Gwen Stefani Says No Doubt’s ‘Don’t Speak’ Is “The Heartbeat Of My Entire Life”

In a recent interview with People to promote her new solo album, Bouquet, Gwen Stefani took a reflective look back at her time with No Doubt and how those experiences shaped her entire career. Stefani is clearly proud of her work on her new record, admitting: “I love writing songs. That’s everything to me. If I want to feel like I have any kind of purpose or any kind of value or anything, it’s about writing a song. That’s where I get my fulfillment.” One song in particular helped make Stefani’s entire career, No Doubt’s Grammy-nominated 1996 single, “Don’t Speak.” Stefani wrote the hit with her brother, [No Doubt cofounder and ex-member] Eric Stefani, and the pair reworked the song to encapsulate Gwen’s recent breakup with her bandmate, bassist Tony Kanal. “It’s one of those crazy rewrites — probably the only one in history ever that actually turned out to be the heartbeat of my entire life,” Stefani admits. “I wouldn’t be here without that song.” (People)