Shania Twain: ‘I can’t believe it, I’m actually going to Glastonbury’

Following this morning’s announcement that Shania Twain will perform in the Glastonbury Legends slot at this year’s festival, Gaby Roslin spoke to her on today’s Radio 2 Breakfast Show. Below are quotes from their chat.

Gaby: How excited are you on a scale of 1 to 10?
Shania: Oh my gosh, ok I’m way up there at the top. I really am so excited. I mean the best part of it is being able to share it now. It’s so exciting, it’s been hard to keep it to myself to be honest. I’m really glad that it’s announced and I’m just buzzing.

Gaby: So you’re officially a legend Shania!
Shania: That’s how it feels. You said it exactly right because there’s something very, there’s like a stamp that comes with this slot and I feel like, you know, I’m there, I’ve arrived at this slot you know, and it’s gonna be gorgeous, the sunset. Standing, I’ve watched some of the other performances and I’m already planning what I’m going to wear, you know, all that exciting stuff!

Gaby: Can we talk about what this means?
Shania: Honestly, I feel like it’s well, I don’t know if this is the right language, but it feels like an accolade of sorts, really something that you have to earn, it’s just very rewarding, it’s a really beautiful feeling.

On being close to Lionel Richie, who performed the Legends slot in 2015:
Shania: Oh yes, I mean, he’s one of my absolute heroes and he’s a mentor, really someone that did mentor me through a difficult vocal time so it’s beyond an honour to be also doing this slot. That’s when you really sense the marker, when you’ve got somebody like that who has done the slot and, of course, Dolly Parton. So many of my heroes have done it.

On whether she’s asked Lionel for any advice on doing the Legends slot?
Shania: Well I will, but I haven’t told him yet. Now he’ll find out as well, we’ll definitely be talking about that. I’m definitely going to be seeing him in several weeks’ time in Los Angeles, so this’ll be at the top of our conversation list.

On having 40 horses on stage during her previous Las Vegas residency. Will they be coming to Glastonbury?
Shania: Oh god, wouldn’t that be, ok who can pull those strings for me? You’ve just put a, put something in my mind. I know that you guys love your horses, this could, you know, I wonder, hmmm, let me think about this. Maybe I could show up on a carriage, you know, a team of horses or something. I’m sure that could be arranged.

On what we might expect?
Shania: Well this is gonna be, I mean it’s an energy exchange, 200 000 people. You know it’s gonna be all the hits first of all, so I expect us to all be singing, word for word the whole time through so it’ll be high energy. That sunset glow party energy with all the hits.

Gaby: What would a 10 year old Shania make of Shania going onto Glastonbury stage in front of 200 000 people?
Shania: Oh my god, honestly this is, would never have even entered my mind that I would ever even make it across the border from Canada to go anywhere so, it was always my dream honestly to go around the world, but yeah I can’t believe it, I’m actually going to Glastonbury, I’m really, it’s happening, it’s happening guys!