Gwen Stefani: Tragedy inspires me

Gwen Stefani has found writing songs about the tragedies she's been through an incredibly rewarding experience.

The No Doubt frontwoman has gone through a tough personal time of late, filing for divorce from her husband of almost 13 years, Gavin Rossdale, in August (15). To help her get back on track, Gwen has hit the recording studio, penning a whole solo album in just a matter of weeks.

"The biggest gift has been to be able to take some tragedy and write a song about it and share that," she told ET. "The rewards that I've gotten through that is just unbelievable."

On Saturday (17Oct15), Gwen performed at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom, marking her first stage show for over six months. She decided to unveil a new track to the audience, with Used to Love You widely tipped to be about Gavin. Introducing the song, the 46-year-old star said it meant a lot to her and she was pretty sure it will be the first single from her new record.

Gwen spent a great deal of time preparing for Saturday's gig, explaining that she wanted to show how much she's changed over the last few months via her music. "Not that much time has gone by, but so much has happened, so I had to change it," she said. "I had to get all new costumes, new band, dancers... Everything had to evolve the way I have just in this short amount of time."

The singer seems to have poured her heartbreak into Used to Love You, which boasts emotional lyrics including: "Yeah, boy/ Thought this would happen/ I let it sink in/ You're gone/ I don't know why I cry/ But I think it's 'cause I remembered for the first time/ Since I hated you/ That I used to love you."

Gwen and Gavin are parents to three boys and in a statement confirming their split they vowed to concentrate on raising their children in "a happy and healthy environment".