“Queen of Me” Album Review

Story posted February 13, 2023 in Arts & Entertainment by Isabel Sweet.

“Queen of Me” Shania Twain Album Review

Shania Twain is a Canadian singer who made her debut in the early 90s. Although she’s well known in the country genre, in recent years she has crossed over into a pop-country combo.

Twain has sold over 100 million records and has become known as one of the top female country artists of all time. She has recorded six studio albums since 1993, the first titled, “Shania Twain”.

Since then, her fanbase continues to expand with each passing year. She’s done countless guest appearances, talk shows, tours and more. With this in mind, it’s sad to say she wasn’t exactly her original self in this album.

“Queen of Me” is an example of the aforementioned pop-country crossover. Although it’s fun to mix it up, it doesn’t do Twain justice. The lyrics seemed too immature for her.

Her voice has a rare sound, and throughout the album she barely uses her distinctive twang. It seems as though she is trying to keep up with the trends of today…and it’s not working.

The album portrays a variety of emotions. There are a few party, break up and girl boss songs. One thing they have in common is their lyric structures.

Many of the album’s songs have an abundance of repetition of the lyrics. For example, “You’re my best friend that’s who you are” in “Pretty Liar” or “My number one” in “Number One”. Many pop genre songs do contain repetition, but in this regard it’s extreme.

Additionally, a few lyrics didn’t quite make sense like they should. A main example is “Curiosity/Everybody knows how it goes for a cat” in “The Hardest Stone”, referencing the idiom, “curiosity killed the cat…”. It makes sense in theory, but the break between lines is very confusing.

Another lyric, though not odd in context, is, “I’m not just a girl” in “I’m Just A Girl”. Twain is in her late 50s. It’s weird for her to refer to herself as a girl when she’d generally be classified as a woman.

However, there are some fun lyrics including, “I pack my suitcases/I’m going places” in “Not Just A Girl”. The rhyme scheme and delivery of the lyric was very playful.

The second example is,“You’ll always be the same old you, but I’m a brand new me” in “Brand New”. The lyric was structurally well-written.

As for the instrumentals of the songs, a lot of it was production. There were few times when an actual guitar or other instrument could be clearly heard. The only song that stood out in that regard was, “Inhale/Exhale AIR”.

The first thought that came to mind was: Barbie movie, particularly in “Waking Up Dreaming”. The songs seemed more relatable to twenty-something-year-olds who should be singing about first loves. Although love songs can be sung at any age, first love is pushing it for Twain.

The album overall was good but did not equal the stature that Twain has earned for herself these past few decades. But for those who still love her, and this album, she has her “Queen of Me” tour beginning in April of this year.

Rating: 4/10

Reviewer’s Favorite Song(s): “Waking Up Dreaming” & “Pretty Liar”
Reviewer’s Least Favorite Song(s): “Got It Good” & “The Hardest Stone”

Isabel Sweet is a first-year majoring in communications. To contact her, email ips5219@psu.edu