True Babe

Album: released as a single (2023)
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Songfacts®:

  • "True Babe" is a pop-rock anthem with an alt twist that celebrates the love between Gwen Stefani and her husband, Blake Shelton. The song's lyrics are full of joy and affection, as Stefani sings about how much she loves being with him. "It's true, babe," Stefani declares, "I sleep better by your side, babe."
  • In the bridge, Stefani celebrates their diverse backgrounds.

    And we're from two different worlds
    But you still call me your pretty girl, pretty girl


    Hailing from California, Stefani rocks the pop scene while Shelton, an Oklahoma native, shines as a country star.
  • Stefani wrote the song with fledgling songwriter Nicole Rubio, LA-based songwriter Jacob Kasher "J Kash" Hindlin (Charlie Puth's "Attention," Maroon 5's "Memories" and Morgan Wallen's "Last Night"), Swedish production duo Jack & Coke, and LA-based rocker KThrash.
  • Nicole Rubio was the original songwriter of "True Babe." She started writing the song with Stefani in mind as the perfect artist to bring it to life. "What's weird about it is that the girl that started the song sent me this song pretty much half done," Stefani told Fault magazine. "When I listened to it, I was actually on this ranch with all the kids. This guy, J Kash, that I'm working with sent it to me and said, 'What do you think of this?' And I went, 'I love this. This sounds like my song!' They told me, 'Oh, they wrote it for you.' They came to me with the lyric idea and then I went in with them and finished the song and put in some of my own lyrics to really make it feel more custom. It's interesting because also the girl is a young girl that grew up in LA, her name's Nico and she's very cool, but weirdly grew up on my music too."
  • Stefani released "True Babe" on June 23, 2023, via Interscope. It was her first music in over two years since the 2021 collaborative single "Slow Clap" with Saweetie.

    "It's weird, because I've been writing for like three years to try to put something out. I have written a bunch of songs, but I feel like it's only in the last couple of months, with this team that I have now, that I've written songs that I feel really excited about, Stefani told Official Charts. "I wrote True Babe with Nico and Jack & Coke. A lot of times it really comes down to, like, your chemistry in the room and how comfortable you are. But this song reminds me so much of alternative music back in the day. It almost feels like it's old but new."
  • Gwen Stefani's musical journey took a turn when she tied the knot with Blake Shelton. She used to pour the dregs of her failed romances into her songs, but now it's all about that sweet love she found. "I spent most of my life writing about heartache, and now I'm writing about my love. It's an amazing thing," she explained to Glamour.

    That love story shines bright in "True Babe," a tune that lays it all out. "One thing in my life that is not a money thing that makes my life very, very rich is obviously the most important thing: Love," Stefani said. "And I know that sounds cliché, but I spent my whole life trying to find true love and I have it right now, and it's just been the most incredible thing."
  • Maroon 5's Adam Levine played a pivotal role in connecting Stefani with J Kash. His suggestion for her to collaborate with Kash ultimately led to "True Babe" and two tracks on her 2024 Bouquet album, "Somebody Else's" and "Swallow My Tears."

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