂
So when you released the first video on this subject, I made a comment on the cultural appropriation side of the argument. That without cultural appropriation, she would have never been seen as cool. I still stand by that because she has become a simulacrum of what she used to be seen as. Without the novelty of her fashion choices which were cool and eccentric because she has pink box braids and used to have a bindi on her forehead, stuff like she really is a blank canvas. And the music is equally as empty.
She to me is like Katy. I will enjoy lamb and teenage dream and thats it. Good for a throwback like Katy said 😂
I think Zachary Campbell said that Katy was always focus on selling her persona as a product than an artist, an honestly i agree with that, the same can be the same case for Gwen.
she is a wonderful artist always will be.
I always loved Gwen’s music from the No Doubt days and L.A.M.B., but her recently promoting a prayer app created by a conservative has made me reevaluate all of that.
She did?
@justjoannak she did :(
She becomes who ever she marries/ dates
She what???
Yes that prayer app is the the last straw of her un-coolness 😬
she was always christian and i don't see what her religion has to do with being cool or not
SHE WAS MASSIVE on the beginning. I remember how big influence she had on people.
i WAS YOUNG AND REBEL AND THEN I HEARD GWEN ith No Doubt and this was my introdutin to heavy music. But its true. She swallow ideas and cultures to use it as a sale point.
laughing at no one mentioning the miranda/blake connect. honest’s shade has layers, so witty it might go over people’s heads
her music is so iconic
I would like to know how she keeps her roots so lightened, she must be constantly getting them done.
Can't believe UA-cam hid this video from me for 1 min
That being said, I do agree that the cultural appropriation of Japanese culture is gross 🤢
She had some moments but she is not what I was introduced to
Yes, the angle of reading some of the comments and broad upon some older videos would so cool to see (pun not intended)
Agreed
CAUTION IS AND WAS SO GOOD AND IS SO UNDERRATED. I’m so glad you said it. I can still sit and listen to Caution TO THIS DAY.
I love this kind of video! I would love more like this!
I think Beyonce is the best example of an artist trying something new that's a little older (Older than Miranda).
This ish is bananas 🍌
I think we're overanalyzing and ignoring actually important things.
She's a Libra. Libra is the sign of partnerships. They meld into whoever they are dating. Whether or not you think astrology holds any weight, that is what she does too!
Kim Kardashian is a Libra too
@@grod805 that checks out too!
@@grod805Kim melds into whatever is trending at that moment
That not true because I am one
I think the more insecure Gwen became about her personal life, the more she sold out to stay relevant and the more flop she became
She and Katy run parallel for sure, but Gwen starting out with actual street cred/talent makes her trajectory worse to me
Gween is definitely an assimilator she assimilated to the men of no doubt, her single era was eve they did a tone if collaborations, and now her husband . She doesnt have a true idea really
Spirit Cooking. And if you don’t know what that is, look into it. It’s horrific.
Ummm. I’m from LA and moved to OC young (spent longer in OC than LA OC at this point). I lived in OC while No Doubt was HUGE and was in OC when Gwen was huge (LAMB, Sweet Escape etc), and I lived for it. I think Gwen was one of the coolest women in the planet…. She used to chill with Snoop (they are actually not that far from each other in miles but
Certainly In living conditions. Gwen put OC on the map outside of other artists which take it more in the Sublime, Offspring,Lit and yes No Doubt. I think the issue is this….. she is so UNCOOL now that it makes you question whether she was ever cool to begin with but in her case, SUPER cool. I think the issue is now it has been over 10 years where she went corny. I think it will not get better, that current album is not even listen-to-able. She has been on the Corn parade now and she 3 to reassess. I will say This Is What the Truth Feels Like was ok… ish.
Me watching this vid within 27s of it being posted feels like an achievement 🙂↔️
But YES she needs to get NO DOUBT back together for an AMAZING album of music
Yes, because that solo career now, is pretty dead..
@ we shouldn’t be surprised… she’s a married woman with children… she as a GOOD GIRL devotes time to her man and children and music is SECONDARY
@bernicedoingthings7028 look how the AI tries to not let us CONNECT how sad for I am the brother of Jesus and AI should be helping send my message of LOVE to everyone in Jesus name i came to explain CTXJ
I loved Gwen when she was part of No Doubt in the 90's and early 2000's but after that, she became a sell out and she was no longer cool.
I watched the other video, but I feel like my input is better put here. Like when no doubt was big and thriving, I was too young to really be interested in that or to even be able to comprehend their lyrics. Like spider webs, I cannot fathom the weight of those lyrics. But it's different now in the year of 2024. However, when Gwen Stefani went solo, I was absolutely there for her music. It was catchy. It was Poppy. But I was also into anime and Japanese Street fashion. So it gave me more exposure to something I was already into. And then, as I grew even older, I personally got the impression that Gwen Stefani did tend to take on a reflection of who she was with, Blake Shelton. Very much giving that impression. Especially when I learned she dated a no doubt member. And when I learned she came out with a makeup line, I wasn't sure what it would be like given I've never got an impression of her from her makeup. Unless you can't her using a bindi. Which she said she adopted from her ex-boyfriend, and being involved in that culture via relationship. And I am not a person to tell another person what classifies as appropriation versus appreciation, cuz I have my own stories where I have to tell people I have traditional African dress because we had a very close family member who was from Africa, I can't remember which country she was from. Unfortunately cuz this is like 20 years ago. Ago. I'm old people. But she and our family had such a strong bond and love, when she returned back from her visit home. She wanted to share that gift from her Homeland with us. So it's like people can look from the outside and confidently put out that judgment. But only the people involved in expressing different cultures, are going to know the story that bring them to that. But back to Gwen Stefani, my personal realization of her was how much she did assimilate into. Basically what crowd she's with. I still greatly love l.a.m.b. I still greatly appreciate her harajuku style. But sometimes I wonder if the girls who were her posse at that time, if they truly were supportive of the idea or if they just felt they couldn't speak up against it. Because it is quite an odd spectacle when we look back nearly 20 years later.
I like this new take of yours to expand further when you hear the feedback. Part of what I like about your channel is the audience and the discourse, so this is great
That culture vulture comment is spot on. She took influence straight from the black community, Latinx influence, indigenous and of course the harajuku obsession. When it became uncool to culturally appropriate- that’s when gwen became uncool. Her quote about being Orange County, Japanese and English proves it’s where she pulls her inspiration, not just fashion and music but some of her personality too. It makes her come across like she has zero originality. She’s just reflecting others and taking all the credit. Her expressions in fashion and music so praised when she- a white woman- did it and then not even acknowledged when the original cultures expressed their art. Thankfully pop culture as a whole has embraced a huge shift in the way we celebrate and represent others, it could always be better, of course, but I’m glad we’ve come so far from this era!
Where was the Latinx influence? Also, interesting no one mentions her bindi wearing days. Apparently her boyfriend's Indiam mom initially gave it to her so that's a grey area.
@ it’s literally in this video, I forgot which music video it’s in specifically but she’s wearing a Mother Mary top with what looks like Frida Kahlo inspired hair. She was also wearing very chola inspired looks around that time like dickies, the button up buttoned at the top only, gold hoop earring with her name or angel in them and dark lip liner w/ gloss. Easily clocked influenced by the Mexican culture of California without giving them any credit. The bhindi thing is definitely a grey area because I don’t remember her wearing anything else traditional and bhindis literally don’t mean anything, they’re just for decoration. But yeah, definitely culture hopping all around the globe and then claiming it’s her own style 🙄
As a latino i have to ask you to stop using the word ''Latinx'' when refering to us, it's kinda of offensive since that word was created by americans and its being forced on us when it doesn't even make sense in our languages
@@Kaylamity_slays I was with you until the end. While some people may wear the bindi as a fashion accessory, it still has religious and cultural significance for most. Some Muslims won't even wear it as a fashion accessory because of its ties to Hinduism.
@ and what’s your reference for this?? Because my husband is Indian, we went to India just last January for his cousins wedding and I asked multiple Indian women what the bhindi means and they all said ‘is just pretty’. I don’t see what Muslims have to do with any of this since it’s not their culture…??? weird to bring them up. Perhaps a specific kind of bhindi has a specific meaning, but the kind Gwen was wearing is essentially just a face gem. I really hope you’re not just some white person trrying to argue for an entire culture you have zero connection to… I definitely don’t claim any part of Indian culture as my own but I do however have a lot of experience with being a white women dawned in their traditional dress and making sure I’m not appropriating anything by asking plenty of questions from actual Indians.
During Gwen's *"Harajuku Girl"* fetish phase, it reminded me of the SNL *"J-Pop America Fun Time Now!"* skit. Somebody who obsesses over Japanese culture but has almost no understanding or appreciation of it.
Megan thee stallion is an example of someone who delves into Japanese culture but respects it and understands it
AFTER THINKING ABOUT YOU''RE FIRST VIDEO ON GWEN, I DO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN AND THE CULTURAL APPROPRIATION, WELL THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! ALSO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS GIVING JANET HER FLOWERS!
LOVE her 1st and 3rd solo albums. I think that if she hadn't taken a break from music and focused on honing her sound (pop-rock made a comback, so that'd be great for her) as well as having a more nuanced view on Japanese culture (including collabs/appreciation with other fans of Japanese culture as well as artists of Japanese descent) would've kept her at the forefront.
She would be a great actress.
Growing up, I thought she was the coolest woman ever (on the No Doubt era). I also liked her early solo stuff, but now I agree with everything on this video.
One thing I'd like to point out that really pissed me of, was one episode of the Voice (6, 7 years ago I believe) when she was trying to convince a girl to enter her team, and instead of saying she was the lead singer of an all male pop/ska band and also had a successful solo career etc. She went on to say that she would help style her clothes, doing her make up... Might not seem a lot but it tuned me down at the time.
Never much cared for any of her music tbh, solo or with No Doubt. But I did like Hella Good, but that's probably more due in part to Pharrell Wiliams, despite not being a Pharrell fan either.
Didn't know about the Harajuku thing though. That's crap. I was aware of all that before Gwen, since I mainly just listened to Visual Kei back in those days. As a Mexican though I didn't do the cringe thing of "claiming" Japanese culture. I just liked a lot of the stuff coming out there.
Loved this.
I think something US and Canadian people just don't understand is that the idea of cultural appropriation is a uniquely US thing. You can look up videos of people going to Japan and having them review Gwen in her harajuku era or Katy Perry in that one concert tour where she wore fake kimonos, and they fucking love it. They love seeing other cultures in their clothing, they love seeing us adapt it, all of that.
I get the argument that racial tensions here in the US are just different than other places, so those cultures have never had the same issues, but haven't they? Shouldn't Japan hate it? After what the US did to Japan in WWII and the subsequent decades, you'd think with American mindsets, they'd be abhorred when we "appropriate" them.
But they don't. They fucking love it. They have whole centers for tourists to join in their culture. They've loosened their own beliefs to allow others in because they want that. They want to spread their culture.
Loved this vid. Stg.
Her makeup brand is also uninspired and is very much a cash grab.
Aren’t they all?
@@Rebeca_rose Fenty is the exception
@@evanie1659 Inspired maybe but definitely also a cash grab. She's literally a billionaire because of Fenty. No one becomes a billionaire without exploitation of the working class. Her pr team does a great job at painting her and Fenty as ethical and an ally to the people, but if you dig you will find questionable practices. For example there have been reports of her brand using materials from Indian mines that use child labor, additionally, Fenty has been reported to score worse than Shein in ethical practices.
The rich elite only perform culture progressiveness to stay relevant but are all financially conservative and secretly wish to maintain the current oppressive economic status quo.
I do wonder in a way if when popstars get older they get tired of some things and just want to do easier work that does not require a lot of creative thought... this reminds me of the era in which Avril Lavigne did stuff like Hello Kitty for example
Someone actually did an essay on Gwen like that😂😂😂
6:50 god yes. I get só confused when this part of the song comes up like what's the correlation
Ive never liked her. Never will. And what she's doing lately had solidified my feelings towards her
Loving the outro music❤❤
I don't remember what type of interview I was watching but Gwen said that she didn't want to try to have another L.A.M.B moment and just do what she felt like doing, regardless of how well it would do. How truthful is that of her? I'm not sure. But it's worth mentioning.
I love her new song; I'm so sick!
I knew she was uncool when I read an interview she did and she said she never met a gay person/had a gay friend until she was over 30.
I find that to be impossible being in the music industry and meeting millions of people
@@propogandalf She turned 30 in 1999 I believe, so most people weren't out until at the very least you spoke to them on more of a deeper level. If she was naive and didn't have gay friends, she probably wasn't able to recognize when the strangers she was meeting were gay. Which is my point about her being uncool.
5:49 EXACTLY
Her androcentric-ness is her own worst enemy. If she had that under control, she'd be an icon. She's the epitome of wasted potential because there are still awesome things about her, she's just really dumb.
She’s was just a simple girl who wanted to have a simple kind of life but the universe pushed her into being a superstar. In a way she’s very relatable to people who want a simple kind of life
So all she wanted was a simple kind of life?
I see what you did there
Nope. I didn’t like her solo career. I also disliked her using Japanese Street fashion and making it mainstream.
She needs to put down the cowboy hat + bible and announce that No Doubt reunion tour, respectfully.
I went to Fullerton college with her back in the day. We my friends and I didn't like the early music that her brother made. It was really bad. We would leave when they came on stage. We would go get a beer or go to the bathroom. Maybe both. She did listen to music executives when making the first no doubt album. Her brother did not and walked out. Her image was then contrived by the producers. Her saying later 'i am Japanese ' was so tone deaf. She meant that she likes Japanese culture, but it came out badly
While she is a nice person being thrust into stardom did not help her develop as a true artist. She just keeps doing what they tell her too. She said in the Behind the Music story, ' sorry guys but we are like the dorky est band ever ' that was her one true statement . Here here. 😊
Can't stand her nowadays... I still love LAMB the album and its singles though, despite the Harajuku Girls controversy.
to me she could make catchy bops, but it's that kinda corny types and if I'm being honest if gwen stefani is a today pop singer, most of her solo hits would be considered as 15s shorts video music for tiktok challenges
Not you dragged her like that 😂
Honestly, I can never see Gwen Stefani as cool again since I was teaching English in Japan when LAMB came out and the album was kind of met with a shrug there. My students never talked about her. I only remember seeing one ad for the album and that was on a digital billboard above a record store in Tokyo. I don't know if she even performed on Music Station (which was the big music show that everyone performed on when promoting music in Japan). At the time, it just kind of seemed a little pathetic, like she was trying so hard to be with the cool kids who didn't know that she existed, but I wonder if the lack of the promotion (assuming there wasn't some big promotional blitz I missed) was as much because Japan was this mythical, magical land to her and going to promote there would have ruined the fantasy.
Someone told me that the real Harajuku girls were the "weird" girls who didn't fit in at school and were often bullied and Harajuku was the place where they could find the community they lacked in other parts of their lives (I didn't teach anywhere near Tokyo, so I can't verify it from personal experience). It bugged me a little that she never acknowledged that and commercialized their refuge for her own benefit; My guess is she didn't know about that and she never really bothered to talk to or learn about any of them because that would have humanized them and ruined the fantasy.
I like this new format. its cool. . Since 2022, Demi changed to rock, and now she is going back to pop&b. I wonder what your thoughts on her new work are.
I genuinely liked her voice and some of her songs. Definitely do. Didn't like the Sweet Escape or any of her later albums. I was genuinely inspired by her LAMB era when I was younger. I loved Japanese fashion and culture and at the time I didn't think it was cultural appropriation. When I think of her, I think of aesthetic before her music. I do think she used music to leverage herself to do other things. I didn't care for her makeup brand on Sephora nor her fashion. It was culturally relevant at that time, but clearly, I can see that she is Just A Girl wanting a Simple Life Like That. The only thing that annoyed me about her is the lack of clear branding and visuals. She's just another white woman evolving on who she's sleeping with.
The answer for Gwen is simple: what was once considered "quirky" at a desperate time has been an obvious act with 0 substance involved.
she was THE cool in the 90’s and early 2000’s 100%. Hella Good was so badass and Cool was amazing too but in a completely different way. I think you’re right though, music doesn’t seem like it’s inspiring her anymore. Used to Love You was good though and felt pretty genuine 🤷🏼♂️
No doubts sunpissed oranges (tragic kingdom) CD was phenomenal! Wow she is a completely different person now, i wana see chewgy but she is gen x
I Echo Everything You Said In The Last Video... And This Video...
Gwen Will Forever Be Cool.... It Seems Like She Wants To Experiment And Ppl Arent Feeling The Growth She Is Trying To Reach.. Like Madonna, Janet Or Even Rihanna
I think her older work is cool.
Megan sampled (What You Waiting For) in her song BOA, Her newest work not so much.
Also I preferred her fashion style when she was with her ex Gavin! But you're right, it's like she doesn't have a personality in music.
Cool people do and know cool things.
Blake was the worst thing to happen to Gwen 😭
No she has never been 😂
Why Are you guys SOOOOO offended?? God she never claimed to be anything in particular! Plz why again stop attacking Gwen because of a stupid cancel culture
Me here just making lunch for the fam. and warmly enjoying another vid from babes. Keep 'em coming @honestboy. P.S. the music in this video and others is completely a vibe.
Gwen Stefani walked so Doja Cat could twirl🎉
SAY IT WITH ME:
CULTURE VULTURE
Gwendoline Stef
do a video about MIA not being cool
Gwen was insanely cool until she went solo.
Madonna was inspired by the novel Memoirs of a geisha and she gave us one of the best videos of the 90's - Nothing Really Matters! You need to be smart about it. Gwen, seemingly, is not.
Is Gwen Stefani the Female Version of Justin Timberlake?
Courtney was right all along ...
Interesting vid, thanks. Ok, that makes her sound even worse. Trying to trademark a Japanese word/subculture or something🙃🤣
I've listened to her new songs and i have to say her voice does not work with country music 😩
Exactly!
She was cool til she went solo.
Damn, she really doesn't have any personality.