Have you spent every day of the last two weeks waking up and feeling like you were still dreaming, still on cloud nine?
Yes? You, too?
In the case, how was your night with Shania Twain at MSG? As outstanding as ours? We hope so!
Earlier this month, on July 11, Shania Twain brought the exuberance of Las Vegas to the World’s Most Famous Arena. This is something she has been doing all summer long – taking stages and sparkling on them unforgivingly. (Bright lights and neon on-screen graphics depicting Twain’s ‘saloon’ aren’t enough. In the words of Taylor Swift, the mega-star arrives on stage every night truly bejeweled. It’s almost as if her distinct voice and plethora of hits is an afterthought to the brilliantly fahsion-forward performance.)
Today the first run of the Queen of Me Tour comes to an end, so we’re reflecting on our time with the Queen of Country. Fans of all ages have flocked to the venues who hosted her and this whirlwind of a tour – from Music City with special guest Kelsea Ballerini to New York City with tri-state native Breland to her Quebec City with our friend TALK later this fall. It’s a concert to behold, and, as we said, one that brings the bright and shiny happenings of Sin City to an arena near you. It’s a beautifully joyful and perfectly choreographed night out – one that stay with you for mornings to come.
Although cowboy hats have become a staple at shows of just about any genre thanks to Gen Z, it was still surprising just how many concert-goers were donning the accessory at Madison Square Garden. It’s summer in the Big Apple! If you didn’t arrive with your own cowboy hat in hand or sitting gently on top of your hair (One could not be in the presence of Miss Twain with hat hair or flat hair. Man, she hates that.), the merchandise tables had you covered with pink hats that lit up and read ‘Giddy Up!’ above the brim – a nod, pun intended, to the second single from her latest LP. Needless to say, there are no shortage of bare heads at a Shania Twain concert, whether it’s a modern day performance, a look back at a nineties show, an indoor concert, or outdoors.
Genre-defier Breland was a majority of the Queen of Me Tour’s supporting act on the East Coast. And rightfully so! The sleek and soulful 20-something shares a home state with us! New Jersey representation was all over this run of dates with the Canadian-born, Switzerland-living superstar, which warms our heart. He’s also a simple, but effective storyteller. For someone who builds soundscapes out of everything from the origins of rap to the most folksy of country music, his original songs are concise and digestible. He could (and seems to be able to) make a fan out of anyone. MSG opened their hearts to him immediately – to the point that everyone was genuinely stoked to see him return to the stage for not one, but two songs alongside Twain.
Stars were in the eyes of every single fan inside of MSG this night and all throughout Shania Twain’s headlining set. One cannot help but look at the decade-spanning trailblazer and not be in complete awe. Her oldest tracks have stood the test of time, with some hitting even harder now. The somber moments come from a place of grace and gratitude. Those then get juxtaposed by sensual moments of dance and model-status posing atop a motorcycle. Line-dancing a lá backwater bars and city slicker nightclub bouncing all find a spot in the show, led wholly and completely by the singer. Still, her backing band, dancers, crew, friends, and fans have their moment – literally and figuratively.
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This tour is proof of two things (outside of Miss Twain loving her fans and cowboy hats being a complete and utter fashion staple):
- What happens in Vegas does not have to stay in Vegas – theatrics, talent, thrill.
- Things do get better with age – wine, style, Shania Twain’s high-kicks.
Not only does Shania Twain take requests from the lucky fan (or fans, as two friends descended down the rows of the arena during our show) that get called on stage, she also does a medley of less-pressing, but still fan-favorite tracks – songs like “When” and “She’s Not Just a Pretty Face,” which are two personal favorites of this diehard fan. Longtime listeners also are treated to the “OG” numbers – the cowboy hat songs, if you will. “Any Man of Mine” and “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?” are as on-your-feet-exciting and bold as “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” and “Queen of Me.” (However, that last one, of which the tour is named after, was not performed at The Garden. Was it missed? Not quite. The concert, like everything the singer does, was too full of life to look back and regret anything – played, not played, missed, or heard. You’re too caught up in the bucketlist moment that a Shania show feels like, the über-empowering testament of womanhood, and genuine fun that every single person in a half-mile-radius seems to be having.)
Going back to the topic of special guests on stage and memorable happenings, we would be remiss to not make a note the most vital of moments we experienced: the surprise honoring of a plaque worthy of… well, what feels like an innumerable amount of record sales. Come On Over, her 1997 chart-topping LP has just reached Double Diamond Platinum status, RIAA certified, just shy of its 25th anniversary. The history-making album took Shania Twain from country music star to pop music legend, had a record-breaking 12 singles out of its 16 tracks, and has led to more costume and style inspiration than probably ever anticipated. (The iconic top-hat-satin-suit combo from the “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” music video makes a cameo during this tour’s encore… and it’s the actual, authentic outfit from the 25-year-old video. The Garden was lucky enough to also have its original designer in attendance – no big deal.)
Close friend of Twain and Today Show personality Hoda Kotb surprised the songstress for a bond-fueling duet of “(You’re) Still the One” that led to the most melodic, heartwarming sing-a-long that the venue has ever seen since Harry Styles and Kacey Musgraves covered the track back in 2018. It was a legendary moment for a legendary artist who has yet another legendary feat under her rhinestone-studded belt.
In addition to the stars we mentioned above, tears were also in everyone’s eyes. It was special, rare, and made the longevity of this career feel grounded in reality, no matter how unrealistic it is for an artist to sell that many records (pre-streaming, at that). This is a superstar that ‘rocked this country,’ but also every other country in the world. An international success doesn’t even begin to cut it when it comes to all that this performer is, was, does, and will continue to do.
A Shania Twain concert is a bonding experience. It is lights fireworks inside of you and inspires you to chase your dreams, love yourself, find your best friends, and be as bold as humanly possible. The entertainer is humble and thoughtful, gracious with her time, conscious of her setlist, and wise in the warmest, most motherly, yet popstar-y way possible. Her voice is nearly flawless with inflections and emotions crystal clear, and it just as evident as the fact that she is savoring every opportunity, every moment, every night on this stage, on this tour, in this city, in this life. We hope it really is “up from here” for her – for us – always, because nobody wants to stop these nights or the ‘waking up dreaming’ that follows.
