The 2020 CMT Music Awards show was a night heavy on rising stars, although light on industry
veterans. Luke Combs, Noah Cyrus, Jimmie Allen, and Gabby Barrett gave electrifying performances.
Morgan Wallen returned to the stage after his Saturday Night Live controversy. And Dan+Shay,
Little Big Town, and Sam Hunt all made strong cases for their continued place on country
music charts. None of these people, talented though they may be, can compare to the country-pop
legend that is Shania Twain.
Twain took the stage live from Switzerland, where she has lived for several years, to
perform her 1995 classic "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" Despite fans excited to
see a rare performance from the icon, the setting of her performance unsettled some
watching from home. One fan commented on Twitter that it looked like, quote, "she was in a
freaking wax museum," while another said they were "confused," asking "why is she singing
to wax figures of Charlie Chaplin"?
If it looked like Twain was performing for wax figures of Charlie Chaplin, it's because
she totally was. Twain took the stage live from the Swiss museum "Chaplin's World." According
to the museum's website, it is dedicated to exploring Chaplin as an artist and a man,
and encourages guests to, quote, "embark on a singular journey through the sets of his
greatest films at our Hollywood-style Studio," which is exactly what Twain did with her CMT
Music Awards performance. How about that for waxing nostalgic?
The setting inspired mixed reactions from fans. Some were confused. Some were creeped
out, with one fan tweeting,
"I accidentally started watching the CMT awards and am enthralled by Shania Twain performing
with mannequins. I’m sure they will haunt my dreams later."
At least one found it hilarious, writing on Twitter,
"I can't deal with wherever Shania Twain is performing from."
With or without the museum, however, the performance was a huge success for Twain, and a highlight
of the night. One fan summed it up perfectly:
"You know life's about to get good when Shania performs... She never disappoints."
However, Shania Twain's performance wasn't everyone's favorite. One Twitter user wrote,
"That was the strangest Shania Twain performance I've ever seen. Is she Ok?"
But even the "negative" reviews weren't all that bad. Another person wrote,
"She looks very good! So proud of her! Always one of my favorites. Didn't care for that
performance of the song. I felt she could have created something more interesting because
she's awesome like that!"
While Twain's Chaplin-themed performance got a few negative reviews, the general consensus
was clear: She's still the queen.
Shania Twain is a legend largely because she knows how to hold a crowd. When she kicked
off her two-year engagement at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2012, she rode up the famous
strip on horseback with a herd of 40 horses, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
But that wasn't the end of the horses. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Twain came out on stage
riding a white horse while wearing a white dress and singing "You're Still the One."
Other horses appeared and she even featured a campfire on stage while singing "Come on
Over." To be fair, horses and campfires seem much more on-brand for Twain than her Charlie
Chaplin-themed CMT Awards performance, but the musician has been known to bend styles
and genres before.
She performed at the 2019 American Music Awards and began her set with an acoustic version
of contemporary hits, including Twenty One Pilots' "Stressed Out," Taylor Swift's "Shake
It Off," and Drake's "God's Plan," per The Hollywood Reporter. It's worth noting that
she wore a pink gown and played a pink, rhinestone-covered guitar. The performance was memorable, as
TVLine said,
"We never thought we'd hear an acoustic rendition of 'God's Plan' blend seamlessly into Shania
Twain's 'Still the One,' yet here we are."
If we didn't already know, it's clear that Twain can pull anything off.
"Like that wasn't real, right? You weren't standing next to a real-?"
"That was, that was a real wolf."
"That was a real wolf?"
"Yup."
Drake and country music? Why not? Horses on stage? Obviously. And Charlie Chaplin as prop
guest? Only Twain could have done it.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Nicki Swift videos about your
favorite musicians are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so
you don't miss a single one.