Shania Twain's voice: 'Very scary' reason she didn't perform for 10 years as she opens for Harry Styles


Shania Twain is currently in the midst of a 12-night run at London's Wembley, playing alongside Harry Styles, but there was a time when the country icon believed she might never perform again


Shania Twain sitting smiling in a rust top© Instagram
Melanie Macleod
Melanie MacleodDeputy Beauty and Lifestyle Editor
2 minutes ago
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Shania Twain is living her best life at 60, joining Harry Styles for 12 dates at London's Wembley. Each night sees the 'Man! I Feel Like A Woman' singer takes to the stage in a series of daring outfits, with the singer looking emotional to be back doing what she does best - wowing crowds with her iconic hits while dressed in showstopping outfits.

The tour is likely particularly special for Shania, who at one point thought she might never return to the stage. In her documentary, Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl, the 60-year-old opened up about her condition, explaining that in 2003, she was riding her horse when she was bitten by a tick. "The tick was infected with Lyme's Disease, and I did get Lyme's Disease and my symptoms were quite scary," Shania said.

"I was on stage feeling dizzy, I was losing my balance, I was afraid I was going to fall off the stage." The Come On Over singer explained she experienced millisecond blackouts every 30 seconds, and while she recovered from these issues, she worried that her voice would never be the same again.

Shania Twain preparing for the Wembley performance © Instagram
Shania Twain preparing for the Wembley performance

Shania Twain's vocal issues

Speaking on the issues she experienced with her voice, Shania said: "It just went into this strange flanging, lack of control of the airflow. I didn't understand it. I thought I'd lost my voice forever, I thought I'd never ever sing again. I learned that if I could get my voice into a certain place, with a lot of effort, it would sustain for at least long enough to do a great vocal," she said. Shania previously admitted that the "debilitating" illness left her feeling sad and depressed.

"I also felt that I was never going to make another album — that was probably my truth. It was devastating. I really grieved about that. It did bring me down and I struggled with it every day," she told The Sun.

Shania Twain and Harry Styles perform onstage at the Coachella Stage during the 2022 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 15, 2022 in Indio, California.© Getty Images
Shania Twain and Harry Styles first connected on Coachella Stage in 2022

"It was very depressing, and I was really sad about it, but I still had my writing, and my writing is my first love, really, over everything. I was only going to be a writer and not the performer," she added.

Thankfully for Shania's legions of loyal fans - and all of the new fans she's likely picking up as she takes to the stage at Harry Styles' gigs - she eventually got her voice to a place where she felt comfortable enough to sing again, and a decade on, she took to the stage once more, signing up to do a Las Vegas residency in 2012.

shania twain performing white top© Getty Images
Shania is the best-selling female country artist of all time

As for her opening set at Harry's gigs, fans can expect to hear an abundance of her hits, including Man! I Feel Like a Woman, That Don't Impress Me Much, and Still The One, alongside hits from her new album, Little Miss Twain. 

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