# This Is What the Truth Feels Like
*This Is What the Truth Feels Like* is the third solo studio album by American singer [Gwen Stefani](https://www.edgepedia.org/gwen-stefani), released on March 18, 2016 by [Interscope Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/interscope-records). It was her first solo album in a decade, following *Love. Angel. Music. Baby.* (2004) and *The Sweet Escape* (2006), and it was written largely in response to the end of her marriage to [Gavin Rossdale](https://www.edgepedia.org/gavin-rossdale) and her new relationship with Blake Shelton.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/1440827811) • [2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21647-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist and album | Third solo album by Gwen Stefani, frontwoman of No Doubt; her first solo release since 2006[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21647-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/) |
| Release | March 18, 2016, Interscope Records; standard edition 12 songs in 41 minutes, deluxe edition 17 songs in 59 minutes[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/1440827811) • [3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-deluxe/1440847032) |
| Songwriting | Stefani co-wrote every song on the album[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21647-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/) |
| Lead single | "Used to Love You," released October 20, 2015 and certified gold by the RIAA on March 11, 2016[4](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/RIAA_March2016.pdf) |
| Chart peak | Stefani's first solo number-one album on the Billboard 200[5](https://headlineplanet.com/home/2016/04/01/gwen-stefanis-used-to-love-you-attains-gold-status-in-the-united-states/) |
| Subject matter | Songs about betrayal and disappointment, moving on from a broken relationship, and falling in love again[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-gwen-stefani-review-20160317-story.html) |
## Background and recording
Stefani's first two solo albums had come out in quick succession in the mid-2000s, after which her attention shifted to a [No Doubt](https://www.edgepedia.org/no-doubt) reunion and her role as a coach on NBC's *The Voice*. In 2014 she released the singles "Baby Don't Lie" and "Spark the Fire" as tentative steps back into solo work.[7](https://entertainment-focus.com/2016/03/28/gwen-stefani-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-review/)
**A scrapped start.** When Stefani first began work on her third solo album, she followed the standard pop formula, having a team of star producers and songwriters such as [Charli XCX](https://www.edgepedia.org/charli-xcx) and Ryn Weaver submit material for her to record. After the dissolution of her marriage, she decided to scrap an album's worth of material and start over, taking a more active role in the songwriting.[8](https://time.com/4257624/gwen-stefani-interview-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-blake-shelton/) • [9](https://time.com/4241922/march-new-music-albums-songs/)
The restarted sessions centered on a songwriting team Stefani nicknamed "The Breakfast Club," including [Justin Tranter](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-tranter), formerly the frontman of Semi Precious Weapons, and [Julia Michaels](https://www.edgepedia.org/julia-michaels). Stefani described Tranter as a cheerleader and source of confidence and Michaels as a harsh critic who "hates everything" and raised the bar. Producer J.R. Rotem worked on several tracks, including the lead single "Used to Love You."[8](https://time.com/4257624/gwen-stefani-interview-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-blake-shelton/) • [10](https://time.com/4275322/jr-rotem-interview-gwen-stefani-empire/)
Stefani has described the record as a lifeline. "It was really a life-saver record for me," she told *Time*, saying that the worst period of her life opened a channel for her to use her gift. She said the album was the first she had ever made in real time: "Used to Love You" came out three weeks after she wrote it.[8](https://time.com/4257624/gwen-stefani-interview-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-blake-shelton/) • [11](https://www.nprillinois.org/the-x/2016-03-13/comeback-girl-gwen-stefani-on-healing-in-public)
## Songs and themes
The album documents a breakup and its aftermath. The Los Angeles Times described it as containing songs about betrayal and disappointment alongside songs about moving on from a broken relationship and falling in love again, expressed with notable clarity.[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-gwen-stefani-review-20160317-story.html) The track list moves from anger and sadness toward hope: Stefani told NPR that the record "starts off angry, sad, mad and quite sarcastic, and then really does take a huge change, to hope," and that writing a record mainly about being happy was new for her.[11](https://www.nprillinois.org/the-x/2016-03-13/comeback-girl-gwen-stefani-on-healing-in-public)
**"Used to Love You."** The lead single is the album's emotional center. Pitchfork's Jill Mapes called it possibly the greatest song Stefani had been involved in since No Doubt's "[Don't Speak](https://www.edgepedia.org/dont-speak)," noting how the arrangement grows from a sad-sweet opening into a strings-and-choir climax, and calling it a rare moment on the album where Stefani stands apart from other pop singers.[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21647-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/) Apple Music's editorial description calls it her most deeply confessional track since "Don't Speak."[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-deluxe/1440847032)
**"Truth" and "Make Me Like You."** The title track, sung over acoustic guitars, addresses her new relationship directly: "They're all gonna say I'm rebounding, so rebound all over me." Stefani said it sounds more like a No Doubt song than some tracks on No Doubt's *Push and Shove* did. "Make Me Like You," the second single, is a disco-styled song she confirmed chronicles the early stages of her romance with Shelton; its music video was filmed live during a Target-sponsored commercial break at the 2016 [Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-awards).[8](https://time.com/4257624/gwen-stefani-interview-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-blake-shelton/) • [12](https://time.com/4224954/grammys-2016-gwen-stefani-make-me-like-you/) • [2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21647-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/)
Other tracks include the flirty "Send Me a Picture," the blessing-counting "Rare," and "Asking 4 It," the album's sole feature, a guest verse from [Fetty Wap](https://www.edgepedia.org/fetty-wap).[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-deluxe/1440847032) • [2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21647-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/)
## Release and commercial performance
The album arrived on March 18, 2016 in standard and deluxe editions; the deluxe adds five tracks, including "Rocket Ship," "Getting Warmer," "Obsessed," "Splash," and "Loveable."[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/1440827811) • [13](https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0779GY69W) In its first chart week it reached number one on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) 200, the first solo number-one album of Stefani's career.[5](https://headlineplanet.com/home/2016/04/01/gwen-stefanis-used-to-love-you-attains-gold-status-in-the-united-states/) It then fell 16 positions to number 17 in its second week.[14](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2016/Billboard-2016-04-16-Double.pdf) In the United Kingdom it peaked at number 14 and spent two weeks on the albums chart.[15](https://tsort.info/music/1jk271.htm) The album later re-entered the Billboard 200 at number 114 in June 2016 with 6,000 units, up 83 percent, following Stefani's July 15 performance on NBC's *Today*.[16](https://manuals.plus/m/30586e725f06caece15694097a8ee47f6bade00ac5a732de21faaebdee2c54bc.pdf)
Stefani supported the album with the This Is What the Truth Feels Like Tour, launched July 12, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts, with Eve as special guest.[17](https://s1.q4cdn.com/788591527/files/doc_news/2016/apr/Gwen-Stefani-Announces-North-American-Tour-With-Special-Guest-Eve-%28FINAL-41816%29.pdf)
## Critical reception
Reviews were mixed to positive, with critics generally agreeing on the album's sincerity while differing on its execution. Pitchfork's review judged that Stefani's trend-hopping tracks were decent but unremarkable, and that the album's strongest moments, chiefly "Used to Love You," redeemed it.[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21647-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/) AllMusic wrote that the title reads as confession and observed that Stefani's appeal lies in her lightness, so the album slows when she turns heavy with beats or ballads.[18](https://www.allmusic.com/album/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-mw0002917797) A Metacritic roundup quotes Spin calling the record "half-baked in places and perhaps a little too safe in others, but it's really, properly genuine," and The Guardian describing it as an honest, smooth, and ultimately refreshing album documenting her divorce and new relationship.[19](https://www.metacritic.com/music/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/gwen-stefani/critic-reviews)
The album's autobiographical framing drew comparison to No Doubt's 1995 breakthrough *Tragic Kingdom*, which was also fueled by a romantic breakup, this one between Stefani and bandmate [Tony Kanal](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-kanal); Slant Magazine noted that *This Is What the Truth Feels Like* similarly asserts its status as a breakup album from the start, with pointed barbs presumably aimed at Rossdale scattered through songs such as "Naughty."[20](https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/gwen-stefani-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/)
## References
1. [This Is What the Truth Feels Like – Album by Gwen Stefani, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/1440827811)
2. [Jill Mapes, "This Is What the Truth Feels Like" album review, Pitchfork, March 21, 2016](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21647-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/)
3. [This Is What the Truth Feels Like (Deluxe) – Album by Gwen Stefani, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-deluxe/1440847032)
4. [RIAA Gold & Platinum Awards, March 2016](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/RIAA_March2016.pdf)
5. [Gwen Stefani's "Used To Love You" Attains Gold Status In The United States, Headline Planet, April 1, 2016](https://headlineplanet.com/home/2016/04/01/gwen-stefanis-used-to-love-you-attains-gold-status-in-the-united-states/)
6. [Review: Gwen Stefani draws on raw wounds for frank and powerful 'This Is What the Truth Feels Like', Los Angeles Times, March 17, 2016](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-gwen-stefani-review-20160317-story.html)
7. [Gwen Stefani – This Is What the Truth Feels Like review, Entertainment Focus, March 28, 2016](https://entertainment-focus.com/2016/03/28/gwen-stefani-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-review/)
8. [Gwen Stefani: How Making My New Album Saved My Life, Time, March 18, 2016](https://time.com/4257624/gwen-stefani-interview-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-blake-shelton/)
9. [9 Albums to Listen to in March, Time, March 2016](https://time.com/4241922/march-new-music-albums-songs/)
10. [J.R. Rotem on Producing Hits for Gwen Stefani, Empire and the Key to Career Longevity, Time, April 2016](https://time.com/4275322/jr-rotem-interview-gwen-stefani-empire/)
11. [Comeback Girl: Gwen Stefani On Healing In Public, NPR Illinois, March 13, 2016](https://www.nprillinois.org/the-x/2016-03-13/comeback-girl-gwen-stefani-on-healing-in-public)
12. [Gwen Stefani Debuts New Live Music Video for 'Make Me Like You', Time, February 16, 2016](https://time.com/4224954/grammys-2016-gwen-stefani-make-me-like-you/)
13. [This Is What The Truth Feels Like (Deluxe), Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0779GY69W)
14. [Billboard 200, data for week of April 16, 2016, World Radio History archive](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2016/Billboard-2016-04-16-Double.pdf)
15. [Album artist 716 – Gwen Stefani chart history, tsort.info](https://tsort.info/music/1jk271.htm)
16. [Billboard 200 chart page, data for week of June 8, 2016](https://manuals.plus/m/30586e725f06caece15694097a8ee47f6bade00ac5a732de21faaebdee2c54bc.pdf)
17. [Gwen Stefani Announces North American Tour With Special Guest Eve, press release, April 18, 2016](https://s1.q4cdn.com/788591527/files/doc_news/2016/apr/Gwen-Stefani-Announces-North-American-Tour-With-Special-Guest-Eve-%28FINAL-41816%29.pdf)
18. [This Is What the Truth Feels Like, AllMusic review](https://www.allmusic.com/album/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like-mw0002917797)
19. [Critic Reviews for This Is What the Truth Feels Like, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/gwen-stefani/critic-reviews)
20. [Review: Gwen Stefani, 'This Is What the Truth Feels Like', Slant Magazine, March 2016](https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/gwen-stefani-this-is-what-the-truth-feels-like/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Studio albums › Pop albums › 2010s albums › Second and third albums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license