Meghan Trainor

Artist Meghan TrainorRating: *** stars
Pop: The fresh-faced Meghan Trainor broke into the pop music scene last year with her love-your-body anthem All About That Bass, with its doo-wop sounds and hip-hop feel. For her first album Title, 21-year-old Meghan has joined hands with Nashville writer-producer Kevin Kadish for a record that’s like upbeat Amy Winehouse sans the drugs or demons.
Opening track The Best Part is actually an intro in which Meghan delights in being a songwriter. What If I Want to Kiss You Tomorrow? — about jumping in bed with a boy too soon — has the sentiment of the classic Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Close Your Eyes is a reassuring anthem about not having to conform to popular ideas of beauty. Dear Future Husband and Title talk about what to look for in suitors while 3 am and Walkashame cheekily list romantic mistakes girls make — from drunk dialling to one-night stands. Like I’m Gonna Lose You has John Legend dueting with Meghan.
Bang Dem Sticks borrows too much from Caribbean and rap music. Ska-inflected bonus track No Good for You isn’t her best delivery, especially when she goes, ‘No, he no good, he no good for you.’ Lips Are Movin and All About That Bass are the best songs on the album. The music scores high on rhythmic hooks, humour and turns of phrase, not forgetting Meghan’s flexible voice that can jump from doo-wop to pop. It is a confident debut but Meghan seems too stuck on cutely packaging awkward teen moments and girly issues.
Listen to Meghan Trainor songs on Gaana.com
WATCH: Meghan Trainor - Lips Are Movin