SHE is four decades into her career, with five world tours and more than 100million record sales under her belt.
But as she sits down with Bizarre’s Jack Hardwick in Las Vegas for her only UK newspaper chat ahead of her third residency, in Sin City, Shania Twain insists she is far from ready to slow down.
In fact the singer, who is two years off turning 60, trains like an athlete — exercising like a woman half her age and banning solid food before shows.
“I am an athlete, I have to breathe, I have to project. I have to pace everything,” says Shania as she nurses a black tea backstage.
“I only drink fluids all day until after the show.
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“I drink my food, so I blend my food.
“Lots of blended spinach and blueberries.”
After I admit to her I would be desperate to demolish a burger, come curtain down, she says with a smile: “After the show I am ready to chew.
“I am vegetarian, so I only eat vegetarian proteins, but I will eat whatever. I don’t eat like a rabbit.
“I am happy to have pasta, and I will have a glass of champagne after the show — I like to celebrate.
“It’s got to be good quality but I’m not a snob about it.”
So what about Prosecco, which I admit is my preferred tipple?
“Prosecco is an afternoon champagne,” Shania laughs.
“There is nothing not refined about it, it’s just too light for night time.
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“That’s a lunch bubbly.”
Another sag
The star’s hardcore regime means she is fitter and more confident than ever.
And refreshingly, it means Shania has sworn off any kind of surgery favoured by Hollywood’s elite.
She says: “I decided that wherever there was a mirror and I was naked in my house or hotel, that I would keep the lights on and I would look in the mirror.
“A lot of people as they start ageing — and even young people — they don’t want to look at themselves in the mirror naked, and I think that is such a shame.
“Every month or day that I may notice another sag or another bit of cellulite, I want to know it’s there.
“I want to be OK with it instead of thinking, I have to cover it up or not to look.
“I can’t change it and I don’t plan on changing it superficially.
“The surgery on my larynx [in 2018] was necessary for my wellbeing.
“A surgery that is not necessary for my wellbeing is removing my cellulite.
“What is necessary is knowing that it is there and not hating myself for it.
“I have to take myself on the stage without feeling like I have to cover myself up.
“I want to feel liberated.”
Her Vegas show, Come On Over: All The Hits, features a 21-song setlist heavily inspired by her 1997 album Come On Over.
Rousing renditions of Man! I Feel Like A Woman! and That Don’t Impress Me Much are on the bill, along with Giddy Up! and Waking Up Dreaming from her latest record Queen Of Me.
“I do things that keep me on the edge so it stays exciting for me,” Shania tells me.
“I am celebrating all the way.
“When I lost my projection in my voice I never thought I would even maintain a singing career.
“I had no idea I would still be doing this.
“It is a lot of hard work, don’t get me wrong.
“But when I’m having fun I am eating it up.
“I really mean that — I am having the best time ever.”
Thoughtfully, she adds: “Part of the job is to look like you’re having fun but I am actually having fun now.
“When you are younger there are a lot of times you don’t get to celebrate your success and you are tired, as you’re still building.
“You are worried, like, ‘Am I still going to be around tomorrow? Is my next song going to be a hit?’
“But once you have already arrived you can have fun. I am not worried about anything, to be honest.
“This show really does let go of a lot of fears and anxieties that maybe one would have as we age while up there in the spotlight.
“I care, but I don’t worry about it.”
And Shania isn’t just talking the talk.
Rather than a pop star simply going through the motions, which you might expect from a woman who started her career in 1983, from the second she bursts on to the stage at Planet Hollywood’s 7,000-capacity Bakkt Theatre, Shania is a ball of energy.
From hosting impromptu crowd singalongs as she chats to fans, to giving unfiltered anecdotes about her life, if Shania has any opening weekend nerves, she doesn’t show it.
In one candid moment that would give notorious Vegas rambler Adele a run for her money, Shania casually recalls how she lost her virginity as a child.
She has just spotted a fan’s sign declaring that she is attending her 15th show, and the singer says: “Fifteen — that’s when I lost my virginity. I’m just being honest.
“If it was my own child that is way too early, OK?
“I don’t even know why that came out.”
So can fans expect more confessions?
Black coat
Shania says: “I don’t worry what I will say, I don’t have any demons or anything like that.
“It’s not like I am going to tell a secret that I wish I hadn’t told.
“I love my audience and I feel comfortable and safe with them.”
Never one to tone down her wardrobe, Shania’s show includes no fewer than four full costume changes.
And it turns out the outfits are, impressively, some of her own handiwork.
She says: “I am terribly hands-on.
“I am sure I drive my team crazy.
“I do it myself and then bring the team in and they help me to realise the look.
“I try to start with the shoes and then build up.”
She also wears her original black coat and hat from the video to her 1997 classic Man! I Feel Like A Woman!
Shania says: “It was in a museum so getting it back was a bit of a production.
“It needs security and everything to travel.
“It’s really interesting.
“You don’t want to lose something like that.”
Shania will take to the stage in Vegas throughout the year, as well as a series of UK summer outdoor gigs including playing Glastonbury’s Legends slot next month and a headline show at BST Hyde Park on July 7.
So is she tempted by Sin City’s attractions?
She says: “One of the rare things about Vegas is that you can blend in here.
“I don’t think people ever notice me.
“I go to games, I go to restaurants, I just get out.
“I don’t have any gambling skills.
“I have no secrets to share.
“I accept that when I play I will probably lose money and if I win I am happy but I don’t have any expectations.”
Whether your chips or up or down, Shania, it’s safe to say you’ll always be a winner.
Dua so ad-mired
THE last place I’d expect to bump into Dua Lipa would be on a beach in Kent, so I’m not surprised she ended up mobbed by fans.
The singer, whose new album Training Season is at No1, was spotted wearing a black leather outfit as she filmed a new TV advert in Broadstairs.
Sunbathers ran over to get a picture, leaving the production team having to call in some heavies to keep selfies to a minimum.
Luckily for Dua, she was spared the usual horrors of having to have a quick change behind a windbreaker and had rented a local apartment to get changed in.
That’s definitely the best way of keeping sand out of the cracks . . .
Next week in bizness
TUESDAY: Cannes Film Festival kicks off with a grand opening.
Top stars including Meryl Streep, Lily Gladstone and Eva Green are expected, along with Barbie director Greta Gerwig.
The first film to be shown is Lea Seydoux’s comedy The Second Act.
WEDNESDAY: The Spring Ball, which raises money for charity, takes place in London, with stars such as Alexandra Burke and Denise van Outen attending.
THURSDAY: Nickelback are here for their first tour in six years, kicking off at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow.
FRIDAY: Girls Aloud launch their comeback tour in Dublin’s 3Arena before performing dates across the UK.
Zayn Malik stages a one-off solo show at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London to celebrate the release of his new album, Room Under The Stairs.
Meanwhile, Billie Eilish also drops her third album, Hit Me Hard And Soft.
SATURDAY: Heartstopper actor Bradley Riches is celebrating his engagement to boyfriend Scott Johnston in London tonight with a huge bash at a posh hotel.
BEST OF 3, JEDWARD?
WATCH out, Eurovision! Next year’s line-up could feature an unlikely new supergroup – Jedward with Bizarre’s Associate Editor Howell Davies.
Our man joined the twins on stage for an impromptu performance of Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way at a pre-contest lunch in Malmo, thrown by the event’s official travel partner, booking.com.
The duo, John and Edward Grimes, have represented Ireland twice and suggested they could go for the hat-trick.
They commandeered the venue’s mics and performed a whole set, including their entries Lipstick and Waterline, as well as Abba’s Dancing Queen, while former winner Conchita Wurst looked on.
Following Nemo’s victory for Switzerland last night, there will be plenty of fans checking out booking.com before they flock to the country next year.
But I’m afraid I’ve heard Howell’s vocals, so I wouldn’t hold your breath for a win if he does make it to the Eurovision stage.
I’LL RAISE A GLASS TO ELLIE
WE are all partial to a cheeky lunchtime wine on a Friday – and Ellie Goulding is backing us all the way.
The chart-topper has called on supermarkets to add alcohol to their meal deals, after launching her own range of pre-mixed cocktail cans called Served.
Talking about her range to mark World Cocktail Day today, Ellie said: “We set out to create cocktails that are as fresh and delicious as the ones in your favourite bar, but in a convenient format.
“So, turning into reality the idea of being able to enjoy a delicious cocktail as part of a weekend Meal Deal would be amazing.”
It would certainly make a prawn-mayo sandwich from Tesco more exciting.
POST Malone is set to land his third No1 of the year
The US rapper’s new duet with Morgan Wallen, I Need Some Help, is fast moving up the charts and is just ahead of Espresso, by Sabrina Carpenter, leaving her in second place.
Data from Official Charts also shows Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us is having a rise.
His beef with Drake will certainly have helped here, as there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
IT’S PARTY TIM, OH YES IT IS
WHILE Liam Gallagher and brother Noel have slowed down their partying and Kate Moss has gone sober, Tim Burgess from The Charlatans insists he is still a big caner.
In an exclusive chat at the Arias awards Tim said : “I go to parties all the time.
“I am the life of the party.
“I went to a few of Ronnie Wood’s and they were pretty out there.”
Tim hits the road again with his group in the coming weeks and added: “In the summer, we’re playing in Cardiff with New Order.
“It’s amazing.
“They were my favourite band as a kid.
“I mean, they are still my favourite band.
“I’m also playing a couple of gigs with Johnny Marr.
“It’s a different thrill now but it’s still a thrill.
“I don’t feel as old as I am.”
HIS new album Miss Italia is out next Friday so where better to throw a party to celebrate than in a fancy Italian restaurant in West London?
Jack Savoretti laid on a bash for his collaborators at Il Gattopardo late last week.
My exclusive snap shows Jack hanging out with London Grammar’s Dan Rothman, Natalie Imbruglia and his producer Sam Dixon as they finished their night on a high.
I’m sure the record is packed with tunes made perfect for a night in the garden with a glass of rosé.
