Gwen Stefani's "Used to Love You" Breakup Song Seems Like It's About Gavin Rossdale

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published 19 October 15

Gwen Stefani has been the queen of the breakup anthem ever since "Don't Speak." And now, years later, she has a new tear-jerking song about lost love.

Just a few months after she and husband Gavin Rossdale announced they were divorcing (opens in new tab), Stefani premiered her new single, "Used to Love You," at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom over the weekend. According to Paper (opens in new tab), she gave a speech before the song, saying that it was personal and that she felt she needed to share it with the crowd. She sang the ballad in front of a video of herself on the verge of tears.

The lyrics are raw and emotional, and it's not hard to make the connection to Rossdale. "I don't know why I cry / But I think it's 'cause I remember for the first time since I hated you / That I used to love you" is a doozy, and so is "You know I was the best thing that ever happened to you / Now look at what you lost." Rolling Stone (opens in new tab) notes that the lyric "Nobody taught you how to love" is similar to a 2012 No Doubt Song, in which she sings, "Who taught you how to love?" Oof.

The single will reportedly be released later this week, but until then, grab some Ben & Jerry's and watch Stefani's performance below.

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Megan Friedman

Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.