Gwen Stefani

'They like the way we do it ' so original' says Gwen in her latest single, Wind It Up. While no-one can dispute that Gwen’s original, I’m not entirely convinced that everyone likes the way she does it these days. Again teaming up with the omnipresent Neptunes, Stefani has taken quirkiness to a whole new level by sampling The Lonely Goatherd from her favourite film The Sound of Music, topped off with some yodelling. But can yodelling ever sound cool, even by the Queen of Style herself?

As a huge fan of Gwen and No Doubt and after being more than impressed by her dynamic and forward-thinking Love Angel Music Baby album, Wind It Up is a huge disappointment. The beat may be akin to Kelis’s Milkshake but the finished product leaves you wanting more, and not in a good way. You want more of the attitude of Hollaback Girl, more of the punch of What You Waiting For? and more of the funk of Rich Girl. By comparison, Wind It Up is simply an odd 'hip-pop' track, a little too unconventional for widespread radio play.

After a few listens, the tune does seem to improve slightly and becomes irritatingly catchy but ultimately, Wind It Up suffers from the Marmite effect ' you’ll either love it or hate it. And no doubt there’ll be a few more disappointed Gwen fans after hearing this tune.