AceShowbiz - Gwen Stefani is taking a nostalgic look back at the making of her groundbreaking debut solo album, "Love. Angel. Music. Baby.", which marks its 20th anniversary this week. "Twenty years ago, everything was unhinged," Stefani tells PEOPLE. "I had zero restrictions. I wasn't in a band, I didn't have kids, I wasn't married."

Driven by a clear vision, Stefani set out to create a "guilty-pleasure dance record" that would showcase her true musicality.

Her first solo effort featured hit singles such as "What You Waiting For," "Rich Girl," and the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper "Hollaback Girl," co-created with producer Pharrell Williams.

"I knew exactly what I wanted to write," Stefani recalls of "Hollaback Girl." "I was so put down that I decided to show them what I've got. It was like, 'This is the cheerleader I always wanted to be, and it's going to sound like a marching band.'"

After the success of "L.A.M.B.", Stefani released "The Sweet Escape" in 2006 and "This Is What the Truth Feels Like" in 2016.

On Friday, November 15, Stefani will release her fourth solo album, "Bouquet". The yacht rock-inspired record includes a duet with her husband, country singer Blake Shelton, titled "Purple Irises." Stefani's new album explores the aftermath of her divorce and her newfound happiness with Shelton and their children. "If I feel like I have any purpose," says Stefani, "it's writing a song."