'There Is No Other Me... And That's My Biggest Power'

The undisputed Queen of Country Pop opens up about betting on herself and what’s next as she embarks on the final leg of her tour and approaches her milestone 60th birthday

- BY CHRISTINA GARIBALDI & JAIMIE HARKIN

When Shania Twain arrived in Nashville in the early 1990s, record execs didn’t quite know what to do with her. She was clearly beautiful and talented, but her music — with its country-pop sound and sassy and unapologetically pro-woman lyrics — didn’t fit into a neat little box. “It was its own thing,” the 59-year-old singer tells Us of her unique style, admitting that there “wasn’t a lot of confidence” that she would strike a chord with audiences or the industry. “What I was saying, what I was wearing, how I was performing — all of it.”

Not staying true to her vision wasn’t an option for Twain, who will head back on the road this summer for the final dates of her aptly-titled Queen of Me Tour. (The Live Nation tour kicks off in Buffalo, NY, on July 19 and wraps Aug. 1 in Hollywood, Fla.) “I only ever cared about being as original as possible and being myself,” she says. “There is no other me. That’s my biggest power.” Believing in herself paid off. With more than 100 million records sold worldwide, Twain is the best-selling female country artist of all time. She’s changed the music landscape by bridging the gap between mainstream pop and her country roots, paving the way for future crossover artists like Taylor Swift, Kelsea Ballerini and Kacey Musgraves, all of whom credit her as a major influence.

"Every show is different," Twain tells Us of switching up songs while on tour.