After solo tour, what's next for Stefani?

SUNRISE, Fla. — According to the almanac, Dec. 21 was the winter solstice — the shortest day of the year — but for Gwen Stefani it was a long, melancholy slog spent in an anonymous arena in this bland suburb of Fort Lauderdale.

On the closing night of her first solo tour, which she describes as an uneven affair, Stefani found herself short of breath by the third song and staring out at a surprisingly listless crowd.

She exhorted the fans at the Bank Atlantic Center to make some noise, and the crowd of mostly daughters and mothers stirred a bit. Then she tried it again with a different approach: "I want you to do this so loud the baby hears you!"

The crowd went wild.

Just like that the week's worst-kept celebrity secret was officially surrendered, and Stefani, who has been struggling through fatigue and distraction for weeks, pushed herself through the rest of the show like a marathon runner on finish-line fumes.

By the time she donned her famous majorette uniform (which was recently altered for her changing figure) and yelped through the "Hollaback Girl" finale, the show was as much about spirit and sentiment as it was about sound.

Afterward, backstage, her husband, rock singer Gavin Rossdale, videotaped the tearful scene as Stefani said goodbye to the tour's backup dancers and musicians: "I'm so sad, but I'm so glad it's over. I'm so glad."

The tour was never supposed to happen; Stefani was, of course, famous as the lead singer of No Doubt, a pop powerhouse in the late 1990s. The Police and Madness were the music models in those early days, but last year Stefani wanted to get in touch with the urban-pop hits she grew up singing to her bedroom mirror in Anaheim, Calif., in the 1980s. She also wanted to play dress up.

The result was a solo project, "Love.Angel.Music.Baby.," that she describes as a lark, a chance to work with Dr. Dre (as well as Pharrell Williams, Andre 3000, Linda Perry and others) and make videos like Madonna. The album dips into hip-hop, R&B, disco and pure pop.

That dilettante approach is fitting for Stefani; she recently has made her debut as a film actress (she was Jean Harlow in "The Aviator"), fashion-show organizer (to promote L.A.M.B., her successful line of clothing and purses) and, oddly, a gizmo designer (she lent her name to a turquoise digital camera sold by Hewlett-Packard).

Some of that may be dismissed as pop-culture overkill, but that "lark" musical project has led to five Grammy nominations, including one for album of the year.

Before taking the stage at the Sunrise show, Stefani shook her head when asked about competing with U2 and Paul McCartney for the music industry's top accolade. "I still don't believe," she said solemnly. "I really don't."

The album is one of the 10 best-sellers of 2005, with 2.4 million sold in the United States alone. It has also made Stefani a heroine to the Barbie set. Once upon a time, Stefani looked out on No Doubt crowds and saw tattoos and Dr. Martens — now she sees tiaras and braces.

That fact and impending motherhood raise a natural question: Is No Doubt still living up to its name, or is Stefani, like her hero Sting, destined to be a pop blond in a solo spotlight?

"No, I don't think so. But I have always known what was coming next, until now," Stefani said backstage before the South Florida show.

The plan now is to return to her London home with Rossdale and "eat pizza" and avoid interviews.

Then, in February, she plans to attend the Grammys in Los Angeles but will not perform. "I will be, what, 5 ½ months pregnant by then, and wearing the band uniform? I don't think so."

Looking out on an audience recently in Verona, N.Y., she was struck by the sight of a cluster of girls, all about 8 or 9, wearing makeup and bedazzled expressions.

"It was a Disney show for me, you know? It's so different than it used to be. They were desperately singing back every lyric. The look on their faces was like: 'Look, that's Cinderella up on stage.' And they make me feel like it."

This is all fine and good, but fans of No Doubt might be ready for Stefani to quit playing princess. And no matter what Stefani says now, there's cause to wonder whether motherhood and hip-hop beats will change the rhythm of Stefani's career for good.

She points out, though, that the absence of No Doubt songs from her solo tour's set list is a reminder that the band's hits belong to the group, not to her.

"This tour is cheesy and girly and I love it," she said. "This is its own thing."