Up! was the first all-new studio album by CanadiansingerShania Twain in 5 years, released in November 2002 (see 2002 in music). The album was recorded in three different ways: country ("Green" disc), pop ("Red" disc) and international ("Blue" disc). In the United States, the "Green" disc and the "Red" disc were contained in the same case, while the "Blue" disc was available for download. In international markets, the "Red" and "Blue" discs were paired. For the "Blue" international disc, Shania and her husband/producer Mutt Lange enlisted British-Asian music producers Diamond Duggal and Simon Duggal to produce this version of the album. The RIAA certified the album at 11x platinum, denoting shipments of 5.5 million in the United States; since it is over 100 minutes in length, the RIAA counted each disc separately for certification purposes, as of 2007 UP! has sold 12 million copies worldwide .[1][2] The album was also certified diamond in Canada a month after its release date.[3] In 2007 the album's cover was listed on Maxim's Sexiest Album Covers.[4]
This double-CD follow-up to Shania Twain's previous two multiplatinum efforts features both "pop" and "more pop" versions of 19 new Twain/Lange compositions. Both discs boast a signature Lange sound—crisp, punchy, multi-layered, with hooks for days. It's also quintessential Shania, light as vapor, sweet as sugar, rendered with personality and undeniable charisma. Twain works hard on such bouncy fare as the title cut, the swirling debut single "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!," and such interchangeable girl-power anthems as "She's Not Just a Pretty Face," "Nah!," "In My Car (I'll be the Driver)," and Latin-tinged "Juanita." The breezy "Forever and for Always" shows impressive range, and Twain infuses "I Ain't Goin' Down" with some passion. It's hard to stay UP! over the course of 19 cuts (never mind 38), and Twain's trademark vocal tricks do get repetitive. All the better for her fans, though; expect precious metal.
