Now (Shania Twain album)


Now is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Shania Twain. It was released on September 29, 2017 by Mercury Nashville. The album was produced by Twain alongside Ron Aniello, Jake Gosling, Jacquire King and Matthew Koma. Following a severely weakened singing voice caused by Lyme disease and dysphonia, Twain retired from performing in 2004 and began an indefinite hiatus from music, and at a time was unsure if she would ever sing again. Following intense vocal rehabilitation and a concert residency in Las Vegas, , she began planning a new studio album in 2013. Written entirely by Twain, Now is her first studio album in which she has assumed an integral role in its production, co-producing every track, and is her first album since her 1993 debut studio album to not be co-written with or produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Twain's ex-husband.
Her first studio release in fifteen years since Up!, Twain has named Now as her most personal album. "Life's About to Get Good" was released as the lead single from Now in June 2017, with several tracks later released as promotional singles ahead of the album's release. "Swingin' With My Eyes Closed" was released as the second single from the album in August, followed by "Who's Gonna Be Your Girl" and "We Got Something They Don't" as the third and fourth singles in October. Now received mixed reviews from music critics, with some complimenting the album's production and Twain's long-awaited return to music, while others criticized her vocals and were unimpressed with the album's lyrical content. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, Canadian Albums and Top Country Albums charts and has since reached number one in several countries worldwide, as well as being certified platinum in Canada. Twain promoted the album with television performances, festival appearances and interviews and embarked on the Now Tour in May 2018.

Background

After releasing the compilation album Greatest Hits in 2004, Twain released the single "Shoes" for the soundtrack to the television series Desperate Housewives. Later, experiencing the breakdown of her marriage, Twain divorced her longtime husband and songwriting partner, music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, in 2008. She remarried to Frédéric Thiébaud, the husband of her former best friend, in 2011. The same year, she released the promotional single "Today Is Your Day", which had a moderate impact on the charts.
Twain underwent vocal therapy after being diagnosed with dysphonia and Lyme disease, which caused her to nearly lose her singing voice; she embarked on a concert tour and before revealing that new music would arrive in 2017.

Singles

Twain premiered "Life's About to Get Good", the album's lead single, at the Stagecoach Festival in April 2017 before officially releasing it as a single on June 15, 2017. The single debuted and peaked at number 36 on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart. A music video for the song, directed by Matthew Cullen, was released in July. "Swingin' With My Eyes Closed" was released as the second single from Now on August 18, 2017, later accompanied by a music video. "Who's Gonna Be Your Girl" was released as the third single from the album on October 10, 2017, followed by "We Got Something They Don't" as the fourth single on October 30.
Two tracks from Now were released as promotional singles ahead of the album's release: "Poor Me" was released as the first promotional single on July 20, 2017, accompanied by an official lyric video, followed by "We Got Something They Don't" on September 15.

Critical reception

Now received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, the album received a weighted score of 58 out of 100 from review aggregate website Metacritic, indicating "mixed or average reviews", based on 11 reviews from music critics. Robert Crawford of Rolling Stone called the album "dramatic and diverse", but affirms "Now continues the exploration we last saw with 2002's Up!." Sounds Like Nashville's own Annie Reuter says "Twain proves herself relevant on Now", noting the production of the album as a standout piece. " cutting-edge production that reminds the listener exactly why she is the best-selling female country artist of all time," Sputnikmusic gave the album 4/5, claiming "There isn’t a bad song on "Now". In a perfect world this album will pop up on a number of end of year top 10 lists. But as it is Shania's body of modern work will have to settle for being recognized as the best pop-country/Americana record to come out so far this decade. It’s a welcome return to form for one of the best voices working in any genre." Conversely, Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times criticized Twain's vocal delivery on the uptempo tracks as "flat and robotic", The Wall Street Journal writer Barry Mazor says the album finds Twain "singing in a somewhat lower register—audible, but not dramatically different." Mazor also praised Twain's sonic direction saying, "If it was commonly suggested during her hit run that the sounds and video images were manipulative concoctions developed by Mr. Lange, and Ms. Twain was merely his puppet, that charge is certainly well-debunked now.

Commercial performance

Now debuted at number one in the United Kingdom, becoming her second album to top the UK Albums Chart after
Come On Over. It also entered at the top position in Australia, becoming her third album after Come On Over and Up! to reach the summit of the ARIA Albums Chart. In the United States, it opened atop the Billboard 200 with 137,000 album-equivalent units, which included 134,000 album sales, and became her second number-one album in the country after Up!. Now descended to number 29 the next week, earning 15,000 album-equivalent units and selling 14,000 copies. As of August 2018 the album had sold 233,800 copies in the United States.
The record additionally debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart with 72,000 copies sold and 73,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, becoming Canada's biggest album opening since Drake's Views and her fourth entry to reach its summit after Come On Over, Up!, and Greatest Hits. As of December 2017 the album has sold 106,000 copies in Canada, making it the best selling Canadian CD that year.

Track listing

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.
Vocals
Musicians
Production and imagery

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history