Shania Twain's 'Man! I feel like a girl!' Video

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In the latest installment of Vevo Footnotes, Shania Twain tweeted “Man! I feel like a girl! ” In memory of 25^Th Anniversary of Empowering Song.

In 1999, “Man! I feel like a girl! ” peaked at No. 23 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, and No. 4 on the Hot Country Songs chart. But the song's power, confidence and freedom have etched a lasting, decades-long connection with music fans. The song and its video continue to garner massive audiences on Vevo. From 2016-2022, “Man! I feel like a girl! ” International Women's Day (March 8) saw an average 31% increase in global daily views annually in the 10 weeks leading up to the holiday, including a 57% lift in global daily views in 2021 and a 24% lift in 2022.

In the Vevo Footprints video, Twain discusses the role of song in breaking down barriers and transcending genres, and he creates lyrics that focus on „liberation, freedom and the human spirit.”

„I was standing up for myself with the song,” she says in the captioned video. „I don't apologize for all the things I've been criticized for in my life — 'You can't do that, you can't wear that, it's too tight, it's too short.' This is my song saying you know what I like as a girl! I feel comfortable in my own skin! Awesome!” He added of the song's rock-fueled instrumental, „I wanted to go beyond country music, and this song pushed the boundaries of my genre. Musically, it's not limited to one genre. It's rock, it's pop, it's country.”

He discusses the deliberate fashion decisions he and his team made for the video, which was inspired by the styling in Robert Palmer's „Addicted to Love.”

„We wanted to take that idea and turn it on its head,” says Twain. „We wanted to do something unexpected, the role was reversed… [Fashion designer/stylist] Marc Bauer started working on the wardrobe with that idea in mind, and dressed me in those wonderful high ladies' coats, top hats, and veils added for a touch of femininity that were 'typically' masculine. He added, „As part of the character transformation, it was important for the guys to be very attractive and androgynous. Every little detail of fashion was considered with purpose. It's a real credit to Mark and his talent.”

Twain recalls, „We were getting a lot of flak for doing what we were doing at the time. We were taking country music to a place it hadn't been before, and some people didn't like it.

He recalls that even the industry questioned whether female listeners would be intimidated by the video.

“I remember the art department saying it was so glamorous! Hearing girls won't like this! They're going to feel threatened.' They said I was going to alienate a large portion of my audience. I know girls will totally get it,” says Twain.

But clearly, the song has become an anthem – whether it's to help get people excited for a night out, or to inspire them to believe in themselves and their own visions. „Man! I Feel Like a Girl!” also won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2000.