As Taylor Swift steps into her next era, she’s garnering some renewed praise from longtime pal Shania Twain.
Speaking to Haute Living, Shania reflected on her personal experiences as a country-pop crossover artist, and commended Taylor for both her musicality and her drive.
“That girl is working her butt off,” the You’re Still The One singer said.
“She is living an exhausting existence, but she’d dedicated and committed to herself, to her art, and her work. It isn’t even about ambition, though I’m sure that most people would call her ambitious.”
The five-time Grammy winner went on to note: “She’s an extremely hard worker, and I’m sure she’s got giant goals. But it’s not all about ambition: it’s about passion and committing yourself to your passion.”
Taylor and Shania have crossed paths several times, including during the 2019 American Music Awards.
In 2008, after the two were introduced at the Country Music Association Awards, Taylor described the Man! I Feel Like a Woman! performer as “the reason I wanted to do this in the first place”.
“She walked up to me and said she wanted to meet me and tell me I was doing a great job,” Taylor wrote in a blog at the time, according to US Weekly. “She was so beautiful, guys. She really is that beautiful. All the while, I was completely star struck.”
And last year, Shania said she’d been “really moved” after experiencing one of Taylor’s shows on her Eras Tour, telling E! News: “She’s a great storyteller. That comes across live.”
Shania’s comments were made shortly before the release of The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor’s 11th studio album.
Released on Friday, the album features collaborations with Post Malone and Florence + the Machine, as well as a song titled Clara Bow named after the silent film actor of the same name.
In addition to Taylor, Shania’s work has been cited by host of female crossover artists, including Carrie Underwood and Kacey Musgraves, as a direct influence on their work.
When asked about that legacy, Shania told Haute Living: “Yes, I see it as a great compliment when someone calls me a trailblazer, but it’s not like I set out to do so. I was just being myself, and I think that’s served me very well.”