Shania Twain is becoming part of the festivities for this year’s International Women’s Day. Eight women who are celebrated role models were chosen to be recreated by Mattel as a Barbie doll, and Twain was among that esteemed list. Twain has received a lot of honors in her life – but this one gets her particularly tearful to speak about.
International Women’s Day is March 8 and the day after marks Barbie’s 65th anniversary. The honor is a two-way street, as Twain calls Barbie “part of my dream world” since childhood. For the occasion, Mattel designed Barbie Shania Twain after the singer’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” music video outfit, complete with some shocking details.
Shania Twain gets her own Barbie doll for International Women’s Day
Barbie releases 8 new ‘role model’ dolls for 65th anniversary.
The new line includes Viola Davis, Helen Mirren, Shania Twain, Kylie Minogue, Maria Gomez, Lila Avilés, Nicole Fujita and Enissa Amani. pic.twitter.com/ScOg8dPQSo
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 6, 2024
Back in March 1999, Twain introduced fans to the music video for “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” In it, she wore a sleek black top hat and long, stylish coat. That look has exactly been captured in the new Twain Barbie doll, complete with the intricate lace detailing on the top hat, visible to eagle-eyed viewers of the music video. This latest Barbie even has a white jacket and short black dress under her coat, just like Twain did in the music video. The doll also includes a microphone stand as an accessory.
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“I felt very flattered to be a part of what I consider a very important movement right now,” Twain told USA Today, “to support female empowerment and toward positive change and positive reinforcement. It’s kind of emotional to be sitting beside my likeness as a Barbie and for what it represents.”
To reinforce this message of empowerment and positivity, Twain posed on a wall bedecked in a quote celebrating Barbie and her mission: “Our Purpose: To inspire & nurture the limitless potential in every girl.”
Shania Twain and Barbie share a common message
The country-pop extravaganza “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” is all about female empowerment and manages to stand out in Twain’s cherished discography as one of her most celebrated songs to date. It was originally released in 1997 as part of her third studio album, Come On Over and the corresponding music video was released on March 3, 1999 – not long before that year’s International Women’s Day, the 24th one ever – and the song even headlined Twain’s Super Bowl XXXVII Halftime show.
“‘I take being a role model seriously because I know the impact one can have on somebody else’s life can be negative or positive,” said Twain, according to Billboard. “I choose to aim for the positive.”
She went on, “I want to make people feel good and happy, even if that means sometimes sharing difficult or unhappy things about my own life to make others feel that they’re not alone.”
In addition to Twain, other powerful women turned into a Barbie doll include actresses Helen Mirren and Viola Davis, Australia’s most successful female artist of all time Kylie Minogue, Japanese model Nicole Fujita, Mexican director Lila Avilés, Brazilian content creator Maira Gomez, and German comedian and activist Enissa Amani.
