Gwen Stefani — The Sweet Escape

The blondest one has returned, trading in the novelty act of Love.Angel.Music.Baby and (thankfully) dumping the Harajuku Girls for an effort that finds her more confident and comfortable in her own LAMB-swathed skin. Stefani is clearly going steady with Pharrell on this disc, as most of the tracks bear his funky, kooky dance stamp. Unfortunately, it's one of those all-encompassing, blinding relationships that only the couple seem to get. On "Orange County Girl," Stefani embarrassingly raps about being back in the studio with Pharrell to write another "sick flow." There's less of Nelle Hooper and Tony Kanal's sparkly '80s popscapes, and the standout songs are those produced by Akon ("The Sweet Escape") and Swizz Beatz ("Now That You Got It"). She's always revealed too much in her lyrics, but on "Don't Get It Twisted" she goes so far as to sing about getting pregnant and her 28-day cycle. Still, Stefani is like one of those sweet pastries with a surprise filling — it's guaranteed to be bad for you, yet tastes delicious.

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