Expert Reveals What Blake Shelton And Gwen Stefani's ACM Performance Says About Their Love

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are, to some, absolutely the cutest country/pop crossover couple ever. Others, however, are firmly on Team Miranda, and they still remember the pain it seemingly caused Shelton's ex-wife to see him and his new boo flaunting their love at the ACMs. Well, this year, that was no problemo for Lambert — not only did her own stellar performance seem to imply she's over her ex (landing a new hubby will do that for a girl), but Shelton and Stefani's own duet on "Happy Anywhere" wasn't even performed in Nashville. Instead, they phoned, or rather, videoed, it in, which raises no eyebrows now in "the new normal" as live events typically play to an empty house.

And speaking of current events, it would seem that the quarantine period has been particularly rough on the Shelton/Stefani 'ship, at least according to Us Weekly. They cite sources alleged to be close to the couple who claim that their purchase of a $13.2 million home in Encino, California, this past May has been extremely stressful, as has all the enforced togetherness due to sheltering in place. With this in mind, we were curious as to whether Shelton's and Stefani's ACM performance would shed any light on the state of the couple's relationship. Nicole Moore, a life coach and relationship expert, took a close look as these two songbirds cooed together, and she seems to think they're still in perfect harmony.

The song "Happy Anywhere" is, as its name implies, an ode to finally finding that one special person who will always make you glad to be alive and feeling at home no matter where life may take you (even through the grueling hardships of quarantining in an Encino mansion). Well, Stefani sure was selling it, all right. Moore noted in particular one moment during the couple's performance when Stefani was singing the line "I could be happy anywhere with you" and as a part of her act she pointed right at Shelton when she got to the word "you." According to Moore's interpretation, this type of body language seems to indicate that the performer may have been actually undergoing the emotion at the time, rather than simply expressing it for the sake of the song. Moore explains, "This gesture indicates that [Stefani] actually feels the lyrics are true. Her finger is pointing to where her heart is and that's with Blake."

Moore remarked upon how Stefani tilted her head and smiled up at Shelton, seemingly "with almost a wink in her eyes." She says this body language shows how "she's into Blake and loves to be flirty and playful with him." Moore also describes Stefani as being "much more animated during the performance [with] a flirty, happy tone," as compared to Shelton's "steady" facial expression which showed "a contented smile on his face but ... no emotional range other than that."

Moore puts a positive spin on this, saying the difference in the couple's expressions may simply reflect the duo's "everyday dynamics" in which Stefani is the "dynamic and emotional" one, while Shelton is the "steady rock" who prefers to let his partner "have the emotional space in the relationship." (A more cynical interpretation might be that this ain't his first rodeo, and as a veteran of several failed relationships, he's aware he's exactly the poster child for happily ever afters.)

Moore notes that throughout the performance, the duet partners had their faces turned towards each other and were "locked eye to eye" for the most part, with only a few moments where they broke contact and let their eyes wander. She says this " body language of a steady, unbreaking, present gaze," shows they have the kind of love that is likely to endure. The fact that the twosome are "able to be super present with each other," at least at the eyeball-to-eyeball level, seems to indicate "a very deep connection and a trust and knowing of who the other person is."

So, while rumors may be flying as to the couple's possible problems — plus there's the fact that, after five years, they're still not even so much as engaged – well, Moore still seems to feel that Shelton and Stefani share "a deep lasting bond." She acknowledges that "they may go through ups and downs where one side is feeling annoyed or reserved," but still thinks that their eyes and their faces show "they've gone deep with each other to establish a true connection. They're with each other fully and all in."

Still, only time will tell. Will Shelton and Stefani still be crooning love's sweet tune at next year's ACMs? Or will this be one more "forever love" that doesn't go the distance? Even if it all ends in heartbreak, well, that's country music for you.