Meghan Trainor announced her latest album, “Takin’ It Back” (2022), in June with social media posts featuring the album’s bold, neon cover. The full album was released on Oct. 21, and in typical Meghan Trainor fashion, this album combines catchy lyrics, pop beats and recurring themes of self-love.
Trainor became a household name after her chart-topping hit “All About That Bass” (2014). She ushered in a whole new genre of body-positive music, and she’s been able to consistently create pop tracks such as “Me Too” (2016), “NO” (2016) and “Better When I’m Dancin’” (2015) ever since. This new album draws on past songs’ themes, while also bringing in more mature elements.
There are 16 songs on the album including two singles, “Bad for Me” (ft. Teddy Swims) and “Made You Look,” and one promotional single, “Don’t I Make It Look Easy.” “Don’t I Make It Look Easy” acts as a continuation of the themes developed in her past song “All About That Bass,” except with greater focus on self-love, the pressures of social media and the mental effects of body changes. The song touches on the differences in online presence versus reality and delves into the insecurities produced by a body-obsessed culture.
The energy and time that goes into crafting an online persona, especially as a celebrity, is highlighted in this song through lyrics such as “Worrying ‘bout my body type / I wonder if I’m what they like.” In one of the slower songs on the album, “Superwoman,” Trainor furthers this idea. She explains how she is often “Smilin’ through the pain.” Trainor described in a recent Rolling Stone interviewhow these insecurities were in part because of the drastic changes to her body following her C-Section. She explained how she found herself asking, “What body is this?” after giving birth to her son.
While Trainor’s songs are no stranger to criticism, “Don’t I Make It Look Easy” seems to focus more on seeking inner-validation than her past songs. “Made You Look” also emphasizes these messages of self-love, claiming that “even with [her] hoodie on” she is still attention-catching and jaw-dropping. These songs will hopefully serve as a true mantra of self-confidence as well as high-spirited dance music. Both of these elements are important for Trainor’s presumable target audience: young people.
One of the songs on the album, titled “While You’re Young,” is directed at this young audience. The song is reassuring and explains, “You’ve only just begun, and you’re good enough.” Throughout the song, Trainor addresses fears commonly held by teenagers and young people, and she repeats lines of reassurance such as “Don’t worry” and “You’re not the only one who’s feelin’ this way.” Once again, Trainor is emphasizing the importance of having a positive self-image.
Recently, the pop star has been using social media platforms like TikTok to promote her singing career and create engaging content. She’s garnered about 12.9 million followers on the platform and frequently collaborates with other content creators, such as Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying, “Dance Moms” (2011–19) celebrity Jojo Siwa, TikTok star Chris Olsen as well as her husband, Daryl Sabara (also known as Juni from “Spy Kids”). Trainor often participates in popular trends on the platform to promote her music and projects. For example, her song “Title” has been used in 10.4 million videos by fans and influencers alike. Already some of the songs from “Takin’ It Back” have attracted users’ attention. Dances and trends around the album’s song “Made You Look” and “Don’t I Make It Look Easy” have already been promoted and duetted by Trainor. These TikToks have mainly held the same upbeat and carefree energy the album promotes. The music and dances encourage fans to reflect the self-love attitude encapsulated in the songs.
The effects of the album on social media remain to be seen, but the album is relatively consistent with her overall discography. Trainor will likely continue to use social media, like TikTok, as a method of engaging with fans and creating content. It is possible more trends will arise from the album as time goes on, encouraging fans to promote the same self-love ideals that are present in many of Meghan Trainor’s songs. While the album does not stray too far from Trainor’s previous music, it will be interesting to see if she continues to develop the more mature themes of motherhood and self-validation in the future.
