Shania Twain reveals poignant inspiration for posing nude as she ‘committed 100%’ to ‘embracing’ who she is

Shania Twain has revealed the poignant inspiration behind her decision to pose nude for her new album’s artwork and how she “committed 100%” and is “embracing” who she is.

Shania Twain fans were left more than a little excited last year when the That Don’t Impress Me Much singer revealed that her first studio album in almost five years, Queen of Me, is on the way. She also received major praise and showcased her personal strength and how she’s more confident than ever when she posed nude for album artwork pictures. 

We’ve already seen her get candid like never before in the Shania Twain documentary, Not Just a Girl, released in 2022.  Now Shania’s opened up to Today’s Hoda Kotb on January 5 and the country music legend reflected upon what inspired her to pose nude. 

She explained that it was partly inspired by a desire to embrace who she is after experiencing trauma early in childhood. In December Shania Twain opened up on the abuse by her stepfather that made her feel “ashamed” and it seems the photoshoot was a way to showcase her loving her “own skin” now.

Shania powerfully declared, "Doing the nude photography, it’s really about saying, “Listen, I was abused when I was a kid”. My father would fondle me up on the top and make me go without a shirt and I was already maturing. This cringey, horrible, wanting to escape being in my own skin. I'm just in this mode now where, no, no no, I'm happy in my own skin."

"It's the only skin I have," the singer continued. "So I don't have a choice, otherwise, I'm going to hate myself for the rest of my life. So it's time to start loving myself in my own skin and really embracing that and not be embarrassed or shy of it and this is who I am."

Shania Twain also shared that this poignant inspiration isn’t the only reason she posed nude for Queen of Me’s artwork and that she “committed 100%” to facing her immense fears about possibly being judged. It was this desire to overcome her concerns that she suggested also played a part in her choice.

“It was so empowering. I'm so glad I did it. It was petrifying. But once I flipped that switch and dove into it, I’m like, ‘I’m in’,” the singer said. “I’m committed 100%, and I wasn't thinking about what anybody thought. I didn't think about who was in the room. This is about me. This is my moment to really embrace myself in vulnerable moments."

"It had to be vulnerable, where I felt that I was facing a fear of being judged, or being maybe even laughed at, at being embarrassed," Shania continued. "But it was only empowering. It was really fabulous."

The star also told Hoda that she’d describe Queen of Me, which is released on February 3, as making a similar statement about self-belief and empowerment. 

“It means taking responsibility, ownership of yourself. Loving who you are. I’m my own royalty. I’m the boss of me. And I’m responsible for the decisions I make, for what I say, for what I do. And it’s a statement of self-confidence that I’ve grown into more over the last few years,” Shania explained.