I’m sure everyone remembers Meghan Trainor’s smash hit “All About That Bass.” It very much so lives rent free in my music library. Its body positive message and “doo-wop” beat had people of all ages raving.
After the release of “All About That Bass” and her album “Title,” Meghan Trainor seemed to have wanted to shake things up. Her sophomore album, “Thank You,” seemed to feature more current beats and gave more of a R&B and dance feel. Her hit song, “No,” was featured on that album.
Nowadays, it seems like Trainor is reaching back into her old bag of tricks with her newest album, “Takin’ it Back.” The album has a similar aesthetic to her first album. Also, her songs “Made You Look,” “Don’t I Make it Look Easy” and “All About That Bass” have similar chord progressions.
It has 15 songs, as well as features by Scott Hoying, Teddy Swims, Theron Theron and Natti Nattasha. The cover art contains Trainor in this multicolored retro room that’s akin to a Barbie Dreamhouse.
Personally, I really didn’t like the album. I’ve noticed that there are artists that do this thing where they backtrack to their earlier style of music because it “sells.” For some artists, like Taylor Swift, the “return to the roots” tactic works. However, I think this execution of it fell a little short.
There were some high points of the album, however. I did quite enjoy “Mama Wanna Mambo” featuring Natti Nattasha, “Rainbow” and “Superwoman.” If you listen to the album, you’ll notice these are three of the least “doo-wop” sounding songs on the album.
Honestly, I preferred the evolution that Trainor seemed to be making with her music prior to the album. My favorite album of hers is “Treat Myself.” In this album, Trainor had a bit of everything in her song selections, while still maintaining that overarching Pop theme.
Trainor also released a song in 2018, called “Let You Be Right” and it’s probably my favorite song of hers. It has this sexy, sassy funk groove and the lyrics match the beat perfectly. At this point, I personally felt like Trainor had found her experimental footing and was on the precipice of pop music domination.
Overall, Meghan Trainor’s “Takin’ it Back” was a definite flop for me. If you’re going to try and make a resurgence album and then have it drop the same day as Taylor Swift’s new album, it has to hit harder than this did. Lots of artists make the mistake of playing it safe and Trainor did just that.
If you’re into nostalgic 1950’s doo-wop music with a little pop flair, then this is for you. If you are obsessed with Meghan Trainor, then I’m sure this is right up your alley, and I apologize in advance for this review. However, if you’re like me and you expect a little more from artists these days, I wouldn’t advise listening to this album.