MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Blake Shelton says '2021 is already a better year' after Gwen Stefani drops 'Let Me Reintroduce Myself' video

Besides her iconic looks over the decades from 'Don't Speak' to 'Hollaback Girl', Stefani also showed off her ring and her new status as an engaged woman by recreating her 'engagement outfit' in the new video

Gwen Stefani kicked off 2021 with a cultural reset on the decade past with herself as an 'original' pop icon who has endured and as more than "records on your shelf". In her official new video for 'Let Me Reintroduce Myself', she dons not only some of her iconic looks from videos past but also shows she hasn't aged a bit. The only difference is the big ol' ring on the finger that she flashes with a 100-watt smile in the video.

Tweeting about the premiere of the video, Stefani wrote: "#LetMeReintroduceMyself the official music video is out NOW! literally can’t believe i got to revisit the original old me. this one is for all the old school and the new school….got a smile on my face go ahead and pass it on." Blake Shelton, ever the supportive partner tweeted: "2021 is ALREADY a better year!!!!!! Congrats @gwenstefani !!!!," posting a link to the video.

The video posted on YouTube has already got 13K likes and 121K views in the two hours since it dropped. “Let me re-, let me reintroduce myself/Case you forgot, no, I’m not records on your shelf/I’m still the original-riginal old me, yeah,” she sings in the song which has distinct call-backs to her No Doubt era musical stylings. There is also a message of self-love as the video shows her embracing her past selves as if accepting all their experiences, good and bad.

The video sees Stefani dress up in some of her most famous 'looks' from her career, including her 'Hollaback Girl' style and yes, even that famous blue polka dot dress in which she sang the iconic break-up song 'Don't Speak'. 'Let Me Reintroduce Myself' was recorded in quarantine and co-written with Ross Golan, and is the first big single of 2021. 

Fans of the singer and 'The Voice' coach couldn't seem to get over how the 51-year-old still looked likes she was in her 20s. "SHE LOOKS THE SAME AS 20 YEARS AGO WTF QUEEN," said one fan under her music video, while another said, "I can’t remember a time when Gwen didn’t exist in my world. Ska Queen to just Queen. Thank you for being the soundtrack to my life".

On Twitter, fans were screenshotting her looks from the video to compare with screengrabs from the original videos to show how little she has changed. One fan tweeted: "Gwen Stefani really said 'what’s aging??'," while another said: "Gwen is that white woman that minds her own business and isn’t problematic and look how amazing she looks at 50!" Another fan tweeted a screengrab of all the Gwens in the new video with the comment, "THIS IS THE ONLY ZOOM CALL I’M SHOWING UP FOR IN 2021 @gwenstefani #LetMeReintroduceMyself."

Other fans chose to focus on the difference, aka the shot in the video where Stefani shows off her ring and her new status as an engaged woman in recreating her 'engagement outfit'. "You have such a proud fiancée @blakeshelton! Congratulations too!", said one tweet. Stefani also retweeted another fan's comment which said: "She really put her engagement outfit in her video" with an emotional, teary eyed 'blowing nose' emoji. 

Other fans tweeted at Blake Shelton telling him how they felt. "You get to marry all of them. wow, you really won at life, congrats", posting a screengrab featuring the different looks Stefani has donned over the years from the new video.

Another user tweeted, "It is excellent isn't it? I love the way she embraces the different sides of herself and holds each part of herself close to her heart. Thank you for making her so happy and bringing out the joy in her life. 5 years ago she was writing about hard times. Thanks for making her smile".

Embracing TikTok, the social media platform that Gen Z flocks to, contrasting with the old school vibe, Stefani also posted a link to her new TikTok offering to publicize the new video drop. But not everyone was happy about Stefani bringing her old looks back. "gwen stefani: i am going to start 2021 by recreating my cultural appropriation looks," said one user, while another said: "Did I miss something...? Do ya’ll not care about her cultural appropriation??"

The jury is still out on if cancel culture is going to have the final say or if people's need to start 2021 on a positive note will win the day.