Shania Twain - Queen Of Me (Royal Edition) (2023) [Hi-Res]

The exclamation points are back! They're right at the forefront, added to the end of "Giddy Up!," the song that opens Queen of Me, effectively announcing that Shania Twain is done with the introspection that characterized her 2017 album Now. There's nary a trace of self-reflection on Queen of Me. Those moments have been replaced by self-affirmations and celebrations, reverie punctuated by just a slight hint of romance. It's a shift from not only the manicured, mature Now but the boot-stomping hooks of Twain's imperial phase, as it moves Shania quite far away from country; the only thing Western about "Giddy Up!" is the titular phrase. Queen of Me is a relentless pop album, bedecked in spangly baubles and slathered in shiny digital effects, all designed to bring Shania Twain firmly into the pop mainstream. The change is deliberate. Twain collaborates with producers and writers who have worked with such 21st century superstars as Justin Bieber, Pitbull, and Halsey, all in an effort to give Queen of Me a fresh, sparkling sheen. There's no question that she's game -- she throws herself into the songs, not hesitating when "Pretty Liar" calls for her to curse -- and her spirits are so high they nearly counter the cacophonic cheer of the production. Nevertheless, the end results feel curiously constrained, as if Twain was dancing in front of a mirror instead of underneath a mirrorball.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine