Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton keep making beautiful music together.
The lovebirds and former The Voice judges ushered in an early spring on Friday, February 9, with the release of “Purple Irises.” Heralded by ’70s-inspired artwork that saw Stefani, 54, rock an open denim jumpsuit while lounging on the couch, this new collab between the power couple is a pop ballad with a touch of country twang.
“Purple Irises” is a floral-themed love song about being madly in love – and the fear that, like a plucked flower, it will end someday.
“If someone comes along and tries to love you like I love you / Don’t know what I’d do, don’t wanna lose you,” the two sing together in the chorus. “Wonder why you took a risk / On a broken heart you cannot fix / No, I never knew a lovе like this / Now I’m picking purple irises.”
On the song’s bridge, Shelton and Stefani, who wed in 2021 after six years of dating, continue the flower imagery by singing about how they’re “blooming into the change.” In addition, they reflect on their “violet memories” and “leaving love stains.”
The duet comes on the heels of Shelton’s Love Language. The country star released the EP on February 2, collecting some of his most romantic songs, including two prior collaborations with Stefani: “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere.” The couple first worked together on “Go Ahead and Break My Heart,” from Shelton’s 2016 album, If I’m Honest. The two also released “You Make It Feel Like Christmas” holiday song in 2017.
Shelton and Stefani struck up a romance while working alongside each other on The Voice in 2015. They were both newly single at the time, with Stefani ending her 13-year marriage with Gavin Rossdale in August of that year, one month after Shelton and Miranda Lambert went their separate ways.
Both Shelton and Stefani are set to have a big 2024. He will start his Back to the Honky Tonk tour on February 22. Stefani will perform at TikTok’s Tailgate Super Bowl pregame party. In April, she will reunite with No Doubt to play at Coachella.
Stefani has been pushing for a No Doubt reunion for a while, a source told Us Weekly exclusively. They last played together in 2012 after the release of Push and Shove, their sixth and seemingly final album. Though Stefani has pitched a reunion in the past, the rest of the band (bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young) haven’t been into it until now.
“The whole group has some ideas for new material,” an insider told Us, adding, “and are open to a tour directly after [their] performance.”
