3 reasons to see Gwen Stefani’s Planet Hollywood residency

It’s her life, and should you forget, Gwen Stefani is here to remind you.

With the No Doubt frontwoman and platinum-selling solo artist kicking off her residency at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort on Wednesday, let’s break down the essence of Stefani:

Axing the angst

Seattle’s skies are notoriously cloudy. The opposite is true of Anaheim, California. The music emanating from each tended to follow suit back in the mid-’90s. When the Pacific Northwest-centered grunge scene exploded in popularity two decades ago, it was a great time for mainstream hard rock. But it was also an era underscored by existential gloom and angst, musically speaking. And so when No Doubt broke big in 1996 with smash second album “Tragic Kingdom,” the time was right for a band to brighten the overcast landscape with its punchy ska-pop. Stefani was at the center of it all, of course, her persona as bright as her platinum-blond ’do.

‘Girl’ power

“Just a Girl.” “Hollaback Girl.” “Rich Girl.” “Orange County Girl.” “Harajuku Girls.” Stefani’s like a glammed-out Rosie the Riveter when it comes to reppin’ feminine guile and take-no-guff ’tude. She’s not above calling herself out, even. “Like an echo pedal, you’re repeating yourself / You know it all by heart / Why are you standing in one place?” Stefani asks on “What You Waiting For?,” her first single as a solo artist from 2004’s “Love Angel Music Baby.” “I’m ready to attack!” she announces two songs later on “Hollaback Girl,” standing in place no longer.

Pop perseverance

She makes it sound as if he treated her heart like a pinata, and so now she’s returning the favor. “Suitcase, Band-aids / Pulling back out the driveway,” Stefani sings on “Used to Love You,” from her most recent solo record, “This Is What the Truth Feels Like,” her words directed at ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, whom she divorced in 2016. “You go, I’ll stay / You can keep all the memories.” “Truth” is the opposite of a ruminative, tear-soaked, post-breakup reflection. Instead, it’s a defiant, invigorated collection of songs about the joys of moving on. “This is what happens when you live with no consequence,” Stefani informs Rossdale on “Red Flag,” supplying said consequences with palpable relish.

Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @JasonBracelin on Twitter.