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Country Throwback: Shania Twain’s ‘Up!’ Album No. 1 on Billboard Top Country 18 Years Ago Today

Remember when Shania Twain went No. 1 with Up!? Five years after releasing her last record, fans were ready to be amazed, and they certainly were.

The Shania Twain Hit

Up! marks the fourth album for Twain. The record was released on November 19, 2002. It finally reached the coveted No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Chart on December 6, 2002.

When the album originally debuted it sold over 800,000 in its first week. By 2004, the record was 11 times RIAA Certified Platinum. Twain is the only female artist to have three consecutive Diamond records in America.

Some of her more famous singles off of the album include, “Up!,” “I’m Gonna Getcha Good, and “Forever And For Always.” Twain famously performed some of the tracks during her halftime performance at the Super Bowl XXXVII.

Bridging Genres

One aspect of criticism Twain faced is the fact that she doesn’t have the traditional country sound. Instead, she bridges genres and has numerous influences. According to Pop Matters, she addressed this criticism in her album notes.

In meeting my audiences around the world during my last tour, I discovered something very exciting and liberating. My audiences consisted of an incredible variety of ages and nationalities. So while writing and recording Up! I felt a freedom to explore all of my different musical roots. Since I’ve always been comfortable writing and singing many styles of music from the earliest age, I wanted this CD to reflect that versatility. I didn’t feel I could express and have all that fun in less than 19 songs and with only one CD. So, that’s why there are two CDs included.Shania Twain

“It’s a rhythm record,” Twain told Rolling Stone of the blue disc. She revealed that her favorite remix of “When You Kiss Me” is the blue version. “It’s so unfair to categorize songs,” she added. “You don’t know what that song’s capable of.”