There is “No Doubt” that Gwen Stefani’s new single, “Baby Don’t Lie,”  is a step down from the unique music once performed by this bombshell blonde. Where she once sailed unfamiliar waters taking listeners captive with her reggae pop mixture, Stefani has now joined the multitude of unexceptional musicians producing songs without distinction.

What I hear when I listen to “Baby Don’t Lie” is a middle-aged singer whose glory days are past.  Perhaps she wishes to score easy money by bringing a mediocre song to the table. If she had tried to mix a unique sound like the songs from her past, especially my favorites “Spiderwebs” and “Sweet Escape,” then I would be able to stomach her new style. Fans of her older music will be disappointed. Say goodbye to this “Hollaback Girl.”

In “Baby Don’t Lie,” the auto tune voice, synthesized beat, and dull lyrics don’t add up to a chart-climber. The whole “my boyfriend is lying” theme has been used thousands of times in other songs like “Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette and “Should’ve Said No” by Taylor Swift. The difference is that those two songs go somewhere. The music in “Baby Don’t Lie” remains the same throughout the entire song: there is no quickening of pace or dropping of the beat, making the listening experience monotonous.

The music video is equally uninspired.  There was no story to go along with the song’s lyrics. (Writing an original story to go along with the repetition of “baby don’t, baby don’t, baby don’t lie,” would be difficult for even the most artful of directors.)  The pop art vibe deserves credit, but the optical illusion visuals are boring and overused over the course of the video.

At some point towards the ending, these images become strobe-like and difficult to watch.  This video deserves a stronger warning label than “Caution, Strobe Effects.”

Gwen Stefani doesn’t dance a single step, leaving this to her background dancers. She was once known for her performances and ability to entertain; I see no evidence of this impressive past in the music video or the song itself.

In Stefani’s older songs, her voice wasn’t nearly as altered as it is now. Either her voice has gone downhill since 2012, when No Doubt released the album Push and Shove, or she conforming to the pop crowd.  She has a knockout voice: she just needs to use it.

The precedent this single sets for Stefani’s new album (to be released early 2015) is not a positive one. If the rest of her music sounds anything like “Baby Don’t Lie,” I can guarantee that I will be among those who pay for the privilege of listening to it.