Come On Over is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriterShania Twain.Mercury Records in North America released it on November 4, 1997. Similar to her work on its predecessor,The Woman in Me (1995), Twain entirely collaborated with producer and then-husbandRobert John "Mutt" Lange. With both having busy schedules, they often wrote apart and later intertwined their ideas. Twain wanted to improve her songwriting skills and write a conversational album reflecting her personality and beliefs. The resulting songs explore themes of romance andfemale empowerment, addressed with humour.
Come On Over received mixed reviews from music critics. Some appreciated the album'scrossover appeal and country-pop experimentation, while others criticized the lyrics and questioned its country music categorization. At the41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999,Come On Over was nominated forAlbum of the Year andBest Country Album.
The album reached number two on the U.S.Billboard 200 chart, while topping the charts in multiple countries, including Australia, Canada, and the UK. With sales of over 40 million copies worldwide,Come On Over was recognized byGuinness World Records as the biggest-selling studio album of all time by a solo female artist. It is the best-selling country album in the U.S., and was certified20× platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2004. Retrospectively, music journalists praised the album for revolutionizing country music, both musically and visually, and discussed its influence on subsequent country artists.
Canadian singerShania Twain signed to U.S. labelMercury Nashville Records in 1991, and released hereponymous debut studio album in April 1993.[5][6] It was a commercial failure, reaching number 67 on the U.S.Top Country Albums chart and selling just over 100,000 copies.[7][8] However, the music video for the album's lead single, "What Made You Say That," and Twain's singing voice attracted the interest ofZambian record producerRobert John "Mutt" Lange.[9][10] The two collaborated on songwriting via phone calls, and met for the first time at the NashvilleFan Fair festival in June 1993.[11][12] Soon after, they established a romantic relationship and wedded in December 1993.[13] Together they worked on Twain's second studio album,The Woman in Me.[12] They released it in 1995, and it represented Twain's break with the conventionalcountry music formula to experiment with arock-influencedcountry pop sound.[14][15]
It sold over 10 million copies, surpassingPatsy Cline's Greatest Hits (1967) as the best-selling female country album of all time, and establishing Twain as a sensation on the country music scene.[16]The Woman in Me spawned four number-one singles on the U.S.Hot Country Songs chart and wonAlbum of the Year andBest Country Album at the31st Academy of Country Music Awards and the38th Annual Grammy Awards, respectively.[17][18] Despite the commercial success, Twain refused to embark on a tour to support it.[18][19] Her risky decision sparked criticism and speculation from Nashville industry experts that she was a manufactured artist with no ability to perform live.[20][21] Twain cited a lack of logistical support, her reluctance to singcover songs due to not having enough powerful music, and also a desire to take time off and focus on writing songs for her next album.[18][22] A concert tour, she suggested, would have distracted her from improving her songwriting.[18][19]
It's quite fun. It's relaxed, there's nothing contrived and it's really natural. If anything, when you know each other so well, there are fewer inhibitions, because I would be afraid to reveal so much to someone else. Our writing styles complement each other. We both come from different places. Lyrically, we think differently enough to make it interesting.[23]
As withThe Woman in Me, Twain and Lange composed all of the songs onCome On Over.[1] They crafted material for the album "sporadically" as early as 1994, including "You've Got a Way."[24][25] Twain composed the lyrics atMichael Bolton's New Jersey home, while Lange worked on Bolton's1995 greatest hits compilation.[25] Due to Twain's busy promotional schedule forThe Woman in Me, she and Lange often worked separately, and then later amalgamated the parts.[26] Twain documented her ideas on devices she carried with her at all times.[25] She wrote rough drafts of music and lyrics in a notebook, and recorded bits of melodies on a smalltape recorder or aMiniDisc.[25] She explained, "We write everywhere. When we're driving to the grocery store we write. Sometimes, I come up with a melody when we're in the car and if I didn't bring the tape deck, I have to sing it all the way home so I don't forget it. When I get home I run to the tape deck to record it."[25] Twain's longtime friend, Hélène Bolduc, noted how the singer perpetually observed others. She then wrote these observations in her notebook, and later referred to them while composing or when coming up with a title.[25]
When Twain and Lange wrote together, it was typically after they had spent significant time in each other's company.[23] The couple found it difficult to compose music after being separated for a long time.[23] Rather than scheduling time for songwriting, they waited for it to surface gradually.[23] The pair wrote much of the material when they were relaxed, almost bored, because that was when the process felt most natural.[23] While Twain concentrated on the concepts and themes, Lange worked on the music and arrangements.[27][28] ConceivingCome On Over as a conversational album, Twain incorporated common phrases used in everyday language into her songwriting.[29] As a result of the positive response toThe Woman in Me, she also felt "freer and more comfortable" to continue writing songs that expressed her personal beliefs and attitudes.[30][31] "People seemed to like hearing my perspective from a woman's point of view," she said, "and they seemed to like a sense of humour, so it seemed natural to continue on with that."[32]
Twain and Lange began the recording process forCome On Over in late 1996.[33] Before recording, Lange called session drummerPaul Leim and played him every song, singing and accompanying himself on guitar.[34] Wanting to capture "a real funMotown feel," Lange had several conversations with audio engineer Jeff Balding, singing and detailing the musical direction.[35] Balding added, "A lot of thought went into it before we came into the studio to do the tracks."[35] All tracks were recorded over three weeks at Masterfonics Tracking Room inNashville, Tennessee. Finding the right location to place thedrum kit was one challenging task, and they tested several locations.[35] Leim recorded the drums for most songs in a room with a stone floor, and walls made of reflective rock faces. He recorded the ballads in "small 'dead booths.'"[35]Joe Chemay playedelectric andfretless bass,Biff Watson playedacoustic andnylon-string guitar, and Twain sangscratch vocals.[36]Steppenwolf member Larry Byrom played theslide guitar tracks, and then recorded them at the GBT Studio.Olle Romoprogrammed the music at Sven Studios inMamaroneck, New York.[35] Twain and Lange recorded thebackground vocals in Toronto at theGlenn Gould Studio, and later returned to Masterfonics foroverdubs.[35][36]
Whilst having a specific vision for the sound of the songs, Lange also left room for the musicians to come up with their own touches.[37][38] Recalling the recording of "You've Got a Way," Chemay remarked: "The fretless bass allowed me to slide and make gradual note and pitch changes. I had quite a lot of input on that song."[38] For thefiddle recording, both Twain and Lange were of the opinion that the instruments did not sound "big enough."[39] Thus, Lange brought in four fiddle players: Rob Hajacos, Joe Spivey, Glen Duncan, andAubrey Haynie.[35][note 1] They played the exact same part in unison.[39] Additional engineer Bob Bullock noted that this technique made the instruments sound big without being cluttered, creating a different effect than "simply doubling or tripling a part by the same player."[39] For some songs they placed microphones six to eight inches from each fiddle. For other songs, all four fiddle players stood in a semicircle, using two Neumann KM 582 microphones.[35] After recording was finished,Mike ShipleymixedCome On Over using aSSL 9000 J console.[40] Glenn Meadows at Masterfonics mastered the album with a SADiE'sApogee UV22 plug-in.[1][41]
Music critics debated the album's genre. Most categorizedCome On Over as country pop.[note 2] Christopher O'Connor ofMTV News and Miriam Longino ofThe Atlanta Constitution remarked that the songs combined country music instruments, such as fiddles, pedal steel, and acoustic guitars, withradio-friendlypophooks.[43][48]Pitchfork's Allison Hussey stated that "fiddles are the key element in transmittingCome On Over's country core," but the "smeared edges of [Twain and Lange's] production [...] master the illusion of genre."[49] Others argued that the album's production leaned more toward pop andadult contemporary music than country.[note 3] Twain describedCome On Over as a diverse andupbeat album that equally combined elements of country, pop, and rock music.[18][54] Many critics noted rock influences in the album's instrumentation.[note 4]
Thematically and lyrically, Twain and Lange focused on accentuating the positive.[74] Thus, Twain omitted personal details and focused on entertaining her listeners.[74] "People ask me, 'What do you want people to get from your music?' And I say, 'I want them to be entertained.' That's really the bottom line. I'm not sending out some subliminal message or trying to change the consciousness of people."[75] The songs onCome On Over reflect Twain's concerns, interests, and day-to-day preoccupations.[76] She conveyed her personality through "witty" and "sassy" lyrics,[65][74] as per Lange's encouragement,[note 7] and she approached her topics with humor.[70] She sourced many of the titles' pertpuns, exclamation marks, anddouble entendres from Lange.[23] According to music industry executiveRalph Simon "[Lange] was always the master of the double entendre; if ever there is some sexual ambiguity in the lyric, it's down to [him]."[34] The album's predominant themes were love and romantic relationships.[31][75] "I'm Holdin' On to Love (To Save My Life)" contains references tohoroscopes, the internet, psychiatrists, andDr. Ruth as "superficial crutches" to save one's life rather than love.[27][34] In "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)," Twain reassures a jealous and possessive partner.[32][67][77]
"From This Moment On" is a duet with country singerBryan White.[27] Twain originally wrote the song with another artist in mind, hoping to pitch it to a "powerhouse" vocalist likeCéline Dion.[18][27][79] However, Lange convinced Twain to record it, although she initially felt uncomfortable singing apower ballad.[18][27] "When" used metaphors and scenarios of an idealistic world to describe a broken relationship.[72][80] Twain said it was her favorite song lyrically: "I love the whole concept. It's a neat way of saying 'never' about a relationship. Like saying 'when hell freezes over' without saying that."[27][80] The "wry, chiding" humorous lyrics of "Whatever You Do! Don't!" find a vulnerable Twain "falling head over heels for a guy who seems to do everything just right."[72][81] In "You're Still the One," she celebrates a successful relationship that has prevailed despite turmoil, hardships, and criticism.[58][72] The lyrics were inspired by her marriage to her then-husband Lange, and the people who considered their relationship unlikely to succeed.[27][75] Thetongue-in-cheek "That Don't Impress Me Much" depicts her indifferent attitude toward self-absorbed men who emphasize material things, intelligence, or physical beauty, rather than personality and heart.[82][83] In "I Won't Leave You Lonely," Twain added verses inFrench andSpanish to broaden the song's universal appeal.[27]
Apart from romance,Come On Over explores women's issues and experiences.[84] "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" is a self-celebratory song aboutfemale empowerment,hedonism, and women's liberty.[56][85][86] "If You Wanna Touch Her, Ask!" explores themes ofsexual consent and respecting a woman's personal space.[34][87] Twain said the song was inspired by awkward feelings she experienced in her adolescence due to her physical development.[88] However, she decided to write it from a positive perspective and sing about how to sensitively approach a woman.[89][90] Twain narrates therole reversal song "Honey, I'm Home" from the perspective of a working woman coming home after a difficult day and demanding that her partner take care of her.[28][68][91] The song drew some comparisons toDolly Parton's "9 to 5" (1980).[44][49][61] "Black Eyes, Blue Tears" is aboutdomestic abuse and depicts a woman leaving aphysically abusive relationship,[31][32] with lyrics such as "I'd rather die standing than live on my knees, begging please."[86] Twain wrote this from an optimistic perspective, and associated the song's theme with the 1991 American filmThelma & Louise. "I wanted to show that there's life after abuse, as opposed to doom and destruction."[27][86]
Twain originally wanted to title the albumNo Inhibitions, but opted forCome On Over because she considered the title track one of her favorites and appreciated its inviting nature.[92][93] She released the album in North America on November 4, 1997, throughMercury Records.[94] With 16 songs and a running time of slightly over an hour,Come On Over distinguished itself by deviating from the traditional standard of "cheap, short" country albums, typically consisting of only 10-12 tracks and a duration of under 35–40 minutes.[30][45][42]George Holz designed the red and white cover artwork.[1][95] It depicted Twain in a "come-hither pose," wearing a red shirt and holding her hands over her head.[96][97]
When the album was complete, Lange spent four monthsremixing it for international release.[98][99] He removed country elements from the songs to achieve a "universal" pop-oriented sound.[98][100] He made thesnare drums, fiddles, and pedal steel more subtle, and replaced them with pop beats, drumloops, keyboards, and synthesizers.[101][102] 15 songs underwent sonic changes, with the exception of "Rock This Country!" which remained in its original version.[103][104] For "From This Moment On," Twain sang solo.[95][96] She also recorded two new versions, one in collaboration with Brazilian duoChitãozinho & Xororó, and another with Irish singerRonan Keating.[95] However, these versions of "From This Moment On" were never released.[105]
Twain and Lange released the international version ofCome On Over in continental Europe on February 16, 1998, with a different track order and new artwork.[100][102] The cover showed Twain with tousled hair, wearing a sleeveless silver gown, and turning toward the camera.[51][98] They released a special edition in Australia in 1998 featuring a live version of "(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!" and dance mixes for "Love Gets Me Every Time" and "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)."[106] The Australian tour edition included a second disc. It contained an additional single mix of "God Bless the Child" (1996), a livemedley of "Home Ain't Where His Heart Is (Anymore)," "The Woman in Me (Needs the Man in You)" (1995), and "You've Got a Way," and the original country version of "From This Moment On."[107]
In 1999 they issued a revised international edition ofCome On Over.[108] It included the popradio mixes of "You're Still the One" and "From This Moment On," theNotting Hill remix of "You've Got a Way," and the "UK dance mix" of "That Don't Impress Me Much."[102][108] They released this version in the U.S. on November 23, 1999, after the singles' success on pop radio.[103][109][110] In Japan, they released a limited edition 10 days earlier. It featured both a radio edit and the album version of "You're Still the One," as well as a "Mach 3 remix" of "Love Gets Me Every Time."[111] They released a version on increasingly popularvinyl on December 2, 2016.[112] They offered a special edition ofCome On Over digitally on December 4, 2022.[113] This included two live versions of "You're Still the One" withElton John andChris Martin, and a live version of "Party for Two" (2004) withNick Jonas.[113]
In July 2023, during theQueen of Me Tour, Twain announcedCome On Over: Diamond Edition, to celebrate the album's 25th anniversary, released on August 25, 2023.[114]
Out of the album's 16 songs, 12 were released assingles.[134] In North America, promoters pushedCome On Over as a country album, while internationally categorizing it as pop.[135][136] Promoters serviced the first two singles, "Love Gets Me Every Time" and "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)," only tocountry radio stations[43] and both peaked within the top 40 of the U.S.Billboard Hot 100.[137] The former was a five-week number one on theHot Country Songs charts, while the latter was a top-ten hit on the same.[138] "You're Still the One" had acrossover release to U.S. pop radio on January 13, 1998, and was the first single the team released in Europe on February 2, 1998.[139][140] In addition to reaching number-one in Australia and on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart,[138][141] the song peaked at number two on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100,[137] at number seven on the CanadianRPM Top Singles chart,[142] and at number 10 on theUK Singles Chart.[143] Mercury relied on a crossover marketing strategy for the following singles, sending songs to pop stations only after they achieved success on country stations.[43] On May 4, 1998, Twain and Lange's team released "From This Moment On" to U.S. country stations as the fourth single, and it peaked at number six on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart.[138][144] They later serviced it to U.S. pop stations on August 25, 1998,[145] and it peaked within the top 10 in Australia, the U.K., and the U.S.[137][143][146]
"When" had a limited release in Europe on June 1, 1998.[147] Twain released the original version of "That Don't Impress Me Much" to U.S. country stations on December 7, 1998,[148][149] and released a dance remix[note 8] to U.S. pop stations on February 23, 1999.[150][151] It was the album's most successful single internationally,[130] topping the charts in Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway.[152][153][154] It achieved top 10 positions in other territories, including Australia,[155] Canada,[156] Germany,[157] Spain,[158] the U.K.,[143] and the U.S.[137] "You've Got a Way" and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" had crossover releases to U.S. pop stations throughout 1999,[159][160] and peaked at numbers 49 and 23 respectively on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100.[137] The promoters also serviced more singles to U.S. country stations: "Honey, I'm Home" (August 10, 1998),[161] "Come On Over" (September 7, 1999),[162] "Rock This Country!" (January 10, 2000),[163] and "I'm Holdin' On to Love (To Save My Life)" (July 2000).[164] All songs peaked within the top 30 of the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart, with "Honey, I'm Home" at number one and "Come On Over" at number six.[138] They released a dance remix of "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)" as the album's final single in Europe on February 7, 2000.[165]
To further promote the album, Twain embarked on theCome On Over Tour, her first as a headliner. It kicked off inSudbury, Northern Ontario, on May 29, 1998, and concluded inWest Palm Beach,Florida, on December 5, 1999.[166][167] Outside North America, the Come On Over Tour visited Australia, Ireland, and the U.K.[168] It grossed over $70 million from 165 shows and received generally positive reviews.[168][169] Music critics appreciated Twain's energetic performances as she refuted those earlier accusations of being unable to sing live, and they praised the show's production.[170][171][172] The tour visitedReunion Arena inDallas,Texas, on September 12, 1998, andDirecTV broadcast it live.[173] ACBSTV special titledShania Twain's Winter Break premiered on March 3, 1999.[174] Filmmakers documented the tour on January 15 and 16, 1999, at theBayfront Park Amphitheater inMiami,Florida.[174]Elton John joined Twain on stage to sing a medley of "You're Still the One" and "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (1997).[174]Backstreet Boys also appeared at the concert, singing "From This Moment On" alongside Twain.[174] CBS taped a second TV special atTexas Stadium, and it aired onThanksgiving Day, November 25, 1999.[175]
As noted earlier,Come On Over received mixed reviews from music critics.[117][182] Those who were complimentary applauded it for exploring the limits of country music.[45][76]Stephen Thomas Erlewine fromAllMusic remarked thatCome On Over transcended boundaries due to its rock-oriented production,[42] writing that despite the relative absence of country elements, Twain "sticks to what she does best, which is countrified mainstream pop."[42]Billboard's Paul Verna similarly stated that "country's traditions are being reinvented and redefined," callingCome On Over "the future ofpower pop merging with country."[76] Some critics, however, took issue with the album's genre classification as country.Robert Christgau asserted thatCome On Over "has nothing to do with country,"[177] and Jeffrey Lee Puckett ofThe Courier-Journal felt that "[it] sounds more like a pop singer flirting with country."[53]The Tennessean's Tom Roland added that the array of rock references hardly made the album sound country.[57] Conversely,J. D. Considine ofEntertainment Weekly cited the country chorus on "Honey, I'm Home" as an example of how "superficial Twain's rock trappings are," concluding that "Lange has no need to countrify every arrangement for credibility's sake."[60]
In 2015,Guinness World Records recognizedCome On Over as the biggest-selling studio album by a female solo artist, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide.[199] It remains the best-selling country album, the best-selling album by a Canadian artist, and the world'seighth best-selling album of all time.[19][200]
In Canada,Come On Over debuted at number one on theCanadian Albums Chart with first-week sales of 51,840 copies.[201] Twain became the first country artist to debut at number one since the introduction of theNielsen SoundScan system for tracking album sales.[201] The album spent five weeks atop the chart.[202] By December 2014 it had sold 1.94 million copies, making it thebest-selling album since the advent of the Nielsen SoundScan in Canada in 1995.[203]Music Canada (MC) certifiedCome On Over double diamond for shipments of two million units.[204] In the U.S.,Come On Over debuted at number two on theBillboard 200 chart for November 22, 1997, with first-week sales of 172,000 copies.[205]Mase's debut studio albumHarlem World, which sold 3,000 more copies thanCome On Over, held it off from reaching the top spot.[205] The album remained second behindBarbra Streisand'sHigher Ground, selling 170,000 units in the second week.[206]
Come On Over experienced its highest weekly sales during Christmas week 1999, selling 355,000 copies.[207] It spent 50 weeks at number one on the U.S. Top Country Albums chart,[7] breaking the record for the longest-running number-one album.[208][note 9] It was the fourth best-selling album of both 1998 and 1999 in the U.S., selling 4.9 million and 5.62 million copies, respectively.[210][211] By October 2019, the album had sold 15.73 million pure copies in the U.S.[212] It is the best-selling country album and the secondbest-selling album in the U.S. since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began in 1991, behindMetallica's 1991self-titled album.[212] TheRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album20× platinum (double diamond), denoting 20 million units shipped.[213] In Latin America,Come On Over was certified gold in Brazil,[214] Mexico,[215] and Uruguay[216] and platinum in Argentina.[217]
The album topped the pancontinentalEuropean Top 100 Albums chart for two consecutive weeks.[218][219] TheInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) certified it 7× platinum in 2001, denoting sales of seven million copies across Europe.[220]Come On Over was asleeper success in the U.K.[104] In the week ending March 21, 1998, the album debuted at number 15 on theAlbums Chart.[221] After a year and a half of fluctuating on the chart, it climbed to number one in its 74th week, with sales of 57,000 copies.[104][222] The best sales week was the one ending December 25, 1999, with 278,000 copies sold.[104]Come On Over spent 11 weeks at number one and was the best-selling album of 1999 in the U.K. with sales of 2.2 million copies.[223] TheBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified it 11× platinum and sold 3.51 million copies by January 2023, making it the 15thbest-selling album in the U.K. of all time.[104][224][225] Across Europe,Come On Over reached number one in Belgium (Flanders),[226] Denmark,[227] Iceland,[228] Ireland,[229] the Netherlands,[230] Norway,[231] and Scotland.[232] It received multi-platinum certifications in Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland (3× platinum),[233][234][235] the Netherlands (5× platinum),[236] Norway (6× platinum),[237] and Denmark (7× platinum).[238]
In Australia,Come On Over topped theAustralian Albums Chart for 20 weeks and was the best-selling album of 1999 in the country.[239][240] By December 1999, the album had sold one million units in Australia.[241] It was certified 25× platinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for earning over 1.75 million album-equivalent units in the nation.[242] The album spent 23 weeks at number one on theNew Zealand Albums Chart and received a 21× platinum certification fromRecorded Music NZ (RMNZ) for shipments of over 315,000 units.[243][244]
Critics have observed the impact ofCome On Over on the work of later female country artists, includingTaylor Swift (left,pictured in 2012) andCarrie Underwood (right,pictured in 2018).
In a March 1999 article in theOttawa Citizen, Lynn Saxberg wrote thatCome On Over "pushed new country as far as it will go" and "may be remembered as [...] the epitome of thepop-rock influence on country music."[245] Ron Corbett from the same publication considered Twain's crossover success to be the first of its kind: "In Nashville, they say the streets are littered with the bones of artists who tried to cross over to pop, only to end up killing their careers. Ms. Twain may turn out to be the exception."[246] In retrospect, journalists hailed Twain as the pioneer of 1990s country-pop crossovers and observed the impact ofCome On Over in country music.[247][248][249] Alex Hopper ofAmerican Songwriter considered the album to be Twain'smagnum opus and said that its country-pop crossovers "were something entirely new upon their release."[247] In Jocelyn R. Neal's 2013 bookCountry Music: A Cultural and Stylistic History, Neal acknowledged Twain as the driving force behind the "major stylistic shift in country music toward country-pop."[250]
Larry Delaney ofCountry Music News said that the album introduced country music to a large and new audience of young listeners.[245] Writing for Wide Open Country, Bobbie Jean Sawyer applauded the album for being "a benchmark moment for country music."[251] He noted its impact on female country artists "less concerned with a strict adherence to genre and more concerned with being true to themselves," includingKelsea Ballerini,Maren Morris,Carly Pearce,Carrie Underwood, andTaylor Swift.[251] Taylor Weatherby ofBillboard calledCome On Over "a brilliant fusion of country, pop and rock that it quickly solidified Twain's legacy."[18] Alison Hussey ofPitchfork observed how the album's success "changed Nashville forever" and redefined the categorization of country music.[49] According to her, Twain set a new standard of country-pop crossovers, recognizing her influence on subsequent careers ofBomshel,Rascal Flatts,Faith Hill, and Underwood.[49]
Pandora music analyst Kevin Seal pointed out that the "euphoric quality" of the songs had a "huge effect on Nashville production" and shaped the sound of upcoming country productions.[249]Medium's Glenn Peoples likewise dubbed the music "ahead of its time."[249] He cited Underwood's "All-American Girl" (2007) and "Good Girl" (2012) as songs "that would work well onCome On Over," referring to the female empowerment theme of the former and the instrumentation of the latter.[249]The Independent's Roisin O'Connor linked the "winking, sarcastic tone" of "That Don't Impress Me Much" to Taylor Swift's music, specifically citing "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (2012) and "Blank Space" (2014), and concluding, "Without Shania, there likely wouldn't be a Taylor."[91] In 2021, Swift thanked Twain on the video-sharing serviceTikTok for eradicating the misconception that "country girls can't go to pop."[252] Twain toldBillboard that the risk she took by exploring her diversity inspired female country artists like Swift andMiranda Lambert to be confident in being "artistically expressive and unique."[18]
Journalists have noted that Twain's image and fashion throughout the album cycle altered the public's perception of country music's visual representation.[note 10] Some have credited the visual aspect of Twain's music videos, which benefited from heavy airplay on stations such asCMT,MTV, andVH1, as conveying a message that "country music doesn't have to look like just one thing."[49][249][251] Peoples described Twain's music videos as "visually stunning, mixing glamour, romanticism, and often vibrant colors."[249]National Post's Jeff Breithaupt accredited the success ofCome On Over to the marketing strategy of "slow roll-outs of hit singles and expensive videos," and compared it toMichael Jackson'sThriller (1982).[254] Other journalists commented that a vast audience of "underseen, under-engaged" female listeners who identified with its female empowerment themes embraced it.[note 11] O'Connor cited "Black Eyes, Blue Tears" and "If You Wanna Touch Her, Ask!" for their timely relevance in light of the#MeToo movement, calling the album "an overlooked feminist masterpiece."[91]
Consequence rankedCome On Over as the ninth-best album of 1997, and praised it for pushing the boundaries of country music.[256]Rolling Stone included it in their 2020 revised list of the500 Greatest Albums of All Time, at number 300.[257] The same publication later placed the album at number eight in its 2022 list of the "100 Greatest Country Albums of All Time."[258] Editor Natalie Weiner found the songs "addictive," and commended both the "wild creativity" and Twain and Lange's "dangerously sharp commercial instincts," as well as their "fearless embrace of an audience too often overlooked by country music: women."[258] In their ranking of the "150 Greatest Albums Made by Women,"NPR listedCome On Over at number 89.[44]Ann Powers opined that the album's sonic innovations were "forward thinking," revolutionizing the country genre.[44]
All editions of the album following its initial North American release include alternate pop-oriented mixes of all of the album's tracks, except for "Rock This Country!".[100][118][260]
Olle Romo –programming,Pro Tools,sequencing, editing, "that extra Swedish swing" (all tracks),engineer, additional engineer,mixing (track 4, 10, 13, 15 on international edition), remixing (track 6 on the Australian Tour and Special Asia editions)
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Attributed to such sources asEntertainment Weekly,[60]News-Pilot,[65]The Baltimore Sun,[63]The New York Times,[55] andThe Philadelphia Inquirer.[45]
^On Lange's support for her songwriting forCome On Over, Twain said: "It's basically my personality coming out in my lyrics. My husband is partly responsible for that, he encourages it in me. I haven't always been brave enough to say some of the things I've said through my songs. I'll show him a song and he'll say 'You've got to say it like it is. Be yourself. So come up with all these lyrics that are fun, and independent.' "[74]
^Labeled as the "UK dance mix" on the revised international edition.[108]
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^Jones, Alan (March 21, 1998)."Chart commentary"(PDF).Music Week. p. 22.ISSN0265-1548.Archived(PDF) from the original on January 31, 2023. RetrievedMay 8, 2023.
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