Denise TruscelloGwen Stefani made her Las Vegas debut last night, as her new Just a Girl residency kicked off at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino’s Zappos Theater.
According to Entertainment Tonight, the show featured many costume changes, a medley of Gwen’s greatest hits and a cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” In between songs, Gwen explained the meaning of the 1995 No Doubt hit that inspired the residency’s title.
“Songwriting is the thing that helped me get my identity and my confidence and helped me to think I had any value at all in this world,” she said.
Gwen added, “It wasn’t until probably writing ‘Just a Girl,’ when I realized that the way that I felt was the way a lot of people felt, and I was somehow able to put that into a song where people could relate. That was when I started to realize that I could connect, and it felt so good.”
She also changed into a cowgirl costume at one point in honor of her boyfriend, country superstar Blake Shelton, who was in the audience.
“You don’t know what it’s like to be able to wear a cowgirl costume right in front of Blake Shelton,” she said. “This is like my fantasy come true — thanks for sharing it with me.”
Prior to the show, Blake sent Gwen flowers and a note that read, “You worked so hard on this show. Congrats on opening night. I love you.”
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