The iconic Shania Twain is back today with her brand new album The Queen of Me that showcases an artist with no chance of letting up any time soon. Listen here.
It seems near unimaginable that we thought there was a time when Shania Twain’s career might have finished. After years of heartbreak, physical illness and loss, she has continued to come back with a vengeance and ambition that is near miraculous. Throughout it all, her career has hinged on her very humanity – letting us in most recently in her extensive interview with Zane Lowe and her own Netflix documentary, Not Just a Girl, showing the woman behind the icon. More than that, of course, she has continued to pioneer the country genre and music itself.
Six years after the release of Now, Shania has released her new album today – Queen of Me – that is another revelation, continuing to pioneer her sound and image. Since the first publicity for this record, Twain’s love for her new record has remained paramountly clear. From the glossy cheek and whimsical fun of ‘Giddy Up’ to the soulful side of ‘The Hardest Stone,’ the album is a weird and wonderful delight, full of treasures aplenty. There’s certainly plenty of upbeat, disco-tinged beats (‘Number One’), compelling pop (‘Waking Up Dreaming’) and country-tinged elements (‘Giddy Up!) Interestingly, the weakest track is perhaps the title track itself, not possessing the full verve of Twain’s usual energy. More than any of it though, Twain’s joyful energy coming into this record – her desire to push and showcase her new vocal – is palpable. You’d be forgiven for reading ‘Number One’ as a love letter to herself, in part. Throughout the record, she continues to expand and experiment with her production choices – perhaps, most interestingly of all on ‘Inhale/Exhale AIR.’
Above it all, Twain has continue to push boundaries in music itself, carving out a path for herself in a genre that has historically remained largely sealed and closed. It’s a love letter to herself and her fans, and it is a true joy.
