Looks like it's not a hoax: former No Doubt frontwoman and current entrepreneur/solo artist Gwen Stefani made an actual, verifiable profile on LinkedIn.
The profile, which went up on Friday, March 18, coincided with the release of her third studio album, titled This is What Truth Feels Like ... Presumably, the album drop (her first in a decade, since 2006's The Sweet Escape) and posting the public LinkedIn page at the same time could be perceived as some sort of marketing ploy. However, using a social media site for professions to promote Stefani's work differs vastly from what other performers do for online promotion, like Beyoncé's surprise Internet album drops — and the straightforward, formal nature of career networking doesn't seem to jive with the singer responsible for seminal hits like "Don't Speak," "Hey Baby" and "Rich Girl." So, of course, we decided to check it out ourselves.
Fortunately, an editor at Tech Times received an invite from Stefani, so if you want to know what it feels like to be one of the chosen few, here's a screen shot of the request he got in his email inbox:
We also checked out Stefani's profile page, which, unto itself, is kind of amazing. She lists her credentials in her summary, which jump from joining and heading No Doubt at 17 years old (remember Gwen with pink hair and braces?), to her solo career, to building her business empire in fashion; when it comes to writing style, it reads like either a bio you'd find on a LinkedIn page or a band website; but then again, not many can put that they worked extensively with Pharrell Williams or went double-platinum on the former. The idea that there's a slight chance Stefani curated her profile (or at least oversaw its curation herself, though neither have been confirmed) makes it all the more surreal to peruse.
(Photo : LinkedIn)
Likewise, not everyone can include Grammys, American Music Awards and an MTV VMA for "Hollaback Girl" under their "Honors & Awards" section.
As of now, Stefani has 24,990 followers on the site (who knew there were that many to begin with?), so maybe the promotional bid for her album is working.
However, we also have to ask ourselves — what if it isn't part of her album release? If that's the case, then the real questions are these: is Gwen Stefani trying to tell us that she's looking for a new job? If so, what the heck is a multimillionaire with more networking connections than 99 percent of all mortals doing on LinkedIn?
Source: LinkedIn
