Shania Twain: Queen of Me (EMI)
Evaluation: ****
Verdict: Ready to rule again
Raye: My 21st Century Blues (Human Re Sources)
Evaluation: ****
Conclusion: Long delayed, but worth the wait
The Wave: The Wave (transgressive)
Evaluation: ***
Conclusion: Exciting side project
Before Shania Twain broke sales records with 1997’s Come On Over, the idea that a country-pop singer could become a global superstar seemed far-fetched.
With certified sales in excess of 30 million and claims the true number is closer to 40 million, Come On Over isn’t just the biggest country album of all time — it’s one of the best-selling across the board. At the end of the 1990s, Shania was essential. Crossover hits like That Don’t Impress Me Much and Man! I feel like a woman! were never off the airwaves and the Come On Over arena tour was a box office hit. Among those paying attention was a young Taylor Swift, who admits she “learned from the best” by following Twain’s blueprint for success.
However, things didn’t go as expected for the original queen of country-pop. Next Album Up! was another big hit, but the Canadian then faded from the limelight. She almost lost her singing voice after damage to her vocal cords related to a diagnosis of Lyme disease. Her marriage to producer Mutt Lange fell apart in 2010 after he had an affair with her best friend.
Talent: Before Shania Twain began breaking sales records with 1997’s Come On Over, the idea that a country-pop singer could become a global superstar seemed far-fetched
Queen of Me: The signs for the new album are better than ever. After a Netflix documentary, Not Just A Girl, and a festival gig with Harry Styles at Coachella, the mix of country and pop is bringing Shania back to her feisty best
Performers: Her voice is now deeper and hoarse than before, but the more mature timbre suits her new material and allows Shania to carefully push a few boundaries
She returned to the studio for Now in 2017 after a 15-year absence, but it proved a lackluster comeback. Though she’s a candid reflection of her personal turmoil — in a story worthy of an old Nashville standard, she’s now married to her former best friend’s ex, Frédéric Thiébaud — she lacked her old assertiveness. The signs for the new album Queen Of Me are better. After a Netflix documentary, Not Just A Girl, and a festival gig with Harry Styles at Coachella, the mix of country and pop is bringing Shania back to her feisty best. The heartbreak moments haven’t been banished forever, but this is the story of an independent woman emerging from the bad times.
The desire to live in the moment is at the heart of opening track Giddy Up!, a trumpet-driven homage to the open road and the joys of 1990s radio-pop. It’s a theme explored in the title track: “I’ve got a life and so many other amazing things to do.” Aside from not shouting “Let’s go girls!” like she did in 1997, she couldn’t sound more upbeat.
Her voice is now deeper and hoarser than before, but the more mature timbre suits her new material and allows Shania to carefully push a few boundaries: Waking Up Dreaming is softly sung pop; Number One, with Ghostbusters hitmaker Ray Parker Jr. on backing vocals, is surprisingly funky.
The changes in her voice give the slower songs a warmer, more intimate tone. On Brand New, she adopts Taylor Swift’s conversational style by analyzing a toxic relationship and her digital footprint (“I deleted our story because you’re always so old”). The Hardest Stone is all vocal murmurs and subtle electronics.
There’s also the lovely Last Day Of Summer co-written with singer Jack Savoretti. The song’s strummed guitars and dreamy harmonies strike a typical balance between pop and country, but also owe a debt to Savoretti’s nostalgic 2021 album Europiana.
“I can name all the planets by heart,” sings Shania. The stars are in their favor again.
The road to Raye’s first album was also rocky. The south London singer (born Rachel Keen) isn’t a new name, having landed a four-album deal with Polydor in 2014. Frustrated that the label wouldn’t let her release an album, she broke up with her in 2021 and is now releasing music independently.
My 21st Century Blues is the emotionally charged album the 25-year-old says she’s always wanted to make, and it captures an intriguing talent. Its 15 tracks shift between genres — jazzy piano tracks, bluesy guitar numbers, trip-hop, hip-hop and R&B — but it frames Raye as a versatile performer who can rap softly and sing or fly with venom.
Independent: The road to Raye’s first album was also rocky. The south London singer (born Rachel Keen) isn’t a new name, having landed a four-album deal with Polydor in 2014. Frustrated that the label wouldn’t let her release an album, she broke up with her in 2021 and is now releasing music independently
Gifted: My 21st Century Blues is the emotionally charged album the 25-year-old says she’s always wanted to make, and it captures an intriguing talent
The “broken glass” of her late teens and early 20s provides much inspiration. On Hard Out Here, she vents her anger at the music business. “There is no wrath like a despised woman. . . They were sitting on diamonds,” she sings. Escapism, a No. 1 single in January, paints a bleak picture of a descent into substance abuse (which, thankfully, is now behind her).
Their male partners don’t fare well either. Channeling Amy Winehouse, the heartbreaking Oscar Winning Tears is a grand, orchestral ballad. Mary Jane shares how a bad relationship drove her to drinking. But despite the slings and arrows, their story is one of survival. “I’ve waited seven years for this moment,” she tells us at the end of the track “Fin.” It was worth it.
Blur side projects are piling up ahead of the group’s two Wembley Stadium shows in July.
Last month, drummer Dave Rowntree released his charming but weak solo debut, Radio Songs, while a new LP by Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz is three weeks away.
Guitarist Graham Coxon is also involved with the first album by his new band The Waeve.
Music: Blur side projects are arriving tight and fast ahead of the group’s two shows at Wembley Stadium in July. Pictured: Rose Elinor Douglas and Graham Coxon of The Waeve
Pronounced ‘the wave’, the duo, formed with musical (and romantic) partner Rose Elinor Dougall, specialize in experimental yet melodic pop. Before Graham took up guitar he was a saxophonist and this instrument, multi-tracked for added effect, dominates several songs, with keyboards added by Rose, who shares lead vocals. It’s a fascinating detour before the main event in July.
Shania Twain embarks on a UK tour at OVO Hydro, Glasgow on September 14th (livenation.com). Raye kicks off her tour on March 5th at The Limelight, Belfast (ticketmaster.co.uk). The Waeve opens on the Bristol Exchange on March 19 (thewaeveofficial.com).