As 2014 winds down, we’re looking back at the eventful year and highlighting some of No Doubt’s biggest milestones and projects to look forward to in 2015.
This year, we saw the long-awaited solo comeback of Gwen come to life (including several new projects and fragrances) and No Doubt’s return to the big stage. 2014 was a huge for Gwen while we saw her make her television debut as a coach for season seven of The Voice and ink new deals with MasterCard and OPI nail lacquers.
2015 is shaping up to be another incredible year for the band including a highly anticipated solo release from Gwen and possibly No Doubt. While the band notably took more time off this year, Gwen mentioned on several accounts that she was both working on her own as well as with the band for their new album. No Doubt is also set to hit the road in the summer for a few festival shows in 2015.
Make sure to vote and tell us what your favorite moment from 2014 was!
DWP (Design With Purpose)
News broke in January of DWP (Design With Purpose), Gwen’s new eco-friendly fashion label that was launched in Spring 2014. Gwen teamed with denim expert Michael Glasser (founder of Seven For All Mankind and Citizens of Humanity) to attempt a “cool” and casual clothing line at a lower price point. Gwen calls DWP a “really stylish and comfortable-to-wear line”.
DWP was originally conceived as a denim collection, “a sustainable premium denim line that required no heat and only a gallon of water to produce. Hence, the Department of Water and Power acronym.” After consideration, collaborator Glasser decided to shift focus towards a modern non-denim line with key staple pieces that every woman would want. The line will focus on staples which we’re used to seeing from Gwen: “slouchy, slightly tapered, cropped trousers”, “high-low tanks, motorcycle vests and cropped T-shirt styles” in patterns reminiscent to Gwen’s signature snake prints, oranges, reds, blacks and whites. The collection is all made of Tencel (a flexible and environmentally friendly synthetic fiber that is made from wood pulp), which “mimic black leather, brushed silk or broken-in denim”.
No Doubt Vault
In February, No Doubt posted on their social networks that they would be releasing installments from The Vault, a hand-picked selection of unreleased and never-before-seen content exclusively for the fans. During the following months, No Doubt shared rare photos and videos to commemorate events such as their animated appearances on The Simpsons and King of the Hill, backstage on past tours and special photos from their personal collections.
gx by Gwen Stefani
gx by Gwen Stefani launched as an exclusive new collection with membership driven e-retailer ShoeDazzle.com on February 26, 2014. gx features high quality shoes, handbags and accessories price pointed between $69.95 and $110.95 with lower deals available to VIP members of the site.
Gwen shared that she wanted to create a collection that would appeal to large range of customers at affordable prices. “I just wanted to make something that looked really good and high quality, but that you could afford. That was a challenge,” said Gwen to WWD.
The initial collection was inspired by some of Gwen’s favorite prints and colors (including black, white and red). WWD stated the debut line would feature “pumps, wedges and heeled sandals… in a range of prints that include pop, tribal, street and punk”. Gwen called gx “pretty simple” but “having a lot of detail”. The March 2014 line launched on ShoeDazzle.com with 43 pieces including 24 pairs of shoes and 7 handbags. New items were added each month. The collection also made it’s way to the UK on JustFab.com in July 2014.
It was announced in July 2014 that the upcoming Spring 2015 collection would be making its way to select retailers, including Nordstrom and independent boutiques. Titan Industries Inc. released a statement saying that gx “performed very well” on ShoeDazzle and would be expanding the line in the next coming months. Titan previewed the Spring 2015 collection from their New York showroom on August 6 and surprised fans to a whole new line with a few familiar L.A.M.B. prints.
L.A.M.B. x Hanky Panky
In July, Gwen’s L.A.M.B. brand teamed up with intimates brand Hanky Panky for an exclusive “music-inpsired” joint collection of lingerie, panties, bras and camisoles. The capsule line was a dream collaboration for Gwen and featured a few familiar L.A.M.B. prints including the classic black and white old English logo and Lambie Camo.
The collection was sold on both HankyPanky.com and ShopLAMB.com and also made it’s way to select speciality retailers.
Apollo Bowie Flynn Rossdale
On Feburary 28, Gwen gave birth to her third miracle baby boy, Apollo Bowie Flynn Rossdale. Gwen had first broke the news that she was expecting a son on her official Instagram sharing, “I was ready to hand over the crown. but I guess I am still queen of the house.” We still couldn’t be any more thrilled for the Stefani-Rossdale family!
Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational 2014
Adrian participated in the 14th Annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational which happened April 3-6 hosted by the ARIA Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. He continues to be a figure at the MJCI that benefits many charities including Make-A-Wish who they raised $100,000 for in 2013.
During the annual gala for the event, Adrian mentioned on the red carpet that No Doubt were possibly looking into playing a few shows before the end of the year and would love to put out new material in the near future.
Coachella
Gwen made her unexpected return to the stage live alongside friend and collaborator Pharrell Williams during the Coachella Music Festival held in Indio, California. She strutted on the stage in a custom L.A.M.B. sparkly jumpsuit for “Hollaback Girl”. This performance is said to have inspired Gwen’s return to music this year including more work with Pharrell himself.
She also made another special appearance alongside Pharrell during a stop in Los Angeles on Bruno Mars’ tour.
No Doubt Under New Management
In June, it was announced that No Doubt parted ways with Rebel Waltz Management and have signed with Azoff MSG Entertainment (AMSGE).
Billboard first broke the news of the management change in late April but have now confirmed the move. Irving Azoff first denied the reports when approached and the article also mentions that several management companies were interested in signing No Doubt before they decided to join with AMSGE. Azoff also represents some of the biggest names in the music industry including Christina Aguilera, Van Halen and the Eagles.
No Doubt had been represented and managed by Jim Guerinot’s Rebel Waltz since 1998.
The Voice
In April, Gwen confirmed the exicting news that she signed on as a coach for the upcoming season of The Voice, NBC’s Emmy winning singing competition show. She took on the role as coach and advisor to many memorable contestants during the series including Anita Antoinette, Ryan Sill and Taylor John Williams. Gwen did such an amazing job on The Voice and has been welcomed back to the show with open arms by her fellow coaches Pharrell Williams, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. She has said that she would love to come back for another season but has yet to be asked.
During filming, Gwen was involved with many television appearances and performances including a special coaches duet for “Hella Good”, “The Tide Is High”, “Spark The Fire” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. Being on The Voice also inspired Gwen to get back into the studio to record music of her own.
We covered the whole season and Team Gwen along the way — click here for our full coverage.
“My Heart Is Open”
Before signing onto The Voice, Gwen was approached by fellow coach and Maroon 5 vocalist Adam Levine in regards to appearing on Maroon 5’s new album, V. After speaking back-and-forth over emails, Gwen joined the band in the studio for a duet on their Sia-penned ballad, “My Heart Is Open”.
Award Season
In September, Gwen made two notable appearances while returning to the MTV Video Music Awards and the following night making her debut at the Emmy Awards as a presenter. She not only made headlines for her red carpet looks, but for flubbing Emmy winner Stephen Colbert’s name while reading it from the cue card. Gwen was in such high spirits and took the flub in stride.
In December, Gwen returned to the red carpet and accepted the much-deserved Style Icon of the Year Award from People Magazine.
Gwen’s Return to NYFW/L.A.M.B. Spring 2015
After being absent for the last few seasons, Gwen returned to New York Fashion Week in September to show off her latest collection of L.A.M.B. for spring 2015.
Gwen described the collection to ABC News as “a mashup of tribal and graphic prints meet the Orange County girl, with a Jamaican vibe thrown in”. Longtime friend and collaborator Sophie Muller put together a surrounding video for the presentation. Gwen called the collection “New Nomad” and was presented as an “art installation” rather than a runway show.
The spring 2015 was given rave reviews by critics and fashionistas everywhere and it was such a pleasure to see Gwen back for Fashion Week. During several red carpet interviews, Gwen expressed how excited she was to be writing and recording both new solo and No Doubt material for upcoming projects.
Global Citizen Festival
No Doubt had the honor of headlining the Global Citizen Festival, a concert put on in Central Park by the Global Poverty Project.
“To get a ticket, you have to get involved in the cause – that’s amazing,” said Tony. “Eliminating that barrier of entry is in the spirit of equality that’s at the heart of the whole event. What makes this particular concert special is that it’s not just about raising money, but awareness. That’s a different way of doing this kind of show: awareness is a different form of currency, and with this you can see it rise exponentially.”
Tony spoke with Rolling Stone about the event saying how excited the band was to be playing for the first time in almost two years. He says it’s a great way for No Doubt to get back on stage and how big of an honor it was to be asked to perform. Tony says its a great opportunity to not only raise money for a great cause, but to raise awareness. According to it’s website, “Global Citizen is an initiative of Global Poverty Project, an international education and advocacy organization working to catalyze the movement to end extreme poverty by 2030.”
No Doubt played a set packed full of hits and ended their performance with a special appearance from Sting and their beloved cover of The Police’s “Message In A Bottle”. The Global Citizen Festival aired live in full on MSNBC and MSNBC.com.
“Together”
In October, it was announced that Gwen would be featured on Scottish DJ/producer Calvin Harris’ new album, Motion. On “Together”, Gwen coos over Harris’ electropop beats about a love “that’s meant to be” after meeting at a dance club. Gwen hyped the track (that has yet to be released as a single) during many radio interviews during the same month while promoting her own new single, “Baby Don’t Lie”.
Harajuku Lovers Pop Electric Fragrances
In January, Gwen teased a new collection of fragrances was on the way from Harajuku Lovers after having being discontinued in 2010. Pop Electric fragrances were launched in October.
“When I did these fragrances this time, I took the original fragrances and kind of updated them and made them really modern.” Gwen says that when she smells Pop Electric G, it takes her back to her solo eras.
All scents are available in both 1 fl. oz. and 1.7 fl. oz Eau de Parfum Spray bottles, three-piece sets that include 1.7 fl. oz, a 3.5 fl. oz. body lotion and matching key chain and a five-piece fragrance gift set with all 1 fl.oz bottles. The Electric Pop set features new fragrances including G (“creamy coconut”, “romanic florals”, “mysterious wood”), Love (“fruity floral”, “fresh and feminine”), Lil’ Angel (“sweet and ethereal”), Music (“creative and unique tones”) and Baby (“warm”, “sweet and innocent”, “pretty pink tones”).
The new Pop Electric fragrances were launched exclusively on HSN and can also be purchased from HarajukuLovers.com.
“Baby Don’ Lie”
After months of speculation, Gwen released her highly anticipated debut solo single from her upcoming third album, “Baby Don’t Lie”, on October 19.
Co-written with Benny Blanco, Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic) and Noel Zancanella, “Baby Don’t Lie” is a solid comeback single for Gwen and features a reggae-ish tribal beat with a deep and smooth vocal delivery. The song was catchy and perfect for Top 40 radio. Reviewers were welcoming Gwen’s comeback and “Baby Don’t Lie” with open arms and called the single “just the song” to get her back on the charts again and “represents the fact that Gwen’s still got it.”
“Baby Don’t Lie” debuted at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and came in at the #11 spot on the Soundscan chart with over 65,365 copies sold in it’s first week of release. The music video, directed by Sophie Muller and Weirdcore, debuted on October 21 and has currently racked up over 11 million views on YouTube.
A rumored remix EP is said to hit iTunes in January 2015.
OPI Holiday Collection
The new 18-piece (22 in total including the nail effects Snow Globetrotter and Comet in the Sky and the gold flaked-infused Don’t Speak) holiday collection from Gwen and OPI included reds, maroons, greens and silver and grays just in time for the festive season. On top of that, Don’t Speak, a pure 18K gold top is being sold separately alongside six limited edition GelColor lacquers and seasonal GelColor kits.
The line hit select beauty retailers starting in October.
“Spark The Fire”
Co-written and produced by Pharrell Williams, “Spark The Fire” was presented to Gwen while on-set of The Voice and recorded in Los Angeles, New York and Miami. Gwen first teased the track on-air with Carson Daly and Amp 97.1 in September and shared that Sophie Muller would be directing the music video. “Spark The Fire” has been creating buzz since last month and Pharrell also previewed the full track live onstage during the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival in Los Angeles earlier in November.
Pharrell has spoken often about the message behind “Spark The Fire” and how important it was for Gwen to make this record. “It is a more positive take on torches of freedom. Whether it’s a lighter, whether it’s the light in your heart, the luminescence of your optimism… whatever that light is within the female species on this planet, I feel like the female species have been suppressed long enough. We owe them a lot more respect and ‘Spark The Fire’ is kind of like Gwen saying, ‘Enough’s enough. Who’s got the lighter? Let’s spark the fire.’” Pharrell calls the song “bigger than feminism” and says he so proud to be apart of it with Gwen.
Gwen herself has stated that the song is a direct representation of where she is at in her life around and finds it flattering people take away such a strong message from the song.
“Spark The Fire” has yet to make an impact on the Billboard Hot 100 but has been included in major ad campaigns including Fiat and MasterCard. The music video, directed by Sophie Muller, debuted the same day as the single on December 1.
MasterCard’s Priceless Surprises
Billboard revealed that Gwen has signed on to a “multifaceted deal” with credit card company MasterCard starting in December. The major sponsorship deal “will include live events, support of her next solo album and upcoming projects with No Doubt, her first tour since 2007 and “Priceless Surprises” in markets around the world”.
CMO for MasterCard Worldwide Raja Rajamannar says of Gwen, “[She] appeals not just to youngsters but to an older generation.” Joe Dimuro, President of the Frukt North America agency is predicting a surge in popularity in the next few months for Gwen. “Gwen does well in several international territories, particularly Asia Pacific, and there’s a high degree of notoriety and equity in her brand.”
In her debut commercial, Gwen is featured shooting off gifts including handbags, golf carts and concert tickets to MasterCard users. “Spark The Fire” is also included as the commercial’s soundtrack.
Radio Shows
Gwen surprised both KIIS FM and Z100’s Jingle Ball shows this holiday season by joining Pharrell Williams onstage for a live performances of “Spark The Fire”.
No Doubt also had the honor of closing out KROQ’s 25th Annual Almost Acoustic Christmas with a stellar set packed with hits. The station welcomed the band back to the stage with open arms after U2 had to cancel their performance.
Which was your favorite moment of 2014?
Looking Forward to 2015
Eventhough it’s been quite a year, No Doubt fans already have a lot to look forward to in 2015.
More new releases are said to be on the way from both Gwen and No Doubt.
Gwen’s third solo album is still a work-in-progress but it said to be released in early 2015. For her new album, Gwen has teamed up with Charli XCX, Benny Blanco and Sia among others. Her new track with Pharrell Williams “Shine” will be out on January 16 and is featured in the US release of the film Paddington. Gwen is also confirmed to be appearing on Major Lazer’s upcoming album in 2015.
Nothing is confirmed in the near future for a release for No Doubt, but we’re hopeful that it’s on the horizon soon. The band is confirmed to be performing at Rock In Rio live in Las Vegas in May and are rumored for a few other summer festival shows in 2015. A full tour is not likely (from either Gwen or No Doubt) but we’ll keep everyone updated on the latest announcements.
Tony was back in the studio with writing partner Jimmy Harry, Esthrero, Adam Bravin, and Jessie and the Toy Boys. Tom joined Chris Lennertz in the studio in July for soundtrack work for Horrible Bosses 2. Adrian also kept busy drumming for Steel Pulse on their upcoming album. He also contributed to Steve’s debut solo album expected in the new year (his new single “Over and Out” is available now).
Harajuku Lovers fans are also looking forward to the new 52-episode cartoon said to be on the way soon.
Most photos courtesy of Getty.