Album Reviews

Album: Title
Artist: Meghan Trainor
Release Date: January 9, 2015
Label: Epic
Genre: Blue-eyed Soul/Pop

Title is the debut album by recent pop-superstar Meghan Trainor. Her EP, also titled Title, introduced us to the hit songs that we would later see on the full-length (and also hear dominating the radio). Yes, this is the “All About that Bass” girl.

I would like to start this review by saying something from me, so you can get to know me better. I have nothing wrong with pop music. There’s nothing wrong with using formulas that are proven to work to create music either meaningful or meaningless that ends up on the radio. I have nothing wrong with vapidity. That being said, I have to give this album the honor of being the worst album I’ve listened to in full.

The album starts fine. “All About That Bass” is arguably the best song on the album. It’s fun and it’s not forgetful. Although, the implications of the song are a bit off. Body positivity is something that we should all get behind, but “skinny-shaming” is very present in this song. The concept of skinny-shaming seems ridiculous, but the song is saying “move along, skinny girls, we don’t want you anymore,” while pretending to be a song about body positivity. It’s lyrics are contradictory and unfocused, and just upsetting.

The bizarre thing about this album is how anti-feminist it is. In a progressive world, it’s strange how popular this conservative musician is. This album is targeted to 6 to 15 year old girls, and the album deals with topics inappropriate for those on the lower end of the spectrum, and dangerous to those on the higher end. This can be most clearly seen on the title track “Title,” the worst song on this whole album. This is encouraging girls to think of themselves as trophy girls (“You gotta treat me like a trophy, put me on the shelf”), and only have sex with people that they can call their boyfriend. This song, and others like “Dear Future Husband,” are dangerous to the youth, who might be learning that they must keep with the traditional concepts of “women’s purity,” and that only a prince can release them from their prude-like lifestyle through marriage or serious commitment. At this point, it’s backwards to think this way.

All the songs in between are just vanilla, I can’t even remember most of them. Definitely not future hits. Even a duet with the great John Legend can’t save “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” from being just as easily forgettable as the rest of the album. Also, she really needs to stop pretending like she’s a black girl. I know it’s a common criticism, but it’s just embarrassing to hear her rap and try to sound ethnic. She has no voice of her own.

I will defend my right to hate this album.

Least Annoying Track: “All About That Bass,” I guess.
Most Annoying Tracks: “Dear Future Husband,” “Bang Dem Sticks,” “Walkashame,” “Title”

FINAL RATING: 1/10