There is perhaps no universe in which Us Weekly would have a bad time at a Shania Twain concert, but still, the bar is exceedingly high. After all, this is a woman famous for riding a horse on stage during her first Las Vegas residency.
Alas, there are no live equines involved in her latest residency, Come on Over, but any disappointment that might cause passes as soon as Twain, 59, launches into one of her many ’90s earworms. Besides, who needs a real horse when you’ve got a horse-shaped motorcycle, a troupe of shirtless dancing cowboys and a backdrop called the Twain Town Saloon?
Twain begins the show with “Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)” from the smash 1997 album that gives the residency its name, then follows with a few lesser hits from 2002’s Up! and last year’s Queen of Me. None of these songs are bad, but they aren’t really “all the hits” promised in the show’s title.
That all changes about 20 minutes in when she starts “You’re Still the One,” the Come on Over ballad that’s been soundtracking weddings for more than 25 years. At this point, it becomes impossible to resist the spectacle — and to stop yourself from belting it out along with Twain, who seems to get more comfortable on stage as the night progresses.
From then on, it’s nothing but bangers till the grand finale: “No One Needs to Know,” “Any Man of Mine,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?” and so on. One particular highlight was “Honey, I’m Home,” a Come on Over single that’s not quite as well-known as the bigger hits but still packs a punch nearly 30 years after its release.
Twain begins the song a cappella, singing along with her acoustic guitar while perched on the bar of the aforementioned Twain Town Saloon set. Maybe it was just the high of getting a free T-shirt at the merch table (because we spent too much money), but the song really got Us thinking about Twain’s legacy. While few country music fans would deny that she’s a trailblazer, her contributions to the genre sometimes seem in danger of being overlooked. Her work has always had a feminist message, but — and she’s acknowledged this herself — she wasn’t always taken seriously because of the way she looked.
“Honey, I’m Home” is the perfect encapsulation of what makes Twain’s music so great. It’s a playful and catchy tune about a woman coming home from work and wanting her man to perform all the traditionally “feminine” tasks a wife might do for her husband: “Pour me a cold one and oh, by the way / Rub my feet, gimme something to eat / Fix me up my favorite treat.”
Underneath the lilting melody, though, there’s a deeper truth — yeah, it would be nice if men did a little more domestic labor, especially if their partners are doing some or all of the breadwinning.
“This is a historically challenging time for women to find space in many, many realms,” she told the Belfast Telegraph in 2022. “I hope I can give other women the confidence not to fear feeling comfortable in their own skin. To refuse to be intimidated by anyone. It’s a right and you need to own that.”
While Twain might not be as politically outspoken as some of her more contemporary counterparts, there’s no question that she kicked open the saloon doors in country music, and her latest residency is a good reminder of that fact. As long as she’s willing to say “let’s go girls,” Us will be there with boots on.
Shania Twain’s Come on Over — The Las Vegas Residency — All The Hits! continues at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort Resort & Casino through February 2025. Tickets are available here.
