Shania Twain’s opening performance for Harry Styles at his Friday, June 26, Wembley concert drew intense social media scrutiny, with some viewers expressing disappointment over her styling and stage movements.
“Granny underpants with a lacy overlay are not particularly sexy. And that clunky dance is just too cringe,” one user said.
Highlights
- Shania Twain’s opening performance for Harry Styles at Wembley sparked an online debate over her sheer outfit.
- Critics compared her to her contemporary, Madonna, who is often criticized over similar matters.
- Twain said she is focused on embracing her body at 60, after struggling with body image issues in her late 50s.
The conversation broadened into comparisons with her contemporary Madonna, who also remains active in the music scene and is frequently subject to similar criticism.
Most recently, the Material Girl hitmaker faced backlash for her Pride Month concert in Times Square on June 4, with a netizen commenting, “She looks like an inappropriately dressed aunt drunk-dancing at a wedding.”
Shania Twain was likened to Madonna as netizens criticized her wardrobe
Image credits: Christopher Polk/Dick Clark Productions/Getty Images
Twain, 60, performed her 1999 hit Man! I Feel Like a Woman! in satin lingerie layered under a sheer black cover-up.
The singer sensually played with the hem of her dress multiple times during her set, while also moving her hands over her body and energetically bopping her head.
At one point, Twain also lifted one of her legs, which caused her dress to ride up.
Image credits: ginamilan_/X
“Her outfit was bad enough, but her dance moves made them tragic,” a Twain critic voiced on X, receiving ample support from fellow platform users.
“Her voice is still good enough to carry her performance. She does not need to be pulling on her dress at this age,” one wrote, while another added, “She does not need to be one of those women to remain relevant.”
“Sometimes you gotta realize we’re all getting old and some things just aren’t apt anymore,” remarked a third.
Image credits: Kevin Mazur/MTV VMAs 2021
Madonna was soon dragged into the conversation, with a user writing, “Twain is just like her, who does not know how to have class.”
“Yes, the moves and wardrobes don’t work for either of them,” said another.
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“Tacky,” “granny,” and “they share the same stylist” were among other comparisons made between Twain and Madonna.
“Does she have no dignity? Madonna, no, she doesn’t, but I expected better from Shania,” a separate user fumed.
Not all comments about Shania Twain were negative, as her fans also voiced their opinions
Image credits: Raph_PH/Flickr
Accusing critics of being motivated by jealousy, one Twain fan asked, “What are ya’ll talking about? She looks incredible.”
A second reminded that Twain was “one of the hottest women in America for quite a while” before adding, “even at this age, she is still doing hella better” than her peers, including Madonna.
“She would pass as Madonna’s daughter,” a third remarked.
“She’s having a blast while singing and looking good,” a fourth noted, leading a fifth to agree, saying, “She completely rocked it.”
“She has nothing to prove to anyone,” someone else articulated.
Fans’ comments echoed Twain’s June 20 interview with The Independent, in which she offered a confident message about aging and body image.
“I have a 60-year-old body, but I will walk on the beach in my bikini. I don’t really care if [people] are OK with it or not,” she said.
Shania Twain’s confidence grew after struggles with her changing body during her 2019 Las Vegas residency
Image credits: shaniatwain/Instagram
Speaking with The Times in January, Twain said she “hated” her body and was unable to look at her reflection in the mirror seven years ago.
The singer said that, despite following her regular fitness routine, her body underwent natural changes she couldn’t control as she grew older.
This included bloating and a slowed metabolism, which made it harder for her to lose weight.
That’s when she began doing “very unhealthy things” to keep herself in shape.
Image credits: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
“I was working my body more than I was feeding it to keep up with the strain,” she said during the interview.
Her obsession with being thinner made her push her body so much that she wound up malnourished, she said.
A thigh injury sustained during one of her performances made matters worse.
“Now I’m like, bring on the mirrors. I’m going to look at myself all day long,” she told the outlet.
"Horrible," a netizen said about Twain's Wembley gig
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