Why Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Had a ‘Really Bad Year’

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Gwen Stefani has had a hell of a comeback.

Back in April, she performed at Coachella as part of an epic No Doubt reunion. And later this year, she will release her fifth solo album Bouquet. But despite these feats, Stefani admitted that this year hasn’t been picture-perfect. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Stefani shared that she and her husband, country singer Blake Shelton attempted to have a home garden. However, Stefani said “everything failed” with the garden, and it had a “really bad year.”

“I’m blooming an album,” Stefani said. “but my actual garden sucked so bad this year.”

Bouquet is set to have 10 songs, and arrives eight years after Stefani’s previous album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like. This Is What he Truth Feels Like came on the heels of Stefani’s divorce from Gavin Rossdale.

But in the interview, Stefani noted that only one song on the Bouquet album — the punchy “Somebody Else’s” — touches on the divorce, and much of the album was inspired by a return to a happy place.

“It seems like eight years probably feels like a long time for a lot of people, but for me, it was eight years of healing, eight years of transitioning, it went really fast,” said Stefani.

Many of the album’s tracks allude to flowers, like “Marigolds,” “Empty Vase,” and the Shelton-assisted duet “Purple Irises.”

Despite their gardening woes, the latter was actually inspired by her and Shelton’s love of gardening.

“Obviously, he has some hobbies that are so far from what I am — I’m like makeup girl — so opposite in so many ways, but we find so much joy in gardening together,” Stefani said.

Bouquet will arrive to stores and music platforms on Friday, November 15.