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Whatever the occasion, there’s a Shania Twain song for it. Getting ready to go out with your girlies? “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” will pump you all up like no other. So over all the F-boys and girls on the dating scene? Let “That Don’t Impress Me Much” be your anthem. Celebrating an anniversary with your long-term love? Nothing quite hits like “You’re Still the One.”

She’s the girl from Timmins, Ont., turned global superstar with a knack for taking everyday, relatable experiences and making them into some of the best bangers ever written. Shania Twain is a veritable Canadian treasure and now, as a judge on Canada’s Got Talent, she’s excited to help the country’s next generation of icons find their rightful place in the spotlight.

“I’m here to cheer on our talent,” Twain says over the phone. “I think what’s so impressive is the ratio of Canadian talent that is so world-class, because we have a huge country, but a relatively small population.”

Having recently wrapped up her third Las Vegas residency at 59 and made jaws drop as a returning guest star on Doctor Odyssey, the legendary musician is proving that true talent has no age. Ahead, she talks about what makes Canadians so special and how she’s feeling more confident than ever on the cusp of her 60s.

Shania Twain: “I’ve been able to travel around the world and I’ve realized that people love [Canadians], but they do underestimate, though, the amount of talent that comes out of Canada. So I think it’s very, very important to highlight that you’re Canadian everywhere you go because so many people take for granted that we’re American. So many people say, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize Joni Mitchell was Canadian,’ or ‘I didn’t realize so and so was Canadian,’ and it goes on and on. I think perseverance is what stands out most to me in the Canadians that make it and have longevity. They have to work that much harder to compete globally because a lot of us come from remote places. I’m from up north in Timmins and not everybody comes from a city, so I would say perseverance and courage is what stands out to me.”

“Céline Dion is one of the greatest singers of all time. And Joni Mitchell really inspires me as a songwriter—she’s a poet.”

“I suppose I was talking about a woman that I imagined I would age to be, so I’m pleasantly surprised that I still have lots of energy and that I’m still focused on the joy of being an entertainer and sharing my music and giving back, for example, with Canada’s Got Talent. That’s really more something that you do when you’ve achieved something yourself. And so now, here I am, older and just feeling the satisfaction of being able to still be in the industry and share my experience.”

“For me, I’m like, ‘Okay, aging is nothing to be ashamed about and if you can’t feel confident in your own skin when you’re in your late 50s, you may never do it. So, what are you waiting for of?’ I’m very confident in my 59-year-old skin. It is what it is and I’m owning it and I’m enjoying it, because with experience and age, you realize that not everything lasts. So it’s really an appreciation for where I am right now and making the most of it. Looking back, I would have told myself to start enjoying it right away, you know, enjoy your 30-year-old self, your 40-year-old self, your 50-year-old self. You don’t have to wait till you’re going on 60 to do it. So I guess the confidence people are seeing is really me going, ‘okay, this is a light bulb moment: I’m finally really feeling good in my own skin after all this time.”

“I do learn more about myself every time I go through a challenge. I find that the most successful way to get through difficult times is to really look to your courage. Fear gets in the way most of the time and blocks us from moving forward. Challenges can be frightening and overwhelming, especially when you’re younger. You don’t always have the self-confidence to face them head on. So you really have to consider fear more like adrenaline than fear.”

“Talking to my son, the coffee my husband makes for me every morning, my pets, a happy song and… the sunshine—that makes me happy.”

This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity. Canada’s Got Talent airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on CityTV.