When the chance to review Meghan Trainor’s new album presented itself I approached it with a little apprehension. I am a punk rock girl with a little metal thrown in but figured,’ broaden your musical horizons Amy, maximum you lose is 60 minutes of your life’. I can honestly say I have been very pleasantly surprised!
Meghan is from Nantucket, Massachusetts. She recorded three independently-released albums between the ages of 15 and 17 before signing to a label in 2011. In 2014 she released her debut major-label studio album Title with Epic Records. The song most people will have heard from this album is “All About the Bass”. Now love it or hate it, it was certainly a catchy song, it did garner some mixed reviews on the ‘body positivity’ aspect of the lyrics, Meghan was accused of shaming thin women in the song and accused of putting down other women to create body positivity for women with curves. I don’t believe Meghan set out to do this but instead wanted express her own body confidence through her chosen medium – song.
Thank You hit the headlines when Meghan stated the video for her single “Me Too” had been photo-shopped to make her waist appear smaller. As Meghan said “I’m the poster child for no photoshop, that’s my thing”. She removed said video and replaced it telling fans she was ‘embarrassed’.
Thank You starts with a great opening song “Watch Me Do”, it has a fantastic beat which had me tapping my foot and bobbing my head whilst listening to it waiting for an appointment. Even as I sit here listening to it as I type I am having a little ‘groove’.
“Me Too” is a very upbeat song which sings in a ‘tongue in cheek’ manner about Meghan’s life in the ‘limelight’. It is very catchy, if a little confusing with accent changes? It is an ‘ode to self-love’.
“No” is a song about empowering females to say just that ‘no’. No I won’t give you my name, my number, I won’t dance with you, I’m having a great time without you, let me be. The song is an odd yet perfect mix of singing and rap with a great message.
From there the album goes more low key and chilled out with “Better” featuring Yo Gotti. This again follows the theme of women deserving more in life and how we deserve more in love and friendship than we are receiving.
“Mom” is Meghan singing an ode to her mother, telling her mother, her fans, the world how great her mother is and how much she has done for her through her life. The song actually features her mother Kelli Trainor in the bridge from the phone call she made to her mum when decided to make the song. The song is fun and happy and a great listen.
“Friends” has a swing feel to it, relaxed, swaying, you can imagine Meghan singing it in a dark 1940’s club. It has a strong anchoring rhythm with Meghan taking centre stage. Like 1940’s music it speaks of hardship, struggles and coming through them.
The album is a little all over the place, very different styles of songs, perhaps due to different writers however it works and I really enjoyed it, so much so that I have listened it a few more times than is strictly necessary to review an album!
Meghan Trainor: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
