Gwen Stefani and Vevo debut a new episode of Footnotes, taking viewers behind the scenes of the “Hollaback Girl” song and video, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the chart-topping cultural phenomenon.
In the episode, Gwen shared that the concept for the video was to bring her hometown of Anaheim into the world while capturing the song’s message of empowerment and self-confidence. After collaborating with The Neptunes on No Doubt’s “Hella Good,” she felt an immediate spiritual connection with Pharrell and knew they had to work together again. Gwen described how she had a clear vision for the song, and after exploring various ideas, it all clicked when Pharrell created the beat on the spot.
The episode also highlights Gwen and Pharrell’s shared connection of both playing in high school bands and aimed to create the unique sound when marching bands played together. Gwen shared that the music video was her chance to finally live out her cheerleader dreams after never making the high school team. And if she could remake the video today, her only change would be to include Pharrell more in the visuals. Lastly, she opens up about her dyslexia and the irony of teaching people how to spell “bananas” through the song.
The Footnotes episode is released on the song’s 20th anniversary, celebrating the cultural and commercial success it achieved following its release in 2005. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Stefani the first artist to sell over 1 million digital downloads in the US. Globally, the track dominated the charts and earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
