Gwen Stefani’s surprise career move as new album tanks

The same week Gwen Stefani’s new album missed the charts completely, she’s been spotted imploring fans to “let God into their hearts”.

Gwen Stefani for Hallow app.

Former No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani has a surprising new side hustle – encouraging her fans to “let God into their hearts and let Jesus bring us his peace.”

Stefani, 55, has been revealed as a new spokesperson for Hallow, an American Catholic app that offers “Bible stories, prayers, and Christian music.” A yearly subscription to the app costs $US69.99 (AU$107.70).

In a new ad for the app, Stefani., who has spoken about her Catholic faith in the past, tells fans to “download Hallow today and join me and millions of others in praying every day this Advent and Christmas season on Hallow.”

The new ad comes as Stefani suffered a dramatic setback in her musical career in recent days.

Her newly-released fifth studio album Bouquet, a loosely flower-themed collection of country-folk love songs to husband Blake Shelton, debuted at number 95 on the US Billboard album charts.

It’s a dramatic fall from the number one debut of her last non-holiday studio album, 2016’s This Is What the Truth Feels Like.

Here in Australia, where Truth debuted at number six back in 2016, Bouquet has missed the charts completely. It’s been 20 years since Stefani’s solo debut, Love. Angel. Music. Baby, became a 5 x platinum smash in Australia, buoyed by the success of a string of hit singles – What You Waiting For, Rich Girl, Hollaback Girl and Cool among them.

'Gwen with No Doubt circa 96 …

… and her new gig spruiking a prayer app.

Stefani reunited with her former No Doubt bandmates earlier this year for a headlining performance at California’s Coachella music festival, in what many hoped would signal a full-scale reunion tour. But despite rave reviews for their performance, it appears the reunion was short-lived.

Gwen’s new album Bouquet missed the charts.

In a recent interview, Stefani admitted that she and her former bandmates “hadn’t even spoken” before they began rehearsals for the show, which came 12 years after No Doubt’s final studio album and after years of speculation about a rift between Stefani and the rest of the band.

The group formed in the late 80s before being catapulted to worldwide fame with third album Tragic Kingdom in 1995, home to massive singles Don’t Speak and Just a Girl.

Two more studio albums followed before they went on hiatus in 2003, after which Stefani experienced even more success as a solo pop star.

Stefani wed country music singer Blake Shelton in 2021, having met when they were both coaches on The Voice. That marriage followed her split from Bush rocker Gavin Rossdale in 2015 after 13 years of marriage.