Artists have a right to change their minds. They have a right to enter the cultural landscape one way and then explore the space in another. If we don’t allow for creatives to switch up perspectives, then we risk stifling them. Below, we wanted to highlight three songwriters and performers from back in the day who did just that—change. Indeed, these are three rock frontwomen who found new life as solo artists in the 2000s.
Gwen Stefani
Stylish frontwoman Gwen Stefani rose to fame in the 1990s with her ska-punk rock band No Doubt. The group was everywhere, from your favorite record store to the high school dance down the street. With songs like “Just a Girl” and “Don’t Speak”, No Doubt captured the hearts of music fans. But then the band’s frontwoman went solo. Indeed, Stefani released her debut studio LP, Love. Angel. Music. Baby, in 2004. From there, the chameleon performer worked in a number of genres throughout her career, from hip-hop to country.
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Courtney Love
In the 1990s, there was no rocker more brash than Courtney Love. The artist was one part-pinup and one part-protester. She walked a line—er, jagged edge—that only she could. The frontwoman for the rock band Hole, Love was also deeply involved in the 1990s grunge scene. She was married to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Together, they were rock’s power couple. But while Hole was a mainstay in the decade, Love decided to go solo in the 2000s, releasing her sole solo LP in 2004, America’s Sweetheart.
Jenny Lewis
There was no band quirkier than Rilo Kiley in the 2000s. The group, which released its debut album in 1999, dropped five more afterwards, including its final one in 2013, Rkives. But co-lead vocalist Jenny Lewis wasn’t going to let one rock outfit contain her. No, the artist began releasing solo albums in 2006, beginning with Rabbit Fur Coat. She’s since released four more, including the terrific Joy’All in 2023. Lewis has performed in a number of other projects along the way, guesting on tracks by groups like the Postal Service and Bright Eyes, and performing in a duo with M Ward, called She & Him.
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