Shania Twain is staying true to herself.

While virtually interviewing 29-year-old singer-songwriter Donna Missal for Interview magazine, the Canadian country queen reflects on her creative freedom and expression.

“I, myself, feel so strongly about self-expression – it has to come from you,” says Twain. “You can’t let anybody else dictate what you should look like, what you should sound like.”

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She adds: “I remember that when I came out, I wasn’t thinking about what was acceptable, I didn’t even think that anything I was doing was unacceptable. I was criticized for being too sexy, or the beauty and fashion overshadowing the music.”

Twain, who is in the process of writing her next album, also opens up about creative directing her Las Vegas “Shania Twain Let’s Go! The Residency”, revealing she’s always been involved in the creativity since her debut.

“I would take a shot, and then I would go look through the camera. It was a very slow process, but I needed to understand how the lighting worked, where the camera was going to go, what time of day I wanted it to be,” explains the five-time Grammy winner.

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Never one to conform, Twain brought a sex appeal to her brand that no one else did, from animal print to her bare midriff, to the classic Canadian tuxedo.

As it turns out, the star was always involved in shopping for her own clothes: “The first couple of videos, they were just very Walmart-y type clothes. I didn’t want to spend the budget on clothes. I would take a shot, and then I would go look through the camera.”

 

Adds the singer: “‘Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under’, for example, that’s a braless video. It’s a K-Mart dress, no bra.”

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Shania Twain’s Concert Style Evolution