Shania Twain is full of praise when it comes to Taylor Swift.
“She is living an exhausting existence, but she’s dedicated and committed to herself, to her art, and her work,” Twain, 58, said about Swift, 34, in a Haute Living cover story, published Wednesday, April 17. “It isn’t even about ambition, though I’m sure that most people would call her ambitious.”
Twain is considered the Queen of Country Pop, and she has been one of Swift’s greatest inspirations. The Canadian singer says she admires Swift’s devotion to her career.
“She’s an extremely hard worker, and I’m sure she’s got giant goals,” Twain added. “But it’s not all about ambition: It’s about passion and committing yourself to your passion.”
In 2008, Swift wrote in her blog about how meeting Twain was one of the highlights of her career.
“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,” the 14-time Grammy winner said. “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.”
Swift also praised her idol at the CMA Music Festival in 2010.
“I remember when I was a little kid, I used to see Shania Twain and I just remember thinking if I ever got a chance, by some crazy streak of luck to be on a stage, I’d want to do as much as I could to say thank you,” she said at the time.
The two singers performed together at the 2019 American Music Awards, and in a 2021 TikTok video, the Eras Tour star thanked Twain for disproving the notion that “country girls can’t go pop” over the course of her career.
“It wasn’t like I intended on being a trailblazer or anything,” Twain told Haute Living about paving the way for genre-bending artists such as Swift.
“I was just trying to be original, my authentic self, and to do it with conviction,” she continued. “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.”
Twain and Swift have become so close over the years, they see themselves as family.
“I feel like I’m her aunt or something,” Twain said in an October 2023 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. “We’re in sync in a lot of ways and I really have a lot of respect and compassion … The weight of any young artist in her position is enormous, and she just gets through it seemingly so effortlessly but we all know that it’s not. It’s a lot of effort. A lot of work. She’s a hard, hard worker.”
The “You’re Still the One” singer was also flattered when Swift was spotted wearing a Shania Twain T-shirt in New York City.
“It’s really cool. I think that was sweet of her,” she told Barrymore, 49. “She’s a doll and a great role model for girls.”
