Why Shania Twain's Performance At The CMT Awards Raised Eyebrows

The 2020 CMT Awards show was a night heavy on rising stars, if light on industry veterans. Luke Combs, Noah Cyrus, Jimmie Allen, and Gabby Barrett gave electrifying performances and proved why they are new acts to take seriously. 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 in country music. None of these people, talented though they may be, can compare to the 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 country-pop icon, the setting of her performance unsettled some watching from home. One fan commented on Twitter that it looked like "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 seemed like Shania Twain was performing to wax figures of Charlie Chaplin, it's because she was. Twain took the stage live from Chaplin's World, a museum in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. According to the museum's website, it is dedicated to exploring Chaplin as an artist and a man, and encourages guests to "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 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, the "mannequins ... 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 one, if not the, highlight of the night. One fan summed it up perfectly: "You know life's about to get good when Shania performs... She never disappoints." We have to agree.

Shania Twain's 2020 CMT Awards performance at the Chaplin's World museum in Switzerland wasn't everyone's favorite. One Twitter user wrote, "That was the strangest Shania Twain performance I've ever seen. Is she Ok? #CMTawards." But even the "negative" reviews weren't all that bad. One 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. "Absolute perfection in every way!!" someone commented. Another person felt that Twain carried the CMT Awards, "Only good thing about the show." Meanwhile, someone else basically summed up what the majority of fans seemed to feel: "We love our Queen!"

Even though Twain came out on top after her unique CMT Awards performance, the Canadian country music treasure has caused a stir before, thanks to some very creative performances.

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."

It's clear that Twain can pull anything off. Drake and country music? Why not? Horses on stage? Obviously. And Charlie Chaplin as prop guest? Only Twain could have done it.