Shania Twain skyrockets into her long-awaited new era as her sixth studio album — the first-ever collection in her decades-long career to include a parental advisory warning for explicit content (for calling out “such a f***ing liar,” in “Pretty Liar”) — finally made its debut on Friday morning (February 3).
Queen of Me marks a celebratory era of renewed confidence for Twain, 57, who said on her social media channels that she’s “absolutely thrilled” to release her latest project. The full album comes after months of teasing fans with the release of a few tracks, including high-energy party anthems “Waking Up Dreaming” and “Giddy Up!” Twain’s latest 12-track album follows her 2017 full-length project, Now, and Not Just A Girl (The Highlights), a collection of career-spanning anthems that appeared throughout Twain’s Netflix documentary (including “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Up!,” and, of course, “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!,” and many more).
“I wrote this album from a place of feeling good within myself - I wanted music that got me up dancing and lifted my spirits!” Twain gushed in an Instagram caption on Friday. “I think the fact that I recorded this album with so many good hearted and talented people only amplified that! I hope the album brings you joy and empowers you to feel good in your own skin!”
Twain is no stranger to making huge leaps and strides in preparation to plunge into her Queen of Me era in full confidence. She recently opened up about why she posed nude in a photoshoot for the first time as she readied the release of Queen of Me. It took “a real leap of faith in my own courage” to take the photos, she recently told Hoda Kotb in an episode of her podcast, Making Space with Hoda Kotb. Twain powered through her boundaries in an effort to “be more relaxed and comfortable in my own skin. …I don’t even know where I got the courage to do it [the nude photoshoot]. I think I just got fed up of judging myself.”
Queen of Me enters a chapter in Twain’s music with a slight shift in the sound of her voice. The global superstar and fashion icon reflected on the “open-throat” surgeries she had in 2011, after contracting Lyme disease in 2003, and remembered feeling “petrified to make a sound,” she said in InStyle’s cover story. When she finally took that leap, “I was so excited about what came out. …It's a reminder, don't take time for granted. Don't take the opportunity for granted.”
Now that her album has finally arrived, Twain is gearing up for her international “Queen of Me Tour,” kicking off this spring and stretching to the end of 2023. The star-studded list of special guests includes Kelsea Ballerini, Lindsay Ell, Hailey Whitters, Breland, Robyn Ottolini, Priscilla Block, and Mickey Guyton. One of the sold-out stops is the June show in Nashville, Tennessee, which will be the first-ever concert held at GEODIS Park, Nashville SC’s new home. The 30,000-seat stadium opened in 2022.
“These days, I'm feeling very comfortable in my own skin - and I think this album reflects that musically,” Twain said when she announced her album and tour in October. “Life is short and I want to be uplifted, colorful, unapologetic and empowered. I want to carry a clear message, particularly as a woman, to always remember my power and I hope the songs are a reminder to you, of that same power inside you!
“I want to celebrate this new chapter with you all on my tour!” Twain continued. “Vegas has been a dream, but I’m ready to be on the road and sing with you, dance with you and have a kick a** night out with you! This one's gonna be a big party - no inhibitions, no conditions, let's get a little out of line!!
“I’ll be Queen Of Me – you be Queen of YOU! 👑”
Find the full Queen of Me album on iHeartRadio here. Listen to a few of the songs below:
“Giddy Up!”
“Pretty Liar” (warning: language)