When it comes to girl power anthems, the first current artists to spring to mind are usually the likes of Beyoncé, Shakira and Little Mix. Back in the noughties it was singers such as Pink, Lily Allen and Christina Aguilera. Remember Pink’s “So What” and Aguilera’s “Beautiful”?
There is one song from the nineties, however, that will never be forgotten. As regular Klute goers will know too well, it is Shania Twain’s “Man! I feel like a woman”. Described by Sputnikmusic as “upbeat feel-good power-pop”, Shania’s 1997 hit is all about a woman being able to dress and have fun how she pleases:
Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I’m a lady
Men’s shirts-short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin’ it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction
Color my hair-do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!
In the music video, Twain initially wears a long, rather masculine coat which she takes off to reveal a black corset, miniskirt and thigh high boots. Yes she looks good – but what really stands out is her powerful stage presence, her catchy vocals and her broad smile (in contrast to the expressionless faces of the male guitarists behind her).
The popstar’s decision to reveal her body isn’t a contradictory act of self-sexualisation; rather it depicts her desire for women to have the freedom to embrace themselves and their bodies without being inhibited by sexism and objectification.
As for the subject matter of the song, it is actually more empowering and progressive than recent girl power ballads. Many refer to dealing with a breakup, getting over a man…Shania’s song, on the other hand, turns its back on the patriarchy and focuses on women being confident and enjoying themselves – with no strings attached.
The girls need a break-tonight we’re gonna take
The chance to get out on the town
We don’t need romance, we only want to dance
We’re gonna let our hair hang down
No political correctness, no inhibitions and no conditions – that’s her formula for fun. And it works. Next time you’re in Klute and hear that ever-so-recognisable opening riff, you’ll appreciate why this empowering tune won Twain a Grammy award in 2000.
If you’d rather spare yourself a visit to Europe’s worst nightclub, check out the music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJL4UGSbeFg. Then compare it to Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” – here it is the women who are in the background holding (note: not actually playing) their guitars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vE.
The “short skirts” Twain takes the freedom to don are the subject of lingering close-ups in Palmer’s 1985 music video. With lyrics such as “another kiss and you’ll be mine” and “your will is not your own”, “Addicted to Love” is basically an advocation for female submission.
Just over a decade later, Twain reverses the gender roles in “Man! I feel like a woman”. By taking centre stage and placing the men behind her, she establishes herself as the subject of her video. The men in tight red shirts and trousers are the subject of the viewer’s gaze, allowing Twain to mock Palmer’s video and show men how it feels to be objectified.
So when you’re thinking about inspirational women in popular culture, go beyond Queen Bey and remember Shania Twain. We could go further into what it really means to feel “like a woman”, but that is another debate altogether…