The time is nigh upon us for a Gwen Stefani Takeover, and that shit is STILL bananas!  Although she is busy mentoring young talents as a judge on the ninth season of NBC’s The Voice, Gwen Stefani is also gearing up for a personal return to music.  This week, the “Sweet Escape” songstress released an emotional new break up ballad titled “Used to Love You,” and it shows great promise for a new era!

Stefani premiered the track during a life performance on October 17 at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom, and today (October 19) a studio version of the track has made its way online.

“Used to Love You” is a mid-tempo synth ballad, on which Gwen Stefani sings about a failed relationship.  “Suit case, band aids, pulling back out the driveway / you go, I’ll stay, and you can keep all the memories / I thought I was the best that ever happened to you / I thought you loved me the most” the songstress earnestly sings over the airy production.  As the song moves into the chorus, Stefani’s signature vocals soar over the rising production, as she begins to move forward from her broken heart.

Rumors are circulating that the song is a reference to Stefani’s recent divorce from her hubby of thirteen years Gavin Rossdale.  The duo announced their separation in September, and Stefani cited “irreconcilable differences” in the official divorce papers that were filed on August 3, 2015.

The release of “Used to Love You” symbolizes a drastically different sonic direction from the music that Gwen Stefani released upon joining the judges on NBC’s The Voice in 2014, and the “Cool” singer has explained that it is also a more honest reflection of the direction of her upcoming album.  After both of her previous singles failed to garner a connection with her audience, she decided to hit the studio again, which has led to the new sound.

“It didn’t feel right.  I didn’t feel fulfilled,” she said of the music that was released last year.  “I had just given birth and had just started on The Voice and felt like I should do something in music, but what was I going to do? There wasn’t enough time. So I tried to make a record where I was just kind of involved — which is how a lot of people do it, but it didn’t work for me.”

After her realization, Gwen Stefani returned to the studio and things proceeded much more naturally for her.  “I needed to go through what I need to go through to write the record that I needed to write,” she explained, going on to promise that the songs are “really natural. They’re from not worrying about what happened or what’s going to happen but about living in the moment, from trying to be present and trying to feel.”

No news yet on when we’ll be hearing more of Gwen Stefani’s new album, her first solo effort since 2006’s The Sweet Escape, but it is safe to say that we’re heading in the right direction! 

“Used To Love You” is now available on iTunes.