Shania Twain Admits She Suffers From Intense Stage Fright

Shania Twain might be one of the most-seasoned performers, of any genre, but the country music icon admits she still gets stage fright — a type of anxiety characterized by performing.

“I suffer a lot from stage fright,” Twain revealed on Live With Kelly and Ryan. “And the only way to manage it is to be prepared. So I spend the whole day preparing for my show. It’s not just a two-hour show. The whole day is my show. Everything I eat, everything I drink. I’m very methodical about the course of the day. And then I’m OK. It’s like preparing for an exam. Every show is an exam. I’ve got to get out there and do my best.”

Twain will soon wrap up her Shania NOW World Tour, which has taken her all over the globe. Each night before she takes the stage, it’s the fans help her overcome her fears.

“Once I’m out there I’m really fine,” Twain acknowledged. “And like I said, I prepare. I can hear the people, I can hear the fans from backstage. To be honest, the anxiety starts morphing into excitement and adrenaline. I get out there and I’m so hyperactive — I’m always hyperactive, especially when I’m on stage, because I’ve got a lot of energy to give, and the fans have so much energy to give back, and that feeds me.”

Although the Canadian singer loves when fans sing along, it can also pose a problem while she’s performing.

“The most difficult thing is when I’m watching other people singing along with me — and the audience sings along often — if I’m making eye contact with somebody and they mess up where they are in the song, that’s it,” she added with a laugh. “I’m off.”

In addition to her tour, Twain also just wrapped up her run as a panelist on the debut season of the reality TV talent show, Real Country. Although it was a lot to add to her schedule, the 53-year-old felt compelled to lend her voice to the platform.

“I’m trying to make a difference,” Twain told PopCulture.com. “I’m very passionate about, and concerned about the regression in country music, in the genre, as far as the ratio of women on the radio compared to [men]. I grew up listening to country music that had lots of women in the genre. And all these years later, there’s less women than ever. What is that? That’s called regression.”

“I’m bothered by that,” she continued. “I’ve already had my heyday, I’m not doing it for me. I’m worried about the upcoming girls that are gonna get discouraged and say, ‘You know what? There’s no room for us in this genre. There’s no room for women.’”

Twain’s latest Now album is available for purchase on her website.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Nicholas Hunt