Gwen's New Album Is Coming This Year

It sounds too good to be true, but yes, Gwen Stefani really is putting out a new solo album. Last month, Stefani confirmed that she was back in the studio, and shortly after, rumors stared buzzing around online that we could be hearing a new single called "Baby Don't Lie" as early as Oct. 6. However, on Monday, Stefani's manager told Billboard that the singer's still working on her much-anticipated new album with music producer Pharrell Williams, and that she won't decide on the project's lead single until next week (of course, Stefani will perform the lead single live on NBC's The Voice later this season). Hmm.

So, when can we expect Stefani to release her new album? And what's going on with her rumored comeback track, "Baby Don't Lie"?

According to Billboard, Interscope chairman John Janick recently said that Stefani is "hustling" to finish her new album in time for a December release. That doesn't give her much time! Janick also revealed that the album is being executive produced by Benny Blanco (Katy Perry, Rihanna, Britney Spears, etc.). As far as "Baby Don't Lie" is concerned, the song definitely exists — it's been registered to the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers' song title database (see below) — but its Oct. 6 release date now seems... questionable.

Stefani's manager made a point of saying that she hasn't chosen the album's lead single yet, so it's possible that plans for "Baby Don't Lie" have changed. It's also possible that the rumors surrounding the song were never quite right in the first place! We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

In addition to recording a new solo album and appearing weekly on The Voice, Billboard reports that Stefani might also be working on a new No Doubt album. Wow. She certainly has a lot on her plate right now. This information coupled with the fact that Stefani is aiming for a December release for her new solo effort has me a bit concerned. As anxious as I am to hear new music (and I am very, very anxious), I'd hate for Stefani to rush out an album just to coincide with her coaching gig on The Voice. I want her to have enough time to create quality material that she can truly be proud of.

I'm crossing my fingers that this whole thing works out!

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