Shania Twain expressed her enthusiasm and pride in Taylor Swift for her significant influence on younger artists.
The Queen of Country Pop talked to Extra and raved about the Grammy-winning pop star's impact on the new generation of artists in the music industry.
"I know that she's doing the same in her own right for other young artists coming up behind her, because she is a very brave artist and a very, very hard working one," Twain said about Swift. "She's a fabulous example for anybody coming up behind her."
According to Twain, her early outfits, which might have been controversial and scandalous at the time, paved the way for artists like Swift to express themselves independently.
"When the artists themselves speak, [and] reference me, or they're showing respect or when we talk, they share that it inspired them to feel more liberated," the "Man I Feel Like A Woman" singer added. "[It] gave them a little more of a sense of self-confidence in taking those chances ... that's a huge compliment."
In the past, Twain has spoken fondly of Swift.
"She is living an exhausting existence, but she's dedicated and committed to herself, to her art, and her work," she told Haute Living in April 2024. "It isn't even about ambition, though I'm sure that most people would call her ambitious. She's an extremely hard worker, and I'm sure she's got giant goals. But it's not all about ambition: It's about passion and committing yourself to your passion."
Twain and Swift have similar origins. Both came from the country music lane, but Swift and Twain have crossed over to the pop scene and emerged victorious.
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Now hailed as the Queen of Country Pop, Twain has influenced artists like Swift to explore different genres.
In her Haute Living interview, Twain maintained that she was just "trying" to be "original," her "authentic self," and do everything with "conviction" when talking about her decision to crossover from country to pop.
"I'm an expressive person, and I put that into my music. I was saying it with attitude and with confidence because I meant it. Yes, I see it as a great compliment when someone calls me a trailblazer, but it's not like I set out to do so. I was just being myself, and I think that's served me very well," she added.
Similarly, Swift gushed about the Canadian songstress in a 2008 blog post.
"Shania Twain walked up and introduced herself to me. Shania Twain, as in the reason I wanted to do this in the first place. Shania Twain, as in the most impressive and independent and confident and successful female artist ever to hit country music," she wrote on her Myspace blog at the time. "She walked up to me and said she wanted to meet me and tell me I was doing a great job. She was so beautiful, guys. She really is that beautiful. All the while, I was completely star struck."
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