The Man! I Feel Like a Woman singer suffered a huge blow to her confidence at the height of her mystery voice problems, but a stint onstage in Las Vegas has given her just the jolt she needed for another tour - and this time she's not taking her voice for granted.

Recalling the drama, which kept her away from the microphone for years, Twain tells Entertainment Weekly magazine, "It was very depressing for me. It wasn't my vocal cords - it was a straightforward problem, I could have just had an operation. But it was so much more mysterious than that.

"(Recovering) was a slow, painful process. It was like learning to walk all over again. I had to learn how to use the tools from scratch."

But she admits the silent years have made her more conscious of the singing gift she was born with: "When I was on the road before, I never warmed up. Now I need an hour of serious warming up. It's a physical workout and a vocal workout. It's very high-maintenance... I can do more things with my voice now."

Twain will hit the road for her first proper tour in 11 years next month (Jun15).