Gwen Stefani opened up about what it felt like to return to her first love -- songwriting -- after going through a period of intense personal struggle.
"This Is What the Truth Feels Like," which was released on Friday, is Stefani's first solo album in a decade. In an interview with The New York Times, the 46-year-old discussed how the album was her way of dealing with the pain of splitting up with her partner of 13 years, musician Gavin Rossdale.
She said she endured "six months of hell" trying to come to terms with the breakup, during which she stayed in her house and "prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed."
Stefani, who was raised Catholic, said that going back to the studio to write was a spiritual experience. She said that she sees making music out of her sorrow as "God's plan" for her life.
"I know that it's weird to talk about spirituality publicly, because it's such a personal thing, and I know that some people, it offends them," Stefani told The New York Times. "But I can say my own journey, and what I believe and what I feel and what I’ve seen, the miracles I’ve seen -- it's quite real for me. It was right there in the room. It was magic, and everybody felt the magic of this music being made. It was so pure."
For more of the interview, head over to The New York Times.
