WhenGwen StefaniandFergieannounced their return to music as solo artists a few months ago, the pop world shook with excitement. While Fergie’s bland “L.A. Love (La LA)” wasn’t the banger we expected, Stefani’s new single“Baby Don’t Lie” finds the singer embracing the reggae-inspired sound that we’ve all come to love over the years.
The song officially premiered yesterday (October 19), and we wrote “‘Uh huh, here we go,’ Stefani says, and to this rubbery bass line and hand claps this club-ready setting suggesting a sequel to thePharrell-produced smash ‘Hollaback Girl.‘Instead, ‘Baby Dont Lie’ mellows out into a mid-tempo pop song.”Did other music critics enjoy Stefani’s comeback single? Read on below to find out!
::Complexdigs the track, saying: “Gwen is quite mellow on this release, as her soothing lyrics match well with the pop production that features plenty of strings and horns that go along nicely with well-placed drum kicks.”
:: TIME was also impressed: “In less capable hands, ‘Baby Dont Lie’ would leave a weaker impression, but Stefani and all her vocal idiosyncrasies find a way to make it her own. The singer has writtenmanya greatsongabout falling in love with someone whos got a few skeletons in their closet, and Baby Dont Lie is a worthy entry into that oeuvre. Consider this the amuse-bouche for whatevernext-level musicof hers Pharrell promised is coming.”
::Wall Street Journalcompared the singer to a certain “Bad Gal”: “Those who have obsessed over recentRihannahits will find comfort in the music within, but overall, theNo Doubtfrontwoman doesnt sound too inspired here.”
:: Our friend over at MuuMuse weighed in: “I will say this:Love. Angel. Music Baby.felt like a truly pioneering record from start to finish it was weird, unexpected and genuinely ahead of its time. The lead single alone, ‘What You Waiting For?’, stands as one of the greatest pop songs of the past decade.This one might not be nearly as much of a game-changer, but it does represent the fact that Gwens still got it she always did and her comeback has never felt more crucial. Welcome home, mama.”
::Slantthought it was too similar to her past work: “…it comes as a bit of a surprise that her long-awaited solo comeback single, ‘Baby Don’t Lie,’ doesn’t venture too far from her band’s established template. Co-written by Benny Blanco and Ryan Tedder, the midtempo pop song finds Stefani effortlessly grooving to a reggae-flavored beat and an admittedly catchy hook, complete with her signature yelp, but it hews too close to the sound of No Doubt‘s slept-on sixth album,Push and Shove, for which Stefani partly shelved her thriving solo career for eight long years.”
:: Bustle was not a fan: “Of course, all artists experiment with their sound (I mean Taylor Swift, am I right?) and I definitely dont want to shut down Stefanis new, creative flow, but I feel like she just has so much more to offer, and I hope her single doesnt reflect her upcoming album. I love and miss the old Gwen, but maybe the music video to ‘Baby Dont Lie’will be so bizarre and eccentric that itll all make up for this.”
:: Lastly, Vulture was quite blunt with their opinion: “For what it’s worth, it’s not terribly exciting.”
What are your thoughts on Stefani’s comeback single? Let us know in the comments below!
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