Meghan Trainor released her debut album, “Title,” on Jan. 13, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. While most of the songs sound similar, she shows that she can stretch her material beyond that.
“All About That Bass” was a smart move for her first single, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface of Trainor emotionally, though she does mention ‘bass’ multiple times in other tracks. Whether the other songs she releases live up to the hype on the radio, only time will tell.
Although Trainor stays modern with today’s music, some of her lyrics seem more traditional, as she lets us know that she is all about that respect, too. Most of the album pays homage to the ‘50s, with finger snapping and slow beats, like something you might hear at a sock hop or ice cream social. Her songs “Dear Future Husband” and “What If I” instantly had me picturing her in a poodle skirt and bouffant hair, like something out of an episode of “Happy Days.”
She also reminds girls that they deserve better singing about the guy who’s “No Good for You” or “Mr. Almost” and the guy that was a little too good to be true, but something was still missing.
Her song “Walkashame” strays from the traditional path with lyrics, like “Well, don’t act like you haven’t been there/Seven a.m. with the bed head/Everyone knows it’s the walkashame/My daddy knows I’m a good girl/We all make mistakes in the drunk world/ Everyone here’s done the walkashame,” and if you aren’t listening closely, you’d forget about the subject matter with its catchy hook. It’s a bit out there, but she definitely doesn’t shy away from things that aren’t typical.
“Title” has a nice balance of up-tempo and doo-wopping, along with a few slower melodies. The depth of the album, however, comes from a track called, “Like I’m Gonna Lose You,” featuring John Legend. Not only does it show her vocal range, but the song itself is stripped down of all the funky beats and experimentation of sounds in the background.
Trainor also lets us know she is comfortable with embracing who she is and is not afraid of what other people think. She calls it like she sees it with guys, but does it in a playful way that won’t scare them away.
Overall, the album will make you feel good, will make you want to dance and remind you of your beauty and originality. I’d say Meghan Trainor will be more than just a one-hit wonder. She just might be here to stay.
My Top Tracks:
- “Lips Are Movin’”
- “Dear Future Husband”
- “Title”
- “What If I”
- “No Good For You”
