Who wants to join me in singing the refrain that has chronicled endless karaoke nights and road trip sing-alongs? "Let's go, girls!"
When it comes to music, Shania Twain has long known how to rock this country. But have you ever paused to ask, "Where did Shania want us to 'go'?" And was her intended destination actually a fast-food restaurant?
In addition to providing one of the primary soundtracks of my childhood, Twain's story has taught me a lot about perseverance. She suffered from childhood abuse, lost both parents at the age of 22, endured a very public divorce (her husband cheated on her with her best friend) and at one point thought she had lost her voice "forever" due to Lyme disease.
With a brand new album "Queen of Me" out this month (which I'm listening to it as I write this article), Twain is flexing her strengths, embracing the past and looking forward to the future. In the process, Twain has opened up about a past job she enjoyed before becoming a famous recording artist: McDonald's.
The "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" singer recently told ET Canada that she "like[s] to serve."
"I always love, like, 'Welcome to McDonald's, can I take your order please?' It's just very quite rhythmic, and I like to serve," Twain said. "I like to make people happy."
Twain was especially a fan of the drive-thru, which she called "particularly fun because you could speak to the people on the other side without seeing them."
The Canadian-born county music superstar, who recently unveiled a new hair color and donned a buzzy outfit (was it Moira Rose chic?) at this year's Grammy Awards, added that she "enjoyed" every one of her past jobs.
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"I can be honest about that. I like to work," Twain said. "I like to be busy."
What may impress you much is Twain juggled two jobs, working at McDonald's during the week while simultaneously pursuing music.
"Obviously, I was on stage at night on the weekends," she recalled, "and I was at McDonald's after school during the week just making people happy, man."
But what was Twain's favorite menu item? The French fries.
"I eat them now without animal fat . . . My favorite station outside of the drive-thru was the fry station," she said. "I just love to make the perfect fry. You know, the kind you see on TV."
Celebrate Twain with a trip to your neighborhood McDonald's — and blast her music all the way through the drive-thru. Will you press play on "That Don't Impress Me Much" or "You're Still the One?" "Have it your way," as one McDonald's competitor famously said.
One of my favorite music fun facts is that Twain's 1996 album "Come On Over" is the world's biggest-selling studio album by a female solo artist, according to the Guinness World Records. While that album has so many terrific moments, vocal showcases and outrageously catchy tunes, I've always been a sucker for Twain's inexplicable shout of "cool!" at the top of "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)."
Twain's other albums are equally as terrific; I'm especially partial to "UP!" and "The Woman in Me." Her latest, "Queen of Me," is available now in stores and on streaming platforms.
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