The Allure of Gwen This journal is from Madeline's growing collection of journals at Madeline's YesRoom (http://www.yesroom.com). In addition to more journals, you can find erotic stories and softcore site reviews at Madeline's YesRoom. Enjoy! ********************** The Allure of Gwen by Madeline 25 September 2000 This journal may be reposted to usenet and the web under the following conditions: (1) No fee is charged to view the journal, (2) a link to Madeline's YesRoom (http://www.yesroom.com) is included, (3) Madeline is e-mailed at madeline@yesroom.com informing her of the repost, and (4) the text is not altered, including this copyright notice. Thanks! -- Madeline ********************** A few nights ago, I was driving home from dinner with friends. I was definitely in one of my late night driving moods: upbeat, thoughtful, exuberant, and on edge. I sped along the dark freeway, cruising the radio for high-energy, edgy tunes to match my mood. It's a hard task to find such music, given the poor reception of my car stereo and the hills of the city. But I can usually find at least one good Offspring or Smashing Pumpkins song in a 30 minute drive home. But a few nights ago, I was blessed with No Doubt's new single "Bathwater." The song is upbeat and edgy. It is sultry and sexy. It matched my mood exactly that evening. Lead singer Gwen Stefani's vocals, sliding up and down the scale, give the song its sexual flavor. The song adds a sultriness to her sex appeal. And hearing it that night in my car, given my mood of exuberant thoughtfulness, spurred me to think about what it is about Gwen Stefani that gives her such a unique and compelling sexual aura. Female musicians are often faced with a choice between selling records on sex appeal and selling them on talent. Male musicians are often regarded as sexy just because they are musicians. Their female counterparts don't have that luxury: it's largely an either-or situation. Some female artists, such Madonna, have managed gain respect for their talent while retaining their sexy image. But many good female musicians end up having a sexual image somewhere between sterile and icy. Gwen Stefani is an exception to the rule. She (and the other musicians of No Doubt) are certainly very talented. The music of No Doubt brought a whole new sound to rock: upbeat, energetic, without sacrificing any depth and meaning. Their new album, Return to Saturn seems even better than Tragic Kingdom, which is no small feat! And Gwen is certainly sexy. In the video for "Don't Speak," we saw a tragically sad and beautiful Gwen pining over lost love -- interspersed with shots of her bouncing around on stage in her signature cut-off tank top. Gwen's tone in the new single "Bathwater" only amplifies that sexiness. Her voice slides alluringly through every note.