Meghan Trainor, “Takin' It Back” (Epic Records)
Meghan Trainor is back with that doo-wop style of music that made her famous, but this time adding a twist to it.
Her new album “Takin' It Back,” isn’t your usual journey of self love, this is a more mature Trainor. Riding the ups and downs we all secretly experience, moments of bursting confidence to self doubt and sadness with a sprinkle of reassuring reality.
Like in her single “Don’t I Make It Look Easy," Meghan talks about filtering the truth and showing the best part of herself to the world, even when it just feels like a straight out lie.
Since her last album, Trainor has done some growth of her own, getting married and becoming a mom, and she’s imparting all that she learned on the way.
Beginning to end, this album feels like a therapy session, with her lyrics Trainor is holding the mirror to our fears, as well as being a wise voice in the cloudy rainy days.
Don’t get me wrong. Like in life, this album is not just slow songs about self reflection, but it’s an uplifting fun experience.
Like in the single “Made You Look,” where a loud and sexier Trainor sings “I could wear my Louis Vuitton, but even with nothin’ on, bet I made you look." is a family affair, featuring the singer’s best friend and TikToker Chris Olsen and former "Spy Kids" actor and her husband, Daryl Sabara.
Moreover, Trainor experiments through different music genres, like in the track “Mama Wanna Mambo." Featuring Dominican singer Natti Natasha and Cuban-American musician Arturo Sandoval, it’s sure to raise your dancing fever.
In the 12th track “While You're Young," Trainor’s lyrics feel like that familiar voice in our head we always ignore, sometimes even involuntarily.
She tries to shake all the worries away and asks us to be more vulnerable. “You’ve only just begun and you’re good enough/And I know it doesn’t help with the pain, but have you ever tried to dance in the rain?/You’re not the only one who’s feelin’ this way.”
The album ends with the slow song “Final Breath," which brings you back to the center of your emotions. Just like the best therapy session would do, right before sending you out into the real world.
Meghan sings “If I could, I’d do it all over again," and as you end this fluctuation of genres and feelings, you feel less alone and reassured you are not going through all of this alone.
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Martina Inchingolo, The Associated Press
