Gwen Stefani Recruits Saweetie for Updated “Slow Clap” and Video
Last month, Gwen Stefani followed up “Let Me Reintroduce Myself” with her upcoming album‘s second single, “Slow Clap.” At only two-and-a-half minutes, it felt a little too short, almost unfinished. Luckily, Gwen has just shared a new, longer version of the song featuring Saweetie. And on top of that, it comes with a sporty music video.
Like the original solo version, “Slow Clap” opens with a quick preview of the chorus before moving into a bouncing, reggae-tinged verse. Gwen describes different hero-and-villain scenarios, setting herself up for an ultimate comeback. The pre-chorus is charming, Gwen asking, “Are you rooting for me like I’m rooting for you?” Then we reach a chorus that is defined by Gwen’s percussive repetition of “clap.” That can be a tad annoying… But the swaying instrumentation wins us over anyway. This new version benefits from two new verses from Saweetie. Fans will notice her reference to “Hollaback Girl,” and who doesn’t love turning sex talk into girl boss motivation? This version of “Slow Clap” is nearly a minute longer than the original and feels more complete. This is a rare case where an added feature actually lifts up the song, surpassing the solo version.
Gwen has said that “Slow Clap” was inspired by how it feels to be the underdog in school. So it’s no surprise that the music video takes us to a high school basketball court and locker room. Gwen and Saweetie are dressed in sport couture, combining swishy gym shorts with fishnet stockings, big jewelry, and long fingernails. Maybe not the most efficient for playing ball, but at least it looks cool. They’re joined by a gym full of students, jumping rope and cheering on their classmates from the bleachers. It’s a fun and simple video that matches the music well.
Watch the charming music video for “Slow Clap” featuring Saweetie below:
You can stream or buy “Slow Clap” featuring Saweetie from all the major music providers here. Alternately get the original, solo version of “Slow Clap” here. One or both versions of “Slow Clap” are expected to appear on Gwen’s upcoming fourth studio album, due later this year. The album will also feature her single “Let Me Reintroduce Myself.”
Starting a New Album
In a series of interviews in December, Gwen confirmed that she’d written about 20 songs during 2020 and that a full album is on the horizon this year. Indeed, last October Gwen did state that she was writing a lot, citing Kelly Clarkson’s recent prolific writing as her source of inspiration.
Gwen revealed that the origins go back to February 2020, when she was sent a song called “When Love Gets Old,” which had been written specifically for her. That opened the doors to Gwen writing more songs with the writers. They wrote one called “Cry Happy” that February, right before quarantine began. Recording those songs inspired Gwen to keep going, whether or not anyone would hear what she was writing.
From here, Gwen went back and uncovered all the music she first latched onto when she was in 8th grade, bringing her back to her ska and reggae roots. She mentioned being inspired by the political and antiracist messages of early ska and reggae artists, and her recent efforts to learn more on those fronts. Gwen also mentioned being affected by the #MeToo movement. Those themes may appear in her own new music.
Over the last several months, Gwen has mostly worked with Ross and Luke. They composed “Let Me Reintroduce Myself” in late August and “Slow Clap” soon after. However, she’s also mentioned writing with Greg Kurstin and Mozella. Naturally, basically everything that they’ve written in the past year has been over Zoom calls. They’ve composed more than 20 songs so far, and they’re not done yet!
Album Nearly Done
As of now, although she already has enough material for a full album, Gwen is still writing. In some new interviews last month, Gwen confirmed that her album cover has been photographed and that she has a title in mind. However, as she’s still writing and recording, a release date isn’t yet locked down. We’re hoping it’ll be out by summertime.
In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Gwen described a lot about her writing process these last several months. Although she’d thought she’d finished the album, she also wanted to make sure she touched on different emotions and themes. So she went back into the studio, and is still working on music now. Gwen told him that she’s tentatively picked an album title, itself coming from a song she wrote with Ross and Luke. Of course, now that they’ve already shot the cover art, it may not be so tentative.
About the songs she’s written and when we’ll get to hear the album, Gwen stated in another interview:
“Even though I could definitely put two records out right now with the songs I’ve written, I just want to make sure I don’t race to the finish line before I have to. I don’t know exactly when it’s coming out, but not too far in the future.”
Gwen seems to be very inspired, and we can’t wait to hear the full album later this year!
More From Gwen
Gwen’s last studio album was This Is What The Truth Feels Like, released in early 2016. It launched the singles “Used To Love You,” “Make Me Like You,” and “Misery.”
More recently, Gwen released her first holiday album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas, in 2017. She then re-released the Christmas album in 2018 with five additional songs. Last fall, she added two more tracks to the holiday record: a cover of “Sleigh Ride” and an original song called “Here This Christmas.”
Gwen has dipped her toes in the country world in the past year, thanks to her boyfriend Blake Shelton. They had a big hit with their duet “Nobody But You” early in 2020; they followed that with “Happy Anywhere.”
Last August, Gwen also appeared on a remix of Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia song, “Physical.”
More From Saweetie
Saweetie also has an album on the horizon. Following two EPs, this will be her first album. Since last June, Saweetie has released three singles for the record: “Tap In,” “Back To The Streets” featuring Jhené Aiko, and “Best Friend” featuring Doja Cat. Her debut album, Pretty B*tch Music, is expected out later this year. It’s unclear if “Slow Clap” will appear on her album, but we do expect it to be included on Gwen’s album.
Enjoy the new version of “Slow Clap” featuring Saweetie, as well as its fun new music video. Also get ready for more music in the coming months! You can catch up on all we know about Gwen’s upcoming fourth studio album here. Keep checking back here for all the latest Gwen Stefani music news.
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