Rare (Gwen Stefani song)

[1] After Stefani's 2014 single releases, "Baby Don't Lie" and "Spark the Fire", received mixed responses, she scrapped all of her completed material for the opportunity to start fresh.

[2] A year later, Stefani enlisted other potential collaborators, like Justin Tranter and Julia Michaels, for work on the album shortly after she announced her divorce from Gavin Rossdale.

"[17] After the release of This Is What the Truth Feels Like, several news outlets speculated that the lyrics of "Rare" may be written about Shelton's ex-wife, Miranda Lambert.

[20] Leah Greenblatt, writing for Entertainment Weekly, said that Stefani "sound[s] like the world's most glamorous high school sophomore, passing mash notes after study hall.

"[19] USA Today's Patrick Ryan praised "Rare" and declared the track "one dance remix away from being a certifiable summer smash.

[16] Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic praised the song and called it an "album-closing ode to joy", further stating the track "uses its star's distinctive voice for moments of multi-tracked beauty or play; often there's a lovely sensation of floating upwards.

[26] However, Chuck Campbell of Go Knoxville gave the song a negative review, describing Stefani's vocals as "a pale facsimile of Ariana Grande".

[29] It was accompanied with "bumptious hip hop beats",[30] alongside the singer wearing a green corset designed by The Blonds, in addition to Mariel Haenn and Rob Zangardi.