Come On Over
Come On Over is the third studio album by Canadian singer Shania Twain. Mercury Records in North America released it on November 4, 1997. Similar to her work on its predecessor, The Woman in Me (1995), Twain entirely collaborated with producer and then-husband Robert John "Mutt" Lange. With both having busy schedules, they often wrote apart and later intertwined their ideas. Twain wanted to improve her songwriting skills and write a conversational album reflecting her personality and beliefs. The resulting songs explore themes of romance and female empowerment, addressed with humor.
For other uses, see Come On Over (disambiguation).Come On Over
November 4, 1997
- Emerald Sound
- GBT
- Masterfonics Tracking Room
- Seventeen Grand Recording (Nashville)
- Sven (Mamaroneck, New York)
- Sound Barries (New York)
- Glenn Gould (Toronto)[1]
60:08
Produced by Lange, Come On Over is a country pop album with pop and rock influences. The songs contain country instrumentation such as acoustic guitars, fiddles, and pedal steel, in addition to rock riffs and electric guitars. She released an international version on February 16, 1998, with a pop-oriented production that toned down the country instrumentation. Then Twain embarked on the Come On Over Tour, which ran from May 1998 to December 1999. The album spawned 12 singles, including three U.S. Billboard Hot 100 top-ten hits: "You're Still the One", "From This Moment On" and "That Don't Impress Me Much."
Come On Over received mixed reviews from music critics. Some appreciated the album's crossover appeal and country-pop experimentation, while others criticized the lyrics and questioned its country music categorization. At the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999, Come On Over was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Country Album.
The album reached number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, while topping the charts in multiple countries, including Australia, Canada, and the UK. With sales of over 40 million copies worldwide, Come On Over was recognized by Guinness World Records as the biggest-selling studio album of all time by a solo female artist. It is the best-selling country album in the U.S., and was certified 20× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2004. Retrospectively, music journalists praised the album for revolutionizing country music, both musically and visually, and discussed its influence on subsequent country artists.
Background[edit]
Canadian singer Shania Twain signed to U.S. label Mercury Nashville Records in 1991, and released her eponymous debut studio album in April 1993.[5][6] It was a commercial failure, reaching number 67 on the U.S. Top Country Albums chart and selling just over 100,000 copies.[7][8] However, the music video for the album's lead single, "What Made You Say That," and Twain's singing voice attracted the interest of Zambian record producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange.[9][10] The two collaborated on songwriting via phone calls, and met for the first time at the Nashville Fan Fair festival in June 1993.[11][12] Soon after, they established a romantic relationship and wedded in December 1993.[13] Together they worked on Twain's second studio album, The Woman in Me.[12] They released it in 1995, and it represented Twain's break with the conventional country music formula to experiment with a rock-influenced country pop sound.[14][15]
It sold over 10 million copies, surpassing Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits (1967) as the best-selling female country album of all time, and establishing Twain as a sensation on the country music scene.[16] The Woman in Me spawned four number-one singles on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and won Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 31st Academy of Country Music Awards and the 38th Annual Grammy Awards, respectively.[17][18] Despite the commercial success, Twain refused to embark on a tour to support it.[18][19] Her risky decision sparked criticism and speculation from Nashville industry experts that she was a manufactured artist with no ability to perform live.[20][21] Twain cited a lack of logistical support, her reluctance to sing cover songs due to not having enough powerful music, and also a desire to take time off and focus on writing songs for her next album.[18][22] A concert tour, she suggested, would have distracted her from improving her songwriting.[18][19]
Musical style[edit]
Music critics debated the album's genre. Most categorized Come On Over as country pop.[note 2] Christopher O'Connor of MTV News and Miriam Longino of The Atlanta Constitution remarked that the songs combined country music instruments, such as fiddles, pedal steel, and acoustic guitars, with radio-friendly pop hooks.[43][48] Pitchfork's Allison Hussey stated that "fiddles are the key element in transmitting Come On Over's country core," but the "smeared edges of [Twain and Lange's] production [...] master the illusion of genre."[49] Others argued that the album's production leaned more toward pop and adult contemporary music than country.[note 3] Twain described Come On Over as a diverse and upbeat album that equally combined elements of country, pop, and rock music.[18][54] Many critics noted rock influences in the album's instrumentation.[note 4]
According to Jon Pareles of The New York Times, the verses on Come On Over contained "a big, blunt rock beat," while the choruses were country, with fiddles and pedal steel guitars.[55] The album's opening track, "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," uses twang vocal delivery,[58] synthesized strings,[59] and electric guitar,[43] which some journalists compared to Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" (1969).[note 5] Described as a "country-pop-metal mix,"[45] "Love Gets Me Every Time" blends steel and "funky" electric guitars with fiddle and pedal steel.[63][64] "Honey, I'm Home" is an uptempo country rock track[28][49] featuring bluesy fiddles, guitars, and drums.[60] It incorporates a stomp-clap rhythm which some critics found similar to Queen's "We Will Rock You" (1977).[note 6] "If You Wanna Touch Her, Ask!" and "Black Eyes, Blue Tears" are guitar-driven songs; the former is a blues rock song, while the latter features grunge pop influences.[45][49]
"I Won't Leave You Lonely" is a "European-flavored" song with juxtaposed accordions and pedal steel.[66] The rhythm guitar track has been noted for its similarities to the Police's "Every Breath You Take" (1983).[55][66] On "Rock This Country!," Twain sings over "pounding" beats, power chords, electric guitars, and fiddles.[65][66][67] Some critics described other tracks with more uptempo productions, such as "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)" and "That Don't Impress Me Much," as dance-able country pop numbers.[15][68] In addition to an electronic Caribbean beat, the mandolin and accordion-led Latin percussion on the title track create a Cajun sound.[45][57][69] Among the ballads on the album, "From This Moment On" combines country and rock elements.[70] The piano-based "You're Still the One" features breathy vocals and instrumentation from guitar, organ, and mandolin.[58][71][72] The closing track "You've Got a Way" is a Spanish guitar-driven ballad with "gentle" drums.[73]
Packaging and release[edit]
Twain originally wanted to title the album No Inhibitions, but opted for Come On Over because she considered the title track one of her favorites and appreciated its inviting nature.[92][93] She released the album in North America on November 4, 1997, through Mercury Records.[94] With 16 songs and a running time of slightly over an hour, Come On Over distinguished itself by deviating from the traditional standard of "cheap, short" country albums, typically consisting of only 10-12 tracks and a duration of under 35-40 minutes.[30][45][42] George Holz designed the red and white cover artwork.[1][95] It depicted Twain in a "come-hither pose," wearing a red shirt and holding her hands over her head.[96][97]
When the album was complete, Lange spent four months remixing it for international release.[98][99] He removed country elements from the songs to achieve a "universal" pop-oriented sound.[98][100] He made the snare drums, fiddles, and pedal steel more subtle, and replaced them with pop beats, drum loops, keyboards, and synthesizers.[101][102] 15 songs underwent sonic changes, with the exception of "Rock This Country!" which remained in its original version.[103][104] For "From This Moment On," Twain sang solo.[95][96] She also recorded two new versions, one in collaboration with Brazilian duo Chitãozinho & Xororó, and another with Irish singer Ronan Keating.[95] However, these versions of "From This Moment On" were never released.[105]
Twain and Lange released the international version of Come On Over in continental Europe on February 16, 1998, with a different track order and new artwork.[100][102] The cover showed Twain with tousled hair, wearing a sleeveless silver gown, and turning toward the camera.[51][98] They released a special edition in Australia in 1998 featuring a live version of "(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!" and dance mixes for "Love Gets Me Every Time" and "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)."[106] The Australian tour edition included a second disc. It contained an additional single mix of "God Bless the Child" (1996), a live medley of "Home Ain't Where His Heart Is (Anymore)," "The Woman in Me (Needs the Man in You)" (1995), and "You've Got a Way," and the original country version of "From This Moment On."[107]
In 1999 they issued a revised international edition of Come On Over.[108] It included the pop radio mixes of "You're Still the One" and "From This Moment On," the Notting Hill remix of "You've Got a Way," and the "UK dance mix" of "That Don't Impress Me Much."[102][108] They released this version in the U.S. on November 23, 1999, after the singles' success on pop radio.[103][109][110] In Japan, they released a limited edition 10 days earlier. It featured both a radio edit and the album version of "You're Still the One," as well as a "Mach 3 remix" of "Love Gets Me Every Time."[111] They released a version on increasingly popular vinyl on December 2, 2016.[112] They offered a special edition of Come On Over digitally on December 4, 2022.[113] This included two live versions of "You're Still the One" with Elton John and Chris Martin, and a live version of "Party for Two" (2004) with Nick Jonas.[113]
In July 2023, during the Queen of Me Tour, Twain announced Come On Over: Diamond Edition, to celebrate the album's 25th anniversary, released on August 25, 2023.[114]
Notes: