Well, this is awkward. After facing down backlash for "All About That Bass", Meghan Trainor's attention was then diverted to the enormous slander of her single "Dear Future Husband". Many insults were thrown--non-feminist! sexist! to start--and then she saw her stardom crumble further when Charlie Puth dragged her along for the abomination that was "Marvin Gaye". Less than a year after her debut became a smash, it looked like Meghan Trainor was on her way to be the next Robin Thicke: disgraced from the mainstream after one scandal too many. She was able to release the John Legend-assisted snoozer "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" just in time to score another hit, but the damage was done: Trainor no longer had the leverage to make any political or social statements like she did in "Title". Really, the only way for her career to continue was to wash away any sort of identity marker, blending in with the rest of radio and peacefully exist as an anonymous pop star. She introduced this image overhaul with "NO", a Destiny's Child hand-me-down that transparently appropriated Y2K for a modern audience. The song was catchy enough to become a top three hit, and would've made a pretty good base for Trainor's speedily released sophomore album "Thank You". Only one problem: the time she would've spent making a statement about feminism, body image, or independence, she has condensed into half an album's worth of shameless narcissism. It's clear that the only person she's thanking here is herself, and she doesn't even try to hide her inflated ego with the opening salvo of "Watch Me Do", "Me Too", and "NO". In this context, "NO" seems to be a kiss-off to men simply because they're not the greatness that is Meghan Trainor. Not one of the so-called "self-esteem" songs are catchy enough to be good ("I Won't Let You Down" being the least profane), and all of the 2000s hip-hop references get really old before the drums kick-in for the reggae-driven "Better". True, "Title" suffered for the same reason--50s and 60s doo-whop was good for a one song novelty, but certainly not an entire album--however, what "Thank You" severely lacks in freshness could've been made up in keeping the same level of hooks. But this isn't the Meghan Trainor we used to know, that's why she dyed her hair brown after all, and in order to preserve her as an agreeable pop-tart, she's done everything she can to make her new music as bland and unoriginal as her peers. This, in fact, is what makes this record inferior to her debut. Maybe it's some consolation that she's not as offensive as she used to be, but she's equated correctness for safeness, and has ended up with one of 2016's least enjoyable pop albums.
Recommended Tracks:
"NO"
"Dance Like Yo Daddy"
"Champagne Problems"
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