The late '90s were such a great time for pop/country crossover divas. We were blessed with the Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Trisha Yearwood and most importantly, the all-mighty Shania Twain. Growing up with a mom who loved these crossover queens, I was raised on this stuff. The music of Shania Twain was just casual nostalgia for me until this week when I really started listening to the lyrics. I was texting my friend, who was having boy problems, while listening to "That Don't Impress Me Much." I then decided that "That Don't Impress Me Much" is the ultimate anti-f**kboy anthem of the late '90s. I started thinking about it, and I realized that Shania truly has some strong feminism behind her lyrics.
Shania's 1997 hit "That Don't Impress Me Much" is just as relevant today as it was almost 20 years ago as the ultimate anti-f**kboy anthem. She says that just because a man has a car or looks like the gorgeous Brad Pitt, that doesn't mean that he can just automatically charm her. This amazing jam silences those boys who feel like they're entitled to a woman because they have some nice things or think they're hot.
The classic hit "Man, I Feel like a Woman!" destroyed gender roles before I even knew what gender roles were. She also boasts about how awesome and beautiful and wonderful being a woman truly is. This song is such an underrated pre going out song, truly. "Man, I Feel like a Woman!" was my jam when I was 4, and it still is now that I'm 20 years old.
"Any Man of Mine" is the song all about how Shania won't change herself for any man and it's so inspiring. If she wears last year's dress or is being indecisive one day, her man will just have to deal with it. If that man doesn't want to deal with it, on to the next one. Truly amazing.
A lesser known Shania song called "If You Wanna Touch Her, Ask!" is all about how a man needs to wait and get to know and respect a lady before just taking her home. She also stresses the importance of consent, which some people clearly still have a problem understanding these days.
I will now delve into Shania's personal life a bit. First of all, she does not age. This woman looks more beautiful today than she did when she first came onto the scene. Also, she's Canadian, which just makes her a bit above everybody else. Lastly, she was cheated on by her first husband, and she held her composure like the queen that she is. She exacted her revenge by marrying his best friend, which is a bit of a mixed message, but, either way, Shania ended up on top.
Thank you, Shania, for being a classy, sassy superstar. For those of you who have not been touched by Shania's beauty, you can only go up from here.
