This has been a momentous week for Shania Twain, and it was topped off by an extended stay on “Today” on June 16 for the most successful female artist in country music. The prolific lady of song has hardly been hiding over the last 15 years, but she has also had to literally find her voice again as she moved past tremendous heartbreak. Just yesterday, she released the official version of “Life's About to Get Good,” and even better, the release date and the title her first full album of new music in a decade and a half. “Now” will be released September 29 in both standard and deluxe versions, and to celebrate Shania Twain sang not just the single, but also the second song from her collection.
She got a big fan-girl hug from co-host, Hoda Kotb, and the warm reception welcomed Shania all morning long. She shared why “Now” means so much to her personally and creatively, and returned the showers of affection in many ways, from helping out some dads to dishing up a vegetarian burger dinner between songs.
In Shania-style
No one but Shania Twain could look so fabulous this early in the morning, and she made the wait worth it for the huge gallery of fans stretching across Rockefeller Plaza. Her performance ensemble was black suede with lace sleeves, and dangling long silver fringe from her jacket. It was evident from photographs that Shania Twain made her sound check a time to mingle with fans up close and personal in her white T-shirt.
She sang her infectious new song that apparently had already found its place on the playlists of many in the crowd who sang every word, then she made several wardrobes and set transitions for her “Today” stint.
Sitting for a chat with Al Roker and Sheinelle Jones, Shania broke into a spontaneous duet of her hit, “Honey, I'm Home” with Jones, and commiserated when the co-host said she didn't know why she had to wait so long for new Shania Twain songs.
“It is a long time, I'm so excited for this new music. I wish it could be out now,” the songwriter admitted. The Interlude will allow Twain to reintroduce herself to a new generation of fans, just as the span in creating the album allowed the composer to find confidence again. She describes the single as being about “finding independence” and “scaring the hell out of myself .” She deliberately chose to make this a completely solo effort, writing every song on her own, and not wanting the album to sound like the catalog of hits with her ex-husband and collaborator,
Robert “Mutt” Lange.
The couple ended their marriage in 2010, but the process of healing from the trauma and heartbreak was a long process for Shania.
Pain oozes from the lyrics of the “Good” song with an honesty and acceptance of a reality that is different from past Shania Twain tunes. “It killed me that you’d give your life to be with her,” one line speaks. Another asserts her own determination to “get strong” with the understanding that “it hurts to heal.” Those words show a vulnerability that is welcome and unusual for Twain, and the song turns to “the excitement when you find there really is light at the end of the tunnel” according to the songwriter. The final line in the chorus echoes that life is about “forgiving and the will to walk away” before being ready to find new love.
Baseball, burgers and another swinging song
Shania Twain fans have always loved how the singer keeps it very real, and she answered questions about an “accident” prompted by her stage fright at high school performance, and how the moving words of “From This Moment On” came to her during a boring soccer game! She admitted that her dysphonia is something that she has to “work at,” but she refuses to let the condition brought on by Lyme disease and emotional distress rob her of music. Her first collection of songs was a reflection of finding love through music, and now, Shania Twain is embracing life and love again on her own terms through the healing of music.
Speaking of sports, the Canadian native helped a dad from Texas during a game of baseball history, not too shabby.
Then she donned her apron and made a vegetarian version of a cheese-bacon and ranch dressing burger with the gooey good stuff in the middle. How else can Shania Twain stay in her gorgeous shape? She said that her son, Eja, would love the dish.
The day wasn't over for the singer. She sang out stronger than ever on “That Don't Impress Me Much” and “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” with her audience singing the chorus not enough to drown her out. She gave out goody baskets, and lingered for as many signings special moments as possible, soaking in the love. The morning of mutual affection came to a close with “Swingin’ With My Eyes Closed,” another sports-inspired song that came to Shania Twain when she wished she could be watching a baseball game instead of being in bed. The message is clear—this is one artist who has learned many times through life that a person has to keep swinging. Her fans are ready to catch all the musical pitches she’s got.
