Gwen Stefani Reunites With No Doubt At Coachella For The First Time In Nine Years

If anyone needs evidence that Gwen Stefani is a superstar, they don't need to look any further than her triumphant reunion with No Doubt at Coachella on Saturday night.

Stefani, 54, spent the entire 80-minute set reminding audiences why she's pop royalty, pausing to bust out 10 push-ups to drive home the fact that although she’s “just a girl,” she’s also a powerhouse.

While No Doubt wasn’t technically headlining day two (that was Tyler, the Creator’s gig), their performance was vibrant, nostalgic, and sent a burst of energy through the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA. They proved their mettle by pumping out hit after hit off a set list that included numbers like “Hella Good,” “Sunday Morning,” “It’s My Life,” “Don’t Speak,” “Spiderwebs,” and more. Stefani also made it clear she hasn’t forgotten her Orange County ska roots, even rocking space buns just like she did back in the day.

Stefani charmingly played with the audience, telling them, “You tell me, but I feel like this song could be more relevant now than it’s ever been,” before launching into “Just a Girl,” a song that has seen new life on social media in recent years. As the audience belted out lyrics like, “I’m just a girl, all pretty and petite, so don’t let me have any rights,” Stefani cheekily asked only the men in the crowd to sing its refrain, “I’m just a girl, in the world,” which they obliged.

In case younger fans know Stefani best as a television competition judge or as the wife of Blake Shelton, last night, she reminded everyone just who she is and the impact she’s had. Those younger fans were no doubt delighted when Olivia Rodrigo joined the band for “Bathwater,” sporting a 90s-esque white tank with the words, “I Heart ND,” emblazoned on it.

Just last week, Rodrigo raved to Nylon magazine about Stefani’s legacy. “Gwen’s ability to evolve and explore different styles of music, songwriting, and aesthetic while still remaining true to herself is incredibly inspiring. To me, she’s a prime example of an artist who defies stereotypes and preconceived boundaries and just makes stuff that she thinks is cool. If that’s not a true artist, I don’t know what is.”

“Gwen sang about being a woman moving about this world in detail that I had never before heard put to music… There’s so much heart in every word she says, and every song feels like it’s ripped from the diary of the coolest girl you know.”

Reactions on X captured the excitement fans felt.

“They don’t make rock stars like Gwen Stefani anymore,” said one commenter. “Gwen Stefani’s stage presence should be studied for future generations,” said another. “I hope the new girls are taking notes because Gwen is giving out a free class on how to be a frontwoman, masterful #NoDoubt,” another added. “God is a woman and she is Gwen Stefani actually,” another fan summed up.

“That No Doubt set was f------ flawless, absolute best thing that has hit the Coachella stage since Beychella,” wrote writer Ira Madison, while singer Bethany Cosentino posted, “I’m so emotional thinking about Gwen Stefani’s impact lol.”

“There is not a single girl that plays music who is not inspired by this woman. All of us are here thanks to her. A queen a legend an icon forever!!!!!!!!!” Cosentino continued.

This was the first time No Doubt has performed together in nine years, with frontwoman Stefani, bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumal, and drummer Adrian Young. The band formed back in 1986 in Anaheim, while most of the members were in high school. They struck it big in the ‘90s with their brand of SoCal pop ska after their debut album, “Tragic Kingdom,” debuted.

The band went on their first hiatus in the early 2000s, with Stefani embarking on a successful solo career with the release of “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.” in 2004, followed by “The Sweet Escape” in 2006.

No Doubt continued to record and perform together, off and on, to mixed reviews, but in 2013, another hiatus was announced. In 2016, fans' hopes for more music were seemingly dashed when Stefani told Rolling Stone that she wasn’t sure what the future held for the band.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with No Doubt. When Tony [Kanal] and I are connected creatively, it’s magic. But I think we’ve grown apart as far as what kind of music we want to make. I was really drained and burned out when we recorded that album [2012’s ‘Push and Shove’]. And I had a lot of guilt: ‘I have to do it.’ That’s not the right setting to make music. There’s some really great writing on that record. But the production felt really conflicted. It was sad how we all waited that long to put something out and it didn’t get heard.”

No Doubt will perform again next weekend during Weekend Two of Coachella.