Energetic, versatile Twain is soaring on 'Up'

Shania Twain last performed in Utah on June 16, 1998. She was touring in support of her third album, "Come On Over," which was released a little more than seven months earlier.

To say a little bit has happened to her career since then is like saying the governor's seat in California received just a little bit of attention this year. "Come On Over" sold 19 million copies in the United States and 34 million worldwide, making it the top selling album of all-time by a solo female artist, and the sixth best-selling album ever, behind the Eagles, Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin.

Her exhaustive touring, TV appearances, numerous magazine-cover shoots and crossover videos, which got airplay on stations like VH1 as well as the country music stations . . . not to mention her abs of steel . . . made the stunning Canadian-born singer one of the most recognized women in music.

All of that came on the heels of her 1995 effort, "The Woman In Me," a success story of its own, selling more than 12 million copies. That album made Shania a country superstar. "Come On Over" arguably lifted her to music diva status, although one would never know it judging from her lack of diva attitude. Twain remains refreshingly down to earth and drama-free, compared to her MTV diva counterparts.

Now, after taking time off to have a baby (Eja, now age 2), to buy a big ol' house in Switzerland and to get back into the studio, the 38-year-old singer/songwriter makes her return to Salt Lake City Tuesday for one night only in the Delta Center.

Her latest album, "Up!" released in 2002, has sold more than 9 million copies worldwide — 874,000 of those flying out the door the first week of release. It is her only album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart ("Come On Over" peaked at No. 2).

For the record, nine of the bouncy 19 songs on the album end with an exclamation point. The "Up!" album actually comes in three versions — the red disc is the pop version of her songs, the green disc is the country version, and if that still doesn't satisfy your Shania needs, she has the "blue" mix of worldbeat music available on her Web site.

Twain did a similar move for "Come On Over," releasing an international version of the album in 1998, with rock and dance remixes of her songs. "I've always been comfortable writing and singing many styles of music," she says in an insert in each of her CDs. "I wanted ('Up!') to reflect that versatility."