Shania Twain says country music is more sexist now than ever

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Shania Twain on new album 'Queen of Me,' her tour and new chapter in career

Superstar Shania Twain on upbeat new album and feeling empowered by her artistic expression.

Shania Twain is undoubtedly one of the most popular singers in country music, but things haven't always been easy for her in the industry.

In fact, she believes that being a woman in the genre in 2023 is harder than it was when she got her start decades ago.

"The music industry going back 20 years ago, 30 years ago, was primarily more dominated by men," she told CNBC in an interview. "You know, male executives, most of the studio musicians were men, most of the managers were men, it was just more male-dominated in every sense. So being taken seriously as a woman was a challenge."

Twain recalled facing many "challenges" that male stars didn't have to face, such as criticism for being "too sexy" in her performances and music videos, but she was "relentless."

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Shania Twain is speaking out against sexism in country music. (Michael Buckner)

"As I went along, I could see the progress," she explained. "First of all, the genre and my fans, my music was appealing to a very broad audience, very open-minded fans. They were embracing my way of making my music and my way of visualizing my music through photography and videos."

But even after every obstacle she faced, Twain said that she believes that "the industry has regressed. I feel it’s more difficult for women to find space, to find room. It’s sad to see it, but it’s very true."

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Twain said that it's not "an even playing ground, nowhere near it," and that she doesn't know why things have gotten worse for women in country music.

Twain has been a major player in country music for three decades. (Getty Images)

"I can’t really put my finger on why they’re making it so difficult for women, or, you know, why they’re not giving them that space," she said. "They’re certainly good enough, it’s just not an even playing ground right now."

Still, Twain hasn't backed down from telling her story with her music.

The "You're Still the One" singer said, "It’s always been very important for me to self-express, and since I’m a woman, a lot of my perspectives do come directly from a female perspective."

Twain has never been afraid to be sexy. (Rich Polk/E! Entertainment/NBC)

"I am a fairly outspoken person, so a lot of my lyrics are quite statement-orientated... they’re quite bold and conversational. So it’s really just always been important for me to be able to express myself and my point of view and to inspire. So the fact that it does inspire a lot of women and just people in general makes me happy," she said.

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Twain has been singing since she was a child. She worked towards stardom until her mother and stepfather were killed in a car accident, and then she took in her younger siblings. After they grew up, she continued her pursuit, and in the early '90s she got a record deal and dropped her birth name of Eileen Edwards in favor of her now-famous moniker.

Twain's birth name is Eileen Edwards. She started using her now-famous moniker when she got a record deal in the early '90s. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ACM)

Twain won a Grammy Award for Best Country Album in 1996. (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Her debut album was a bit of a flop. However, when Twain was given the freedom to write her own songs, she released her sophomore album, "The Woman in Me," and it made her a breakout star with memorable hits like "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" and "Any Man of Mine."

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Since then, she has cemented her place in country music history with numerous hits and two Las Vegas residencies. 

Twain is currently prepping her "Queen of Me" tour, which shares the name of her latest album.