Gwen Stefani’s latest album, Bouquet, draws inspiration from her deep connection with her husband, Blake Shelton. The pop star, 55, released her fourth solo studio album on November 15. Shelton, her husband of three years, played a key role in shaping both the lyrical and musical elements of the project. “We come from such different worlds, and our musical tastes don’t always align.
However, we both share a love for ’70s soft rock and yacht rock,” Stefani told PEOPLE about her relationship with Shelton, whom she began dating in 2015 before marrying in a small ceremony in 2021. The couple’s children, Kingston, 18, Zuma, 16, and Apollo, 10, from Stefani’s first marriage to Gavin Rossdale, were present at the wedding.
Stefani and Shelton’s duet “Purple Irises” brings their musical worlds together
Reflecting on their early days together, Stefani recalled how they often played a game where they’d play songs and quiz each other on whether they recognized them. “We’d always end up playing ’70s songs,” she said.
The creation of Bouquet took shape after Stefani penned “Purple Irises,” a love song inspired by Shelton, which eventually became a duet with the country singer. “He loved the song so much that he said, ‘Save that one.’ I hesitated and asked if he wanted to join me on it, but I never want to push him—he gets so many requests,” Stefani explained.
After recording together, she wasn’t sure if the pop vibe meshed with Shelton’s style, which is far from pop. “That’s when I decided to send it to Scott Hendricks, his producer, who has more of an old-school sound, kind of like live band music that reminds us of the ’70s yacht rock we grew up with,” Stefani recalled. This approach led to the final version of “Purple Irises,” which became their duet.
Since meeting as coaches on The Voice, the couple has recorded several duets, including “Go Ahead and Break My Heart” (2016), “Nobody But You” (2019), and “Happy Anywhere” (2021). “We love doing everything together,” she shared. “We’re besties.”
The pair also collaborated on the title track of Stefani’s 2017 Christmas album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas. “I always wanted to make a Christmas album, and Blake suggested working with the late producer Busbee, who wrote P!nk’s song ‘Try,'” Stefani said. “I was thrilled because I loved that song.
I ended up writing the entire record with him. Then Blake, sitting in his bus, sent me the beginning of the title track. I said, ‘You just write hits in your bus now?’ But that’s how we ended up writing it. It’s hilarious, but we truly enjoy collaborating together.”
