When Gwen Stefani said a couple of weeks ago that she planned to release a brand new material by the end of 2006, many thought that her music would never be the same. Bearing in mind the fact that she took a rather long pause from showbiz and had Kingston, there was a lot of speculation as to whether she can make a genuine musical comeback.

In order to set her fans' minds at ease, the former No Doubt-er spoke to Ryan Seacrest from KISS FM and revealed that she already set a date for her second solo album: December 4th. 'The Sweet Escape' will be preceded by the 'Wind It Up' single, which unfortunately has already been leaked on the Internet, a Neptunes- produced instant hit.

The first release from the album also includes a sample of 'The Lonely Goatherd' from 'The Sound of Music', a choice that Gwen made on purely personal grounds. 'It was a dream of mine to put "The Sound of Music" to a beat, because it's my favorite movie', she told Seacrest.

When asked about the album, Stefani admitted that it brings a new beat, a more modern and lively sound. 'This album is surprisingly different than the last one. I started recording it last year before Kingston was born and it's definitely evolved over the last year. The dance sound is very "now". It's modern... not so retro', the blonde singer explained.

As a bonus to all her fans, Gwen also announced that she would be going on tour in April, to promote 'The Sweet Escape' and that she would be taking her baby with her. It's the best thing one could ever want, being with your family and doing what you love, she added, and she can't wait for April to come.