Love. Angel. Music? Erm…
[Video]
[3.50]
Brad Shoup: Gwen Stefani’s migration from ska-punk to country-flecked adult contemporary mirrors my lifepath so closely, I’m in an existential crisis. There’s a possessive hunger here: a devouring dressed as a duet. The Coldplay-style guitar delay would theoretically suit Stefani — a veteran of all pop energies — best, but she’s forced to orbit Shelton’s microphone to make any impression. She can’t even get her own bridge?!
[5]
Alex Clifton: Serviceable but boring. I will say it is neat how Shelton and Stefani sing the melody together without harmonizing, as that’s an unexpected move and ensures the track is free of overwrought high notes, but it also makes me wonder why this is even a duet in the first place. Still, I’m glad that there are people out there who can write love songs without referring to their partner as having that “yummy yum” — I’ll take mediocre and fine over that.
[5]
Josh Langhoff: This song sounds like death, i.e. “Chasing Cars,” but it’s nice the happy couple can celebrate shared interests. They should’ve kept “Nobody But You” to themselves and God — although as we know from the prophet Amos, even God has standards.
[2]
Joshua Minsoo Kim: It’s funny thinking about the non-CCM Christian artists I heard growing up and how the pressing question fans would ask was whether the “you” being addressed was a cute girl or Jesus Christ (who, after listening to these bands, you would be convinced was the cutest of all). “Nobody But You” is one of those country songs that has the opposite problem: it’s clearly not about my Lord and Savior but sure sounds like it is. This has less to do with pronoun ambiguity than “Nobody But You” being an anesthetized love song: a love song for people afraid of love being complex, of being more than greeting card bullshit.
[3]
Wayne Weizhen Zhang: I already resent how much I’m probably going to have to hear this song next wedding season.
[3]
Vikram Joseph: Bringing in Gwen Stefani to simply have her sing pleasant backing harmonies is by a country mile the boldest decision on “Nobody But You”. That aside, it’s a staid and distinctly maudlin power ballad, with a twinkly guitar riff which is so unimaginatively late-period U2 it practically downloads itself onto your iPhone.
[4]
Scott Mildenhall: On this evidence, Gwen Stefani is not a country singer; if anything, she’s a backing vocalist with her mic up too loud. This is a duet inasmuch as a quattro formaggi makes for a varied meal, and contrary to what you might expect this blurb to say next, is less cheesy. But what is a quattro formaggi pizza without cheese? Mostly, bread. Gwen Stefani can do a lot more with a metaphorical pizza base than this.
[5]
Alfred Soto: Post-New Wave poseur Gwen Stefani, I suspect, has an acquaintance with the Lou Reed-John Cale tune of the same name, a confession of complicated love in which hatred plays a robust part. This “Nobody But You” co-sung with a Blake Shelton shorn of his frontal lobe, a CVS Pharmacy valentine, has no ambition except to generate cover stories for supermarket glossies.
[1]