TODAY (Dec. 12th 2017)

Getting In The Holiday Spirit

HODA KOTB (10:25:09): What do you say we get into the holiday spirit with the one, the only Gwen Stefani.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:25:12): Gwen Stefani. We recently sat down with the Grammy winning superstar to talk about her new album, which is out now.

(Begin VT)

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:25:19): And she has her very own prime time Christmas special airing tonight right here on NBC featuring some big stars, one real big one.

HODA KOTB (10:25:27): Who?

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:25:27): Including an appearance by Blake Shelton.

HODA KOTB (10:25:29): The sexiest man alive?

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:25:30): Did you have to pay him?

HODA KOTB (10:25:31): What?

GWEN STEFANI (10:25:32): Actually I didn't have to pay him for this one.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:25:35): Wow.

GWEN STEFANI (10:25:35): It feels like he owes me something.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:25:38): Yeah. Like his life. Yes, she just-- she just didn't-- when did you find out that he had been picked?

GWEN STEFANI (10:25:44): Well, he actually--

HODA KOTB (10:25:44): The sexiest--

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:25:44): People's sexiest man alive.

GWEN STEFANI (10:25:45): It was funny because he called me and was like I have to talk to you. Like he was like they want me to do this thing. He's like, I'm not doing it. I was like what are you talking about? You have to do it like you're going to look back and go I was forty-one like-- and they wanted me to be sexiest man alive. Like he's just-- he doesn't care about that.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:01): Right.

HODA KOTB (10:26:01): He doesn't care.

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:02): Obviously, you know what I mean?

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:03): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:04): So, I feel sort of responsible for being like just do it. Like you're going to-- just-- he goes I don't like doing photo shoots. I was like, just do it. And we all want to see you do a photo shoot. Please.

HODA KOTB (10:26:13): You know what? Isn't that--

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:13): Yeah.

HODA KOTB (10:26:13): That's what we love about him and what we love about you.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:15): Yeah.

HODA KOTB (10:26:15): It's like you guys seem so non-Hollywood, so not about that stuff.

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:21): I feel like well, I mean I think that we really enjoy like doing music and making music and sharing it and performing it. And that part of it, we really do love but we also love I think just the normal part of life, which is hanging out and eating cheese and like pizza and like sitting--

HODA KOTB (10:26:37): Being real.

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:37): --with our kids and like--

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:38): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:39): --and being able to go to Oklahoma really like is another layer to that because--

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:42): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:42): --it's so like so much downtime there.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:46): Deep into the soil, you know.

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:47): It is.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:48): And--

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:48): It's just earth.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:48): And to have three boys, three on a ranch and a farm is just so different from growing up in California.

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:54): It is.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:55): It's fantastic.

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:55): Our nature was the beach. That's it.

HODA KOTB (10:26:56): Yeah.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:26:56): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:26:56): It was our nature. And so for them it's just-- it's freedom like we had our cul-de-sac. That was our freedom.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:27:02): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:27:03): That was our freedom.

HODA KOTB (10:27:04): Run wild.

GWEN STEFANI (10:27:05): And--

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:27:05): But you can't run to the corner on a cul-de- sac.

GWEN STEFANI (10:27:07): No, it's just a circle. That's what I did my whole life.

HODA KOTB (10:27:11): Did you think, I've got to ask you this-- did you think on Halloween I was a stage five clinger like a crazy Blake obsessed?

GWEN STEFANI (10:27:16): I feel like you definitely took it to the next level. But I get it. Like I'm going to be that for Halloween next year, so.

HODA KOTB (10:27:27): I told you what he said when he looked at me and I go, well, what do you think? And he goes, well, I love myself. So I guess I love you right now.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:27:33): He says I love you more now than I ever did.

GWEN STEFANI (10:27:34): I feel like you're my best friend because we have so much in common.

HODA KOTB (10:27:40): Tell us about this CD. What's cool about it is you do-- you obviously cover some songs but you have some cool original ones.

GWEN STEFANI (10:27:46): Well, the idea was, I mean obviously I had to do some covers because I feel like it's a lot to ask someone to go, here, it's a whole new record for--

HODA KOTB (10:27:52): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:27:53): --in these eight weeks before Christmas. But I just-- I really wanted to write Christmas music like my whole life. Because the idea of leaving that like if you get it right and leaving that behind, I don't know, there's something so beautiful about being part of people's lives I think through music which I've experienced so much of, which I love it and I'm so grateful for, but like to be part of the joy of Christmas and those memories that people have and it kind of repeats and comes back and that feeling that nostalgic thing that music brings to Christmas.

HODA KOTB (10:28:19): Yeah.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:28:19): The timelessness of it.

GWEN STEFANI (10:28:21): Yeah. And so to be able to part like be part of writing that was what I really wanted to do.

HODA KOTB (10:28:24): How did they come to you, like how did one of those Christmas songs--

GWEN STEFANI (10:28:27): That is a good question.

HODA KOTB (10:28:28): Yeah.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:28:29): One was running on the ranch, right?

GWEN STEFANI (10:28:31): One was running on the ranch.

HODA KOTB (10:28:31): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:28:32): I just told you guys that. But yeah, it was just running on the ranch and I was just like praying like what if I did a Christmas song, what would it be, you know? And I literally started singing like a nerd lie wildebeests were running by and--

HODA KOTB (10:28:42): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:28:43): --and it just came-- this whole chorus came out, the song called Christmas Eve. So that was just one of the songs. And I don't know. Little Girl was another song that I wrote that I just-- I had been again praying. I pray a lot. I was praying in my bed when I was little. And I remember thinking now that thought like, who is it going to be when I-- when I grow up? Who am I going to love? Like, who am I going to-- who is going to be that guy, you know? Because my parents, they've been married-- they've been in love since they were in high school.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:29:06): Oh, my gosh.

GWEN STEFANI (10:29:07): You know what I mean? Like I had this amazing like role models of love. And so anyway, I just wanted to put that into a song, a Christmas song.

HODA KOTB (10:29:14): It's a beautiful song.

GWEN STEFANI (10:29:16): Thank you.

HODA KOTB (10:29:16): And it's so catchy.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:29:16): Yeah. You did it for us a while back but we were talking to Blake when he was here recently around Halloween time.

HODA KOTB (10:29:24): Mm-Hm.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:29:25): Just how unbelievable of a miracle it is of the two of you now.

GWEN STEFANI (10:29:28): It is.

HODA KOTB (10:29:28): Yeah.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:29:29): You were at your lowest, lowest place, right?

GWEN STEFANI (10:29:31): Yep. Mm-Hm.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:29:32): And here you are.

GWEN STEFANI (10:29:34): You're going to make me cry.

HODA KOTB (10:29:34): On top of the world.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:29:35): But you're-- you use the word gratitude so often.

HODA KOTB (10:29:37): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:29:38): Because I am so grateful. I mean my life has-- it's just been extraordinary. Every part of it like the greatest parents ever. Let's start there. You know what I mean? And then--

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:29:47): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:29:48): And then just to be able to be a part of music, I think it's-- it was so unexpected and it wasn't a dream I had, you know what I mean. It just kind of happened. And then to have all this like heart break--

HODA KOTB (10:29:58): Yeah.

GWEN STEFANI (10:29:59): --just again. Like, why? Why me? You know, we all think that.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:30:02): Yeah, of course. Of course.

GWEN STEFANI (10:30:03): But then--

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:30:03): But look at you now, honey.

HODA KOTB (10:30:04): Look at you now.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:30:05): Well--

HODA KOTB (10:30:06): We love you.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:30:07): We know you're going to have a great Christmas also, happy New Year too, sweetheart.

GWEN STEFANI (10:30:09): Thank you. You guys too.

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:30:10): Great to see you.

HODA KOTB (10:30:11): You can catch--

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:30:11): Give our love to Blake.

HODA KOTB (10:30:12): --Gwen's Christmas special, You Make It Feel like Christmas tonight at nine Eastern right here on NBC.

(End VT)

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD (10:30:18): She's a doll, right? Yeah.

HODA KOTB (10:30:19): We love her.