Let Me Reintroduce Myself

Album: released as a single (2020)
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Songfacts®:

  • Following Gwen Stefani's 2016 solo album This Is What the Truth Feels Like, her only releases for nearly five years were Christmas songs or country singles with Blake Shelton. This song finds the No Doubt singer returning to her reggae and ska roots as she reminds us she is still the "original me" from Anaheim, California.
  • Stefani references some of her older singles during "Let Me Reintroduce Myself." The track starts off with the sound of radio tuning static, which some critics found reminiscent of No Doubt's hit song "Underneath It All." Then, during the first verse, Stefani reminds us she already gave us "bananas."

    In the first place, 'cause you know I'm like organic
    And it tastes great, I already gave you bananas
    Go ahead and help yourself, me again in your ear


    This nods to the cheerleader chant on her 2005 single "Hollaback Girl" when she spells out the word "bananas" multiple times.

    Finally, the artwork features two versions of Stefani, with one of them copying her outfit from the music video to No Doubt's 1995 single "Just A Girl."
  • Stefani co-wrote the upbeat, reggae-infused song while quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her co-writers were the Chicago hitmaker Ross Golan (Justin Bieber's "Take You," Lady Antebellum's "Compass") and rising songwriter/producer Luke Niccoli.

    Stefani started working on new music with Niccoli in early 2020. They came up with several tracks, and when the pandemic hit the US, she decamped to Oklahoma for three months. Meanwhile, Niccoli had introduced the singer to Ross Golan, and the three continued collaborating over Zoom, including "Let Me Reintroduce Myself."
  • Stefani explained in a press release that this is a "fun and lighthearted" tune that announces she's back with new music. "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," she said. "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 musicians are:

    Keyboards and organ: Stefani's brother, Eric Stefani
    Trombone and Hammond organ: Former No Doubt band member Gabrial McNair
    Trumpet: Stephen Bradley
    Guitar and bass: Luke Niccoli
    Drums: Mano Ruiz
    Hand clapping: Ross Golan
  • Stefani released "Let Me Reintroduce Myself" on December 7, 2020, and performed it for the first time the same day on The Voice.
  • American photographer Philip Andelman directed the video, which sees Stefani revisiting some of her most popular outfits of from the past few decades. Among the wardrobes she replicates include the polka-dot dress she wore in the No Doubt "Don't Speak" clip, and the crop top tracksuit from the "Just A Girl" visual. She also sports her Alice in Wonderland-themed outfit from "What You Waiting For?" and Japanese-inspired "Harajuku Girls" gear, plus a black beanie in ode to "Hollaback Girls."

    Andelman has also directed clips for the likes of Taylor Swift ("Safe and Sound," "Begin Again"), Meghan Trainor ("Lips Are Movin") and Selena Gomez ("Slow Down").

Comments: 2

  • Ed Pearce from Ashford, EnglandIn Underneath It All by No Doubt, Gwen sings:

    You've used up all your coupons
    And all you've got left is me
  • Qualifiedaquarian from UsaDoes the "coupon" lyric reference another song?
see more comments

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