Some performers get a career reset or rebirth out of a Vegas residency. For Gwen Stefani, her 25-date Gwen Stefani—Just a Girl engagement at Planet Hollywood Resort’s Zappos Theater may be part of her farewell to performing. The vocalist/frontwoman for No Doubt, who scored a No. 1 hit as a solo artist in 2005 with “Hollaback Girl,” indicated in a recent syndicated interview that she was “obviously” near the end of her journey as a musician, a sentiment that wouldn’t surprise fans following her relationship with Blake Shelton.
Before the mother of three settles down into domestic life with the country star, Stefani has a career’s worth of songs to revisit in a setting that reflects her tastes for glamour and showpersonship. Days after making the April 10 announcement, Las Vegas Boulevard South was closed down in front of Planet Hollywood for the arrival of a two-toned semi-trailer emblazoned with “Gwen Stefani” and “Just a Girl” on its side. Stefani, decked out in a black-and-white outfit with dancers and showgirls preceding her, exited the vehicle and made her official entrance as a Strip headliner.
The motif was a reminder of Stefani’s ska roots. Stefani joined No Doubt as a backing vocalist in the mid-’80s at the invitation of her older brother Eric, who had introduced his sister to the reggae-precursor sound that brought black and white audiences (with preferences for two-toned fashions) together. After the death of the original lead vocalist, Stefani stepped up and became both singer and visual center of the band. No Doubt’s 1992 self-titled debut for Interscope Records languished due to lack of support, but 1995’s Tragic Kingdom became a multiplatinum bestseller on the strength of breakout hit “Just a Girl” and ballad “Don’t Speak.”
Tragic Kingdom represented a shift in the band’s songwriting angle. The ska/pop-punk songs reflected Stefani’s perspective more, especially the turmoil she felt after No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal ended his and Stefani’s seven-year relationship. She turned to her relationships for songwriting inspiration for both No Doubt and solo material, with her marriage and breakup with Bush singer Gavin Rossdale providing subject material for her 2016 album This Is What the Truth Feels Like.
That album debuted at No. 1, marking more than 20 years of being on the Billboard charts for Stefani. Gwen Stefani—Just a Girl covers every era of her career, with a costume change planned for each. “The show is full of hit songs that are recognizable and take you back to that time period in your life,” Stefani told syndicated columnist Allison Kugel after the residency announcement. “And of course, the real reason for doing Vegas is the costumes.”
She’s working with designers who envisioned outfits for Jennifer Lopez’s Planet Hollywood residency. Whether she’s near the end of her musical journey or creates a new career chapter in Vegas remains to be seen, but she seems excited about her future.
Planet Hollywood Resort, 9 p.m. June 27, 29-30, July 3, 6-7, 11, 13-14, 18 & 20-21, starting at $80 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
