Shania Twain Revealed Why She Almost Chose a Different Career
Shania Twain’s career has been truly remarkable, and she’s among the most popular and best-selling country music stars ever. Known for her famous hits, such as “You’re Still The One,” “From This Moment On,” and “Whose Bed Has Your Boots Been Under,” the singer rose to fame in the late ’90s and has earned herself legendary titles such as the “Queen of Country Pop.”
While it’s hard imagining Twain doing anything other than singing, the 57-year-old country star revealed that she would’ve chosen a different career path if she hadn’t embraced her singing talent. In fact, the celebrated singer would be a songwriter in an alternate universe.
Twain is the best-selling female musician in country music
The superstar’s musical journey began when she was a child. According to her biography on AllMusic, she learned how to play the guitar at a very young age. Soon after, she began writing and singing. Once her parents noticed how talented she was, they pushed her to perform on-stage in local bars, community events, and on several on TV and radio shows.
Shania Twain officially launched her career in 1993 when she released her self-titled debut album. Although this album did not do well on the US charts, it won an award at the Country Music Television Europe awards, where she was named the “Rising Video Star of the Year.”
In 1995, the Queen of Me singer and her then-husband, Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange, a hard rock music producer, released her second album, The Woman in Me. The first released single, “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under,” was number 11 on the US Country Music charts during the spring. Her second single from the album, “Any Man of Mine,” became number one soon after.
Furthermore, the album’s track list was number 14 during the months of fall. Her fourth single, “If You’re Not In It For Love, I’m Outta Here,” topped the charts at the beginning of 1996. Also, her second album had sold more than six million copies by this time. She had also broken the set record of most weeks occupying the number one spot on the country music charts.
Twain enjoyed a lot of success with her next album, Come On Over, in 1997. Like The Woman in Me, Come On Over also sold more than 10 million copies in the US. She then released Up, which was less successful than her other albums because it only sold approximately 5.5 million copies. Toward the end of 2004, the country star released Greatest Hits. It went triple platinum in the US and topped the Billboard Charts by landing the number two spot.
The beginning of Shania Twain’s career path
Ever since she was young, the country star loved to write songs. In an interview with Capsule, she shared how much she loved music but was always shy about getting on stage. She did not want so much attention, thus her preference for being a songwriter over a singer.
But, Twain’s mother encouraged her to become a singer, leading her to do the performance part primarily for her. Unfortunately, when her mother died, Twain thought of quitting performing as she was questioning whom she was doing it for.
Luckily, a friend of hers from Canada convinced her not to quit. Since she is the eldest of four, she had to get a job to raise her siblings. This is how she ended up at Deerhurst, where she performed ballads and rock while meeting other talented musicians. Her job at Deerhurst enabled her to get a record deal with Mercury Records Nashville and release her debut album.
Shania Twain releases a new album in 2023
Five years after the release of Twain’s first studio album, Now, she debuted Queen of Me at the beginning of February 2023. According to The Boot, the country star used her new album to vocalize her perseverance, self-acceptance, and healing journey. The new album features 12 tracks, but an exclusive CD release at Target stores will include two bonus tracks.
Since the 2000s, Twain states that she underwent numerous personal challenges. From the divorce from her first husband to being diagnosed with Lyme disease and dysphonia to finding love with her current husband, Frederic Thiebaud, the country star confesses that she is ready to rekindle her feisty and feminine energy as she crafts a new creative era for herself.
Upon releasing her album, Twain also revealed that she would be headlining her tour, which starts on April 28 and continues until the end of November. With other talented artists, including Tenille Townes, Kelsea Ballerini, Hailey Whitters, Lindsay Ell, and many more, the artist will visit numerous cities worldwide and entertain her fans by performing her best hits over the years.
