Showing laudable resilience after huge parts of her arsenal were torn away, ‘Queen Of Me’ is an entertaining and vibrant pop record from Shania Twain that, when it strikes the right equilibrium between her unique input and some necessary production choices, represents a nice cathartic pick me up.
Over the past 15 years Twain has been through some things. In 2010, she divorced producer and co-writer Mutt Lange and, on top of that, following years of throat problems, a potentially career ending surgery in 2018 left the singer with a noticeably different timbre to her voice.
While those issues also informed the Canadian country-pop giant’s previous record, 2017’s ‘Now’, it’s hard to listen to this album, which revolves around empowering ideas of independence and sense of self, without feeling those battles have almost forced her to sculpt a contemporary, sometimes generic, sounding effort.
Where Shania’s sassy, spine-tingling delivery once made a song’s instrumentation and arrangements bounce to her will, the vocals here are often deeper, huskier, less organic and not always capable of expressing her sentiments with the same dynamism.
Alongside her measured and often restrained delivery, the record’s producers have deployed a lot of digital tricks and carefully layered backing vocals to bolster the uplifting payoffs on Brand New and Waking Up Dreaming. Fortunately, this modern aesthetic will actually fit rather nicely alongside younger acts on contemporary radio.
On other cuts, however, such choices make her resemble those ‘kids’ a little too closely. The dreamy Inhale/Exhale Air, for example, is one of many tracks to utilise Taylor Swift-esque melodies, representing something of a full circle moment where the teacher cribs from her apprentice.
The producers were clearly walking a fine line here and results are mixed. There are moments when they go too far and, on the brittle Best Friend, not far enough, but Twain’s stellar songwriting and sense of optimism are potent enough to overcome any hurdles and deliver some great moments.
Giddy Up!, the only number to boast a vague element of country thanks to its boot-stomping beat, and the explicitly gleeful take down Pretty Liar, a track Swift will be jealous she didn’t write, are hook-laden delights. Equally, Last Day Of Summer and The Hardest Stone find the balance between soulful emoting and picturesque ambience.
At the height of her fame, there were always sexist, specious accusations that Lange had made Twain’s career. What a load of rubbish. He might have shepherded her records as he did classics by AC/DC and Def Leppard, but the producer was never the puppet master some have claimed. His trick was to take great artists and help them realise their potential.
Yet, all those acts were never the same without his input. Something was missing. ‘Now’ and ‘Queen Of Me’ are no different. But Twain has enough strings to her bow to craft this pleasingly varied and mostly fine album that, although neither adding to nor detracting from her game-changing legacy, reminds us what a talent she is in her own right.
Shania Twain Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu September 14 2023 - GLASGOW OVO Hydro
Sat September 16 2023 - LONDON O2 Arena
Sun September 17 2023 - LONDON O2 Arena
Tue September 19 2023 - DUBLIN 3Arena
Wed September 20 2023 - DUBLIN 3Arena
Fri September 22 2023 - GLASGOW OVO Hydro
Sat September 23 2023 - GLASGOW OVO Hydro
Mon September 25 2023 - MANCHESTER AO Arena
Tue September 26 2023 - BIRMINGHAM Utilita Arena
Thu September 28 2023 - LEEDS first direct Arena
Fri September 29 2023 - KINGSTON UPON THAMES PRYZM Kingston
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