Today Is Your Day
Encyclopedia
"Today Is Your Day" is a song performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain
. It was self-penned by Twain and co-produced by the singer alongside David Foster
and Nathan Chapman
. The song was released on June 12, 2011 by Mercury Nashville Records, as a promotional single
to accompany the documentary television series Why Not? with Shania Twain
(2011). The song marked Twain's first song release in over six years. Twain wrote the track for self-inspiration, during the development of Why Not? with Shania Twain. To her, "Today Is Your Day" became the theme song
for the series, expressing the purpose behind it via music. Despite feeling apprehensive, Twain decided to record the track, which induced her to create her forthcoming fifth studio album. The track is midtempo ballad in the country pop
genre. Lyrically, "Today Is Your Day" regards personal upliftment.
"Today Is Your Day" has received mixed reviews from music critics and mild commercial performance in Canada and the United States. On the Canadian Hot 100
, the song peaked at number sixteen, while, in the US Billboard Hot 100
, it peaked at number sixty-six. It became Twain's first effort to enter the main-genre chart since "Party for Two
" (2004). Despite not receiving an official music video, a promotional music video was gathered from footage from Why Not? with Shania Twain.
, which caught the attention of record producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange. The two collaborated on songwriting via phone calls for six months, and later established a romantic relationship. Soon after, they wedded in December 1993 and Twain's second studio album The Woman in Me (1995) established Twain as a superstar, selling over 12 million copies in the United States. Twain and Lange continued to collaborate on her subsequent albums Come on Over
(1997) and Up!
(2002); the prior went on to sell over 40 million copies worldwide and became the best-selling album by a female artist. After selling a total of over 75 million records worldwide, making her the top-selling female artist in country music history, Twain decided to take a musical hiatus in 2005. In 2008, it was announced that after 14 years of marriage, Twain and Lange were in the process of divorcing. The singer had discovered her husband was infidel with her best friend Marie Anne Thiebaud, although Lange and Thiebaud never admitted to it. The divorce was finalized on June 9, 2010.
According to Twain, she became depressed
and lost her desire to live following the divorce. As a distraction from it, Twain commenced to write her memoir From This Moment On (titled after the 1998 song of the same name). She then began to re-evaluate her life and noted a pattern of attempting to withhold emotions, which affected her voice (for both speaking and singing). She explained the loss of her voice was attributed to a cumulative stress that began with domestic violence
in her childhood, continued with the death of her parents and the stress from her musical career, and finally exploded with the divorce. As a result, the singer developed dysphonia
, an impairment in the ability to produce voice sounds using the vocal organs as a result of tightened muscles enveloping her voice box
. In order to recover her voice and heal wounds caused by the divorce, Twain embarked on a documented journey with the series Why Not? with Shania Twain
. The goal was executed via Twain performing acts out her comfort zone to once again be able to perform, while inspiring viewers to be proactive about their dilemmas.
. Then, the lyrics began to flow as Why Not? with Shania Twain progressed. "Today Is Your Day" inspirited her; consequently, she contemplated sharing it with the series. a concept that frightened her: "Sharing that song with other people, exposing, and basically allowing myself to be vulnerable the and judged, it scared the heck out of me." She believed it ultimately became "the natural theme song
of the series". She explained the song's relevance to the television series: "From the inception of documenting the journey, the song was also created at that moment. And it has evolved with it all along the way."
As part of Why Not? with Shania Twain, she then arranged an appointment with music producer David Foster
, hoping to collaborate on "Today Is Your Day". In order to prepare with her session with Foster, Twain visited vocal coach
Eric Vetro to prepare, although feeling skeptical. Twain and Vetro executed several vocal exercises to loosen her up from the tension and tightness she experienced. "The goal is to free up, to let go. She has to take all of that tension and tightness that she's been feeling for so long, and transform it to free herself from it. And to start singing from her heart again, the way she did when she was a little girl, when she started", Vetro stated. He also expressed his belief that Twain was prepared enough to once again record and perform music. Twain felt she learned divergent techniques that were beneficial to her voice and appreciated Vetro's understanding of her psyche as a performer.
Nevertheless, Twain was apprehensive about collaborating with Foster and frightened that he would dislike the song or her voice. To ease the process, she approached it as if she were introducing "Today Is Your Day" to the producer as a songwriter, rather than a singer. Twain and Foster recorded the demo of "Today Is Your Day" at Foster's home studio
in Los Angeles, California
, creating the musical arrangement as the recording prolonged. Background vocal
s were provided by Twain and her sister, Carrie Ann Twain, using a handheld microphone. Foster then suggested for Twain to record lead vocals in his home's vocal booth. After agreeing, Twain commenced it nervously, but then enjoyed it. She considered it a "landmark moment in [her] journey" through Why Not? with Shania Twain and described it as second nature and very natural, as if she never put her musical career to a halt. Twain later recorded the studio version of "Today Is Your Day" and co-produced it along Foster and Nathan Chapman
. The song "set [Twain] off", allowing her to feel comfortable anew recording music, and triggering her to create her forthcoming fifth studio album.
, and her first self-penned song released since "Leaving Is the Only Way Out" from The Woman in Me (1995); the two are her only self-penned tracks released. It is also Twain's first promotional single
. An official music video
for "Today Is Your Day" was not filmed; instead, the song was given a promotional music video compiled from highlights from Why Not? with Shania Twain. It premiered on Vevo
on June 23, 2011, and was released to the iTunes Store
on June 28, 2011.
genre. Nonetheless, several critics, such as Nicholas Köhler and Ken MacQueen Maclean's
, have described the track to be a piece of pop music
, rather than country music
. It commences with a sole piano
accompanying Twain's voice, and later progresses to an assortment of banjo
, string instruments, and other instrumentation. However, the production is maintained sparse, leaving Twain's vocals at center. The lyrics are written in second person
and discuss optimism and personal upliftment. In the bridge
, she sings, "Brush yourself off no regrets/ This is as good as it gets/ Don’t expect more or less/ Just go out and give it your best", meaning one must be able to disregard dreaming for a better day because "today is all you’ve got". Melinda Newman of HitFix
presumed, considering Twain's back story, that Twain wrote "Today Is Your Day" as message for herself.
compared the track to work by Colbie Caillat
and said it would have no problem conquering adult contemporary
radio, as well as country, while receiving minor airplay from mainstream stations. Lamb also said that "Today Is Your Day" was a "quite refreshing" record. Melinda Newman of HitFix described "Today Is Your Day" to be "a bit snoozy", however complementing Twain's reasonably strong vocals. Newman added, "She’s not pushing or belting in any way, but she’s upfront and center. However, her delivery is hardly the peppy rallying call that the lyrics call for and if a song ever demanded to be uptempo, this would be it." Sean Daly of the St. Petersburg Times
called the song "a shocking stinkeroo every which way." Daly criticized Twain's vocal delivery, noting she sounded as though she sang through the side of her mouth much like James Cagney
, and said the track reinforced the skeptics who insisted Lange was the reason for Twain's success. He concluded, "If 'Today Is Your Day' is a sign of things to come, you might want to hold your breath on that comeback." Jenna Hally Rubenstein of MTV
was disappointed with "Today Is Your Day", but said she would "take it" following the singer's long absence from music. Rubenstein commented that the song was undoubtedly saccharine, yet Twain's lush and rich voice prevailed.
. The following week, it descended to number forty-five. Since, the song has spent six weeks on the Canadian Hot 100. On the week ending July 2, 2011, "Today Is Your Day" also entered on the US Billboard Hot 100
, at number sixty-six with 46, 000 digital downloads (its sole week on the chart). This marked Twain's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart since "Party for Two
" (2004) spent its last week on the chart in February 2005. On the same week, "Today Is Your Day" entered at number forty on the US Hot Country Songs
chart, ranking Twain's fourth-highest debut. Two weeks later, on the week ending July 16, 2011, the track reached its peak at number thirty-six, and spent a total of six weeks on the chart.
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
. It was self-penned by Twain and co-produced by the singer alongside David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
and Nathan Chapman
Nathan Chapman (record producer)
Nathan Chapman is an American record producer who works in the field of country music. He is known primarily for working with Taylor Swift, having produced her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless and Speak Now. The former was also the first album that he produced...
. The song was released on June 12, 2011 by Mercury Nashville Records, as a promotional single
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
to accompany the documentary television series Why Not? with Shania Twain
Why Not? with Shania Twain
Why Not? with Shania Twain is a reality show that is hosted by Canadian country music singer/songwriter Shania Twain. It premiered on the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on May 8, 2011 as the network's highest rated premiere to date. It documents the journey of the superstar who, by the age of 22, had...
(2011). The song marked Twain's first song release in over six years. Twain wrote the track for self-inspiration, during the development of Why Not? with Shania Twain. To her, "Today Is Your Day" became the theme song
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for the series, expressing the purpose behind it via music. Despite feeling apprehensive, Twain decided to record the track, which induced her to create her forthcoming fifth studio album. The track is midtempo ballad in the country pop
Country pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
genre. Lyrically, "Today Is Your Day" regards personal upliftment.
"Today Is Your Day" has received mixed reviews from music critics and mild commercial performance in Canada and the United States. On the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, the song peaked at number sixteen, while, in the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, it peaked at number sixty-six. It became Twain's first effort to enter the main-genre chart since "Party for Two
Party for Two
"Party for Two" is a song by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was the first single from her 2004 Greatest Hits album. The song was written by Mutt Lange and Twain. Two versions of "Party for Two" were recorded: a pop mix with Mark McGrath and a country version with Billy Currington. The song was...
" (2004). Despite not receiving an official music video, a promotional music video was gathered from footage from Why Not? with Shania Twain.
Background
In 1993, prior to success, Twain released her eponymous debut studio albumShania Twain (album)
-Production:*Produced By Norro Wilson & Harold Shedd*Engineered & Mixed By Jim Cotton, Todd Culross, Graeme Smith & Joe Scaife*Mastered By Marty Williams-Personnel:*Drums, Percussion: Paul Leim, Larrie Londin, Terry McMillan*Bass: Mike Brignardello, Glenn Worf...
, which caught the attention of record producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange. The two collaborated on songwriting via phone calls for six months, and later established a romantic relationship. Soon after, they wedded in December 1993 and Twain's second studio album The Woman in Me (1995) established Twain as a superstar, selling over 12 million copies in the United States. Twain and Lange continued to collaborate on her subsequent albums Come on Over
Come on Over (Shania Twain album)
Come On Over is the third studio album recorded by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997. It became the world's best-selling country music album and the best-selling studio album ever released by a female artist in any genre...
(1997) and Up!
Up! (album)
-Critical reception:Upon its release, the album received very positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 72/100 from Metacritic...
(2002); the prior went on to sell over 40 million copies worldwide and became the best-selling album by a female artist. After selling a total of over 75 million records worldwide, making her the top-selling female artist in country music history, Twain decided to take a musical hiatus in 2005. In 2008, it was announced that after 14 years of marriage, Twain and Lange were in the process of divorcing. The singer had discovered her husband was infidel with her best friend Marie Anne Thiebaud, although Lange and Thiebaud never admitted to it. The divorce was finalized on June 9, 2010.
According to Twain, she became depressed
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
and lost her desire to live following the divorce. As a distraction from it, Twain commenced to write her memoir From This Moment On (titled after the 1998 song of the same name). She then began to re-evaluate her life and noted a pattern of attempting to withhold emotions, which affected her voice (for both speaking and singing). She explained the loss of her voice was attributed to a cumulative stress that began with domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
in her childhood, continued with the death of her parents and the stress from her musical career, and finally exploded with the divorce. As a result, the singer developed dysphonia
Dysphonia
Dysphonia is the medical term for disorders of the voice: an impairment in the ability to produce voice sounds using the vocal organs . Thus, dysphonia is a phonation disorder...
, an impairment in the ability to produce voice sounds using the vocal organs as a result of tightened muscles enveloping her voice box
Voice box
Voice box could mean:* The larynx , colloquially known as the voice box, is an organ in the neck of mammals involved in protection of the trachea and sound production....
. In order to recover her voice and heal wounds caused by the divorce, Twain embarked on a documented journey with the series Why Not? with Shania Twain
Why Not? with Shania Twain
Why Not? with Shania Twain is a reality show that is hosted by Canadian country music singer/songwriter Shania Twain. It premiered on the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on May 8, 2011 as the network's highest rated premiere to date. It documents the journey of the superstar who, by the age of 22, had...
. The goal was executed via Twain performing acts out her comfort zone to once again be able to perform, while inspiring viewers to be proactive about their dilemmas.
Writing and recording
After repeating to herself, 'Today is your day! You can do it!', Twain decided to compose a song for self-inspiration. Twain described the decision to write the song as crucial because it was her first since her separation from Lange. She had to "find [herself] as a songwriter again" and become independent once again. "I was petrified of writing a new song without Mutt. A whole new world for me. It had been many, many years since I had written by myself so that was new and scary", Twain said. For Twain, the music was simple to write, only occupying approximately two lines of sheet musicSheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
. Then, the lyrics began to flow as Why Not? with Shania Twain progressed. "Today Is Your Day" inspirited her; consequently, she contemplated sharing it with the series. a concept that frightened her: "Sharing that song with other people, exposing, and basically allowing myself to be vulnerable the and judged, it scared the heck out of me." She believed it ultimately became "the natural theme song
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
of the series". She explained the song's relevance to the television series: "From the inception of documenting the journey, the song was also created at that moment. And it has evolved with it all along the way."
As part of Why Not? with Shania Twain, she then arranged an appointment with music producer David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
, hoping to collaborate on "Today Is Your Day". In order to prepare with her session with Foster, Twain visited vocal coach
Vocal coach
A vocal coach is a music teacher who instructs singers on how to improve their singing technique, take care of and develop their voice, and prepare for the performance of a song or other work. Vocal coaches may give private music lessons to singers, or they may coach singers who are rehearsing on...
Eric Vetro to prepare, although feeling skeptical. Twain and Vetro executed several vocal exercises to loosen her up from the tension and tightness she experienced. "The goal is to free up, to let go. She has to take all of that tension and tightness that she's been feeling for so long, and transform it to free herself from it. And to start singing from her heart again, the way she did when she was a little girl, when she started", Vetro stated. He also expressed his belief that Twain was prepared enough to once again record and perform music. Twain felt she learned divergent techniques that were beneficial to her voice and appreciated Vetro's understanding of her psyche as a performer.
Nevertheless, Twain was apprehensive about collaborating with Foster and frightened that he would dislike the song or her voice. To ease the process, she approached it as if she were introducing "Today Is Your Day" to the producer as a songwriter, rather than a singer. Twain and Foster recorded the demo of "Today Is Your Day" at Foster's home studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, creating the musical arrangement as the recording prolonged. Background vocal
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
s were provided by Twain and her sister, Carrie Ann Twain, using a handheld microphone. Foster then suggested for Twain to record lead vocals in his home's vocal booth. After agreeing, Twain commenced it nervously, but then enjoyed it. She considered it a "landmark moment in [her] journey" through Why Not? with Shania Twain and described it as second nature and very natural, as if she never put her musical career to a halt. Twain later recorded the studio version of "Today Is Your Day" and co-produced it along Foster and Nathan Chapman
Nathan Chapman (record producer)
Nathan Chapman is an American record producer who works in the field of country music. He is known primarily for working with Taylor Swift, having produced her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless and Speak Now. The former was also the first album that he produced...
. The song "set [Twain] off", allowing her to feel comfortable anew recording music, and triggering her to create her forthcoming fifth studio album.
Release
The song premiered on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on June 12, 2011, immediately after the broadcast premiere of Why Not? with Shania Twains final episode, "Endless Love" at 11 P.M. EST. Subsequently on the same night, "Today Was Your Day" was released to country radio and digital retailers in Canada and the United States, with an international release the next day. It became her first song release since "Shoes" (2005) from the Desperate Housewives soundtrackMusic from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives
Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives is the soundtrack to the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It was released alongside the series in 2005 by Hollywood Records and distributed by Universal Music. As the album title implies, much of the music on the album was inspired by the...
, and her first self-penned song released since "Leaving Is the Only Way Out" from The Woman in Me (1995); the two are her only self-penned tracks released. It is also Twain's first promotional single
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
. An official music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Today Is Your Day" was not filmed; instead, the song was given a promotional music video compiled from highlights from Why Not? with Shania Twain. It premiered on Vevo
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
on June 23, 2011, and was released to the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on June 28, 2011.
Composition
"Today Is Your Day" is a song with a length of three minutes and twelve seconds. The song is a slow mid-tempo ballad of the country popCountry pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
genre. Nonetheless, several critics, such as Nicholas Köhler and Ken MacQueen Maclean's
Maclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
, have described the track to be a piece of pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rather than country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. It commences with a sole piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
accompanying Twain's voice, and later progresses to an assortment of banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, string instruments, and other instrumentation. However, the production is maintained sparse, leaving Twain's vocals at center. The lyrics are written in second person
Second-person narrative
The second-person narrative is a narrative mode in which the protagonist or another main character is referred to by employment of second-person personal pronouns and other kinds of addressing forms, for example the English second-person pronoun "you"....
and discuss optimism and personal upliftment. In the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
, she sings, "Brush yourself off no regrets/ This is as good as it gets/ Don’t expect more or less/ Just go out and give it your best", meaning one must be able to disregard dreaming for a better day because "today is all you’ve got". Melinda Newman of HitFix
HitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
presumed, considering Twain's back story, that Twain wrote "Today Is Your Day" as message for herself.
Critical reception
The song received mixed reviews from music critics. Bill Lamb of About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
compared the track to work by Colbie Caillat
Colbie Caillat
Colbie Marie Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize", and "The Little Things". In 2008, she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", which won a Grammy. Caillat released her...
and said it would have no problem conquering adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
radio, as well as country, while receiving minor airplay from mainstream stations. Lamb also said that "Today Is Your Day" was a "quite refreshing" record. Melinda Newman of HitFix described "Today Is Your Day" to be "a bit snoozy", however complementing Twain's reasonably strong vocals. Newman added, "She’s not pushing or belting in any way, but she’s upfront and center. However, her delivery is hardly the peppy rallying call that the lyrics call for and if a song ever demanded to be uptempo, this would be it." Sean Daly of the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
called the song "a shocking stinkeroo every which way." Daly criticized Twain's vocal delivery, noting she sounded as though she sang through the side of her mouth much like James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
, and said the track reinforced the skeptics who insisted Lange was the reason for Twain's success. He concluded, "If 'Today Is Your Day' is a sign of things to come, you might want to hold your breath on that comeback." Jenna Hally Rubenstein of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
was disappointed with "Today Is Your Day", but said she would "take it" following the singer's long absence from music. Rubenstein commented that the song was undoubtedly saccharine, yet Twain's lush and rich voice prevailed.
Chart performance
On the week ending July 2, 2011, "Today Is Your Day" debuted at number fourteen on the Canadian Hot 100Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. The following week, it descended to number forty-five. Since, the song has spent six weeks on the Canadian Hot 100. On the week ending July 2, 2011, "Today Is Your Day" also entered on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, at number sixty-six with 46, 000 digital downloads (its sole week on the chart). This marked Twain's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart since "Party for Two
Party for Two
"Party for Two" is a song by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was the first single from her 2004 Greatest Hits album. The song was written by Mutt Lange and Twain. Two versions of "Party for Two" were recorded: a pop mix with Mark McGrath and a country version with Billy Currington. The song was...
" (2004) spent its last week on the chart in February 2005. On the same week, "Today Is Your Day" entered at number forty on the US Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart, ranking Twain's fourth-highest debut. Two weeks later, on the week ending July 16, 2011, the track reached its peak at number thirty-six, and spent a total of six weeks on the chart.
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
14 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
66 |
| US Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
36 |
External links
- "Today Is Your Day" music video on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
(posted by VevoVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
)