The Pop Corporation

Yacht Rock is, whether you like it or not, a very specific thing with a specific set of parameters. There’s a jazziness too it, a smooth groove, usually flashy musicians trying to keep it tasteful, and there’s a whole list of songs which help you learn what these songs are from the people who coined the term.

Of course, they let the genre out into the world to become its own thing, and while there might be quibbles here and there about what is Yacht, and what is Nyacht, it is usually good natured and everyone at least is sharing tracks that have something in common.

However, sometimes people just don’t get it. One of those people might be Gwen Stefani.

She’s said that her new album is influenced by Yacht Rock, which honestly, sounds like a load of fun if she captures the spirit of the genre. However, on the strength of the lead track from this new LP, it feels like she’s missed the mark.

Gwen has been digging the stuff she listened to as a child – Steely Dan, Chicago, Eagles and the like – and has decided to channel that into her latest work. The song is called ‘Swallow My Tears’, which as titles go, could be a Yachty thing. However, on pressing play, you’ll be asking where the Doobie Bounce is, or the jazz Rhodes chords, sweet harmonies and all that good stuff.

Talking to the NME, Stefani said: “I always remember sitting in the back of my mom’s car and all of the songs playing [on the radio] were just so good. I mean, it was just the popular music of the time, which was classic rock, but I call it ‘yacht rock’ because if you put on a yacht rock playlist, it’s those songs: Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, the Eagles.”

“I think the older you get, the more nostalgic you get. I feel like I’ve played out all the ’80s stuff – like, I can’t even listen to it anymore so much. I want to write music that feels like this [yacht rock] music because there’s more chords in it, there’s more melody, and I really feel like I ended up getting there with this album.

Maybe the rest of the LP will be more indicative of Yacht, but press play on this and you won’t hear a sniff of it.