She’s Still the One: Shania Twain explains her staying power with a new generation of stars

Decades after she put out her biggest hits, Shania Twain is still one of country music’s most beloved figures. Her reach extends far beyond her generation, and far beyond her home genre, too.

Both of those facts were clear at Coachella last week, when Shania was the surprise guest during Harry Styles’ sold-out set.

While Shania was self-admittedly “starstruck” in the moment, she reflected on her immense staying power in an interview with journalist Steve Baltin for his upcoming book, Anthems We Love: 29 Iconic Artists on the Songs That Shaped Our Lives.

According to Variety, Shania told Baltin that over the years, she’s started realizing that many of her most fervent fans are Harry’s age, or even younger. “I’d be thinking, ‘Where are they coming from? I haven’t been on tour in so long. No new music in so long,’” the singer said.

“So I asked a few of them and they’re like, ‘My first concert was Shania Twain when I was six,’ or ‘when I was three,’ or ‘when I was eight,’” she continues. “And I’m thinking, ‘Wow, you guys were the kids that were lining up at the stage.’ We had to set up special security so that kids could approach the stage.’”

Now, some of those kids are big stars themselves, and it’s not just Harry: Post Malone famously fan-girled out while Shania was performing “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” at the 2019 American Music Awards. Drake once dubbed her his “Woman Crush Wednesday,” but he’s got some competition from Nick Jonas, who called Shania his “lifetime crush” after seeing her Las Vegas residency show.

Of course, Shania gets her props from country music, too. Most recently, she and Kelsea Ballerini remixed Kelsea’s “Hole in the Bottle” as a duet.