By Ed Condran
When asked about the success of her latest album, 2023’s “Queen of Me,” which hit the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart, Shania Twain paused. “You can’t take any of this for granted,” she said while calling from her Las Vegas home.
Twain, 59, who will play her final resident headliner shows when she hits the stage through Feb. 8 at PH Live at Planet Hollywood, is one of the greatest crossover success stories ever.
The five-time Grammy winner, who grew up impoverished in Ontario during the 1970s, rivaled Garth Brooks as the top country stars of the 1990s. Brooks attracted a pop audience to country while Twain brought pop to country.
There was never anything quite like Twain, who burst onto the scene as a videogenic, charismatic singer-songwriter who scored with an infectious amalgam of sounds. Country combined with big rock hooks and a dash of adult contemporary catapulted Twain to superstardom.
Twain collaborated during the 1990s and aughts with her then-husband producer Mutt Lange, who has made a career out of enhancing tunes, some turned stadium rock anthems for Def Leppard, AC/DC and Muse.
The songwriting partnership spawned No. 1 hits. “Any Man of Mine,” “(If You’re Not in It for Love) I’m Outta Here,” “You Win My Love” and “No One Needs to Know” are the chart-toppers from Twain’s breakout album, 1995’s “The Woman in Me,” which sold more than 20 million copies.
The Canadian Music Hall of Famer doubled her success with 1997’s “Come On Over,” which sold more than 40 million copies. “Love Gets Me Every Time,” “You’re Still the One,” “Honey, I’m Home” and “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” soared to No. 1, and “From This Moment On” has become a wedding staple.
“Man, I Feel Like a Woman” became a signature song for Twain. Somehow, Twain had no idea that the infectious tune was a hit after experiencing the initial playback.
“I never knew that any song I wrote would become a hit just after hearing it,” Twain said. “The same goes for ‘Man, I Feel Like a Woman.’ I felt good about the song when we finished it. It was my statement song and fortunately it resonated with women.”
It’s not easy for Twain to come up with a setlist since she must play her many hits and showcase tracks from her new album. “I want to make sure the fans get the classics,” Twain said. “I have to play the hits, which I still love to perform.”
The latest batch of Twain tunes are celebratory, empowering and light-hearted, which is quite a contrast from her last album, 2017’s “Now,” which features some of her more earnest material.
“ ‘Queen of Me’ is my happy album,” Twain said. “I wrote it during COVID, which obviously wasn’t the happiest time in the world. I wrote the new songs to cheer me up. I tried to be optimistic and keep this healthy attitude during lockdown. I wrote songs that made me want to dance.”
Shania Twain appears Jan. 31 and Feb.1, 5-7 and 8 at PH Live at Planet Hollywood.
If You Go
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