“You can be king of everything, because I’m busy being the queen of me”
Us pop-punk kids have top-tier taste in music. Everything from blink-182 to Simple Plan to Paramore. We love the music that cuts deep and makes you want to get up and smash into things. We have to admit, sometimes that love for the pop side of the genre takes over. Maybe it even bleeds into a bit of country-pop. We know we have our Swifties out there in the scene. However, long before Taylor—there was Shania and, man, do we love her (just ask our very own Fish).
Shania Twain has had a hold on us since the early 80s and her grip is just getting tighter. There’s nothing that gets a crowd going like “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” or “That Don’t Impress Me Much”. The opening chords to any of her hits send a shockwave through our systems that may as well make us feral. Now with her brand new album Queen of Me, she’s proving that time has nothing on her. She just keeps getting better.
Queen of Me is an incredible title for this album because Shania is on some next-level Queen shit. We’ve had the privilege of living with “Giddy Up” for a bit now—we know the song and we love it. It feels like classic Shania; it’s the kind of track where, if you’re at a bar and it starts playing, you immediately jump off your barstool to dance. The music video even gives you the moves you need to line-dance your heart out. “Giddy Up” is also the perfect taste of what’s to come with this record.
Shania knows how to get you feeling a wide range of emotions. Songs like “Brand New” and “Pretty Liar” makes you want to post the song to your Instagram story with your hottest thirst trap so your ex knows you’re better off without them. Not just because you want to stick it to them, but because you really are. “Brand New” reminds you that, “You’ll always be the same old you, but I’m a brand new me.” She slows us down a bit for this song but it truly hits you if you’ve ever grown up while someone you used to love stays the exact same.
“Pretty Liar” will be the song you shout out your car window on your next girls’ night out. There is something about hearing Shania sing, “Your pants are on fire. You’re such a fucking liar,” that is so energizing, you can’t help but scream along.
It’s not all heartbreak though. Shania will make your heart flutter with “Got it Good”. She sings, “I know you’re down lately, but I’ve got your baby. I’ve got it good. I’m not letting go of your heart,” and you’ll be struck with Cupid’s arrow (and wondering how to make Shania your Valentine). The warmth in her voice is a hug that doesn’t let go.
While Queen of Me has a lot of love and heartbreak, Shania also has exactly what we need to get inspired. The line “We won’t stop at the ceiling, so let’s keep waking up dreaming,” in “Waking Up Dreaming”, makes you want to remove the limits in your own brain. The beat of the drums and the guitar riffs back up the lyrics in a way that immediately releases serotonin and gets your heart racing.
We couldn’t let another moment go by without mentioning the title track. Shania lets confidence reign when she sings, “You can be king of everything, because I’m busy being the queen of me.” This is an anthem for anyone who has taken their life back from the hands of others. I think back to younger pop stars like Taylor singing, “Time won’t fly, it’s like I’m paralyzed by it, I’d like to be my old self again, But I’m still trying to find it,” or Olivia Rodrigo singing, “Now I don’t want your sympathy, I just want myself back,” and imagine that “Queen of Me” is what comes next. It reminds you that you are the star of your own life and you should be damn proud of that. Shania knows who she is and she embraces it exactly as she should.
With that said, these songs have a couple of things in common. Whether they are a bit slower or they make you want to get up and dance, there is a great beat. Shania Twain’s voice is as iconic and beautiful as ever. Her lyrics are fun yet still meaningful. However, the best part about this whole album is that all of these tracks are empowering.
This isn’t a new theme for the country-pop artist. For decades she has fully embodied what it means to be a confident woman and has always encouraged others to confident too—and we are eternally grateful for that. Queen of Me will leave you buzzing with motivation to follow her lead in being exactly who you are, and have fun while you do it. I mean, what’s more pop-punk than telling people who you are and not giving a shit if they like it?
Stream it, Buy it, Skip it?: Buy this album. The Queen has spoken.
