The 2 Artists Shania Twain Thinks Are ‘The Epitome of Vocal Soul’

Shania Twain has become known in the past two decades for her hit songs and unique take on country music that was considered revolutionary when she first debuted. Twain followed in a long line of women in country music who paved the way for her, along with several other artists who informed her singing style.

Shania Twain looked up to many artists before she became famous

Shania Twain grew up listening to several iconic artists including Karen Carpenter, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Patsy Cline. Some even likened her artistry to that of Karen Carpenter, while Twain had an affinity for Parton due to her rags-to-riches story similar to her own. She loved Parton’s heartfelt song “Coat of Many Colors” for that reason.

She admires Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight’s ‘vocal soul’

When thinking about how she developed her distinct voice and approach to music, Twain pulls from a variety of influences. She spoke about some of the vocalists she looks up to in her 2011 memoir From This Moment On.

“I developed my joy of singing from listening to a wide range of vocalists, some of whom did not necessarily leave a detectable imprint on my own approach to personal style and development of self-taught techniques,” she said. “For instance, Stevie Wonder. He slides around notes with such ease. As a vocal exercise, I used to pay his records and study every bend and nuance to help me develop more agility. His timing and pitch were so technically correct, yet he sang with enough soul to keep me musically high for life. Singing along with him was an intense vocal exercise.”

“Gladys Knight is another voice I couldn’t get enough of, as it touched me somewhere deeper than I could ever reach with my own voice,” she added. “For me, Stevie and Gladys represent the epitome of vocal soul.”

She became an international superstar herself

Shania Twain would go on to become a highly regarded singer-songwriter herself. She released her self-titled debut album in 1993, and showed that she was a force to be reckoned with with her 1995 sophomore album The Woman In Me.

In 1997, Twain became an international phenomenon with the release of her third album Come On Over. The album spawned several hit singles including “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “You’re Still the One,” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”. She would embark on a two-year world tour and the album would set a record for the most albums sold by a solo female artist in history.

Twain continued her success with her 2002 album Up!, followed by another world tour. Twain eventually began developing vocal issues, which she later confirmed was a result of being diagnosed with Lyme disease. Twain spent several years off the road, eventually taking the stage again in the early 2010s for her first-ever Las Vegas residency. She released Now, her first album in 15 years, in 2017, and returned for a second Las Vegas residency.

In October 2022, Twain announced that her sixth studio album Queen of Me will be out in February 2023. The album’s release was preceded by the singles “Waking Up Dreaming” and “Last Day of Summer.”