Gwen Stefani Was the Only Artist ‘Garbage’ Singer Shirley Manson Considered Competition

Gwen Stefani got the attention of Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson in seemingly no time at all. Manson was already feeling pretty untouchable, but in 2011, she admitted that Stefani caused her a bit of worry.

What Shirley Manson thought about Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani and Shirley Manson | Donato Sardella/Getty Images

Manson and Stefani seemed to be big fans of each other, although their music styles and paths have been slightly different. They both started off in bands, but Stefani famously branched out to explore other forms of music. Her solo career would soon match and possibly even surpass her career with the band No Doubt.

Meanwhile, Manson would also enjoy great success with her band Garbage. Perhaps one of their biggest songs was their James Bond song “The World is Not Enough,” named after Pierce Brosnan’s Bond film. They’re also known for “Stupid Girl”, “You Look So Fine,” and “Push It.” Manson would embark on a solo career at some point and even dabbled in acting. But she’d later reunite with her band Garbage and continue making music with the group.

Manson and Stefani once had the opportunity to chat with each other for an Elle interview. There, she confided that she felt pretty untouchable at the height of her powers. But that was until she noticed Stefani.

“I can remember the first time I saw you on MTV I was feeling like hot s*** because our record was doing well, and I remember seeing you and thinking, ‘I have no other competition — except for her,’” Manson told Stefani.

And although Stefani might’ve admired Manson, she remarked that the two were complete polar opposites.

“See, I was scared of you because we’re so opposite; in all your interviews, you were so crazy, you’d say whatever you wanted,” Stefani said. “I’m so not confrontational and you’re just like ready to go, any moment… That’s what’s so weird about actually knowing you; we get along, like perfect personalities. We were the only girls [in music] then… I just can’t believe how long ago it was!”

Shirley Manson’s record label wanted her to be more of a pop star like Gwen Stefani

The transition from group to solo artist wasn’t as seamless for Manson as it might’ve been for Stefani. Whereas Stefani seemed to thrive, the music industry was heading in a direction Manson seemed uncomfortable with. In a 2011 interview with The Guardian, Manson referenced one instance where her own record label didn’t like the songs she planned on making.

“I wanted to make a quiet record. I was so tired of all the noise and the loops and the electronics and the guitars,” Manson recalled.

Her Garbage bandmate Butch Vig theorized that her record label wanted Manson to go mainstream like the “Hollaback Girl” singer did.

“They wanted her to be Katy Perry or Gwen Stefani – a pop star,” Vig said. “And the songs she was writing were awesome. They were very dark, and some of them were quite introspective. She was making music she wanted to make — and the label had no interest in that. So I think she realized she should get back together with her bandmates.”

The record label even told Manson to her face the type of artist they wanted her to be. Their admission caused Manson to step away from music for a while before she returned to Garbage.

“The record company said something really bizarre — they wanted me to be Annie Lennox for my generation. At which point, I thought: ‘I’m f***ed.’ No disrespect to Annie Lennox because she’s amazing at what she does, but I have no interest in pursuing that kind of career at all,” Manson said. “I got into my car and burst into tears. I thought: ‘They’re not gonna let me do what I want to do. So I may as well just give up.’ So I did. I stopped making music.”

Shirley Manson and Gwen Stefani remained good friends

Stefani and Manson weren’t just acquaintances, but it seemed the pair were good friends as well. Of all of Manson’s contemporaries, she confided that she bonded with The Voice host the most.

“We played a lot together, and we shared a mutual friend in Sophie Miller, [a musical director], so just by default, we ended up spending time together, and we cared about one another, and I admired her. She’s tough,” Manson once said, according to an interview.