''Title'' is the debut
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. (EP) by American singer-songwriter
Meghan Trainor
Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
.
Kevin Kadish
Kevin Kadish (born 1971) is an American songwriter and record producer. He co-wrote, produced, and mixed the 2014 Diamond certified (10x platinum) single "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboar ...
produced all of its songs and wrote them with Trainor. The two conceived the EP shortly after Trainor signed with
Epic Records in 2014. The label released it on September 9, 2014, and replaced it with a pre-order for Trainor's 2015 debut major-label
studio album of the same name the following month.
Musically, ''Title'' comprises songs inspired by
1950s
The 1950s (pronounced nineteen-fifties; commonly abbreviated as the "Fifties" or the " '50s") (among other variants) was a decade that began on January 1, 1950, and ended on December 31, 1959.
Throughout the decade, the world continued its re ...
doo wop that lie between
modern R&B and melodic
pop. The EP has a lyrical theme of commitment and staying true to oneself, which Trainor hoped would
empower women. It includes Trainor's debut
single, "
All About That Bass
"All About That Bass" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, released on June 30, 2014, through Epic Records. The song was included on Trainor's debut extended play (EP) ''Title'' (2014) and her debut studio album of t ...
", which was released on June 30, 2014, and reached numberone in 58 countries with worldwide sales of 11 million units.
''Title'' garnered mixed reviews from critics, who thought its tracks had potential for commercial success, but considered the lyrics too repetitive and questioned Trainor's musicality. The EP debuted at number 15 on the
''Billboard'' 200 and sold 171,000 copies in the United States. It also entered charts in Canada and Denmark. Trainor promoted ''Title'' by performing "All About That Bass" on various television shows, and its title track at other venues. She included all tracks from the EP on the
set list
A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance.
A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
s of her 2015 concert tours
That Bass Tour
That Bass Tour was the first headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor. It was launched in support of her debut major-label studio album ''Title'' (2015), and visited North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. The tour ...
and
MTrain Tour
The MTrain Tour was the second North America headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor to support of her 2015 debut major-label studio album ''Title''. The tour was announced in March 2015, with dates being released a ...
.
Background and development
Meghan Trainor
Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
developed an early interest in music and started singing at age six. After her father encouraged her to pursue her musical interests, she independently released three albums from material she had written, recorded, performed, and produced, between the ages 15 and 17. These included Trainor's eponymous 2009 release, and her 2010 albums ''I'll Sing with You'' and ''Only 17''.
She introduced herself to former
NRBQ
NRBQ is an American rock band founded by Terry Adams (piano), Steve Ferguson (guitar) and Joey Spampinato (bass). Originally the "New Rhythm and Blues Quintet", the group was formed around 1965. Adams disbanded it for a time, and the group re ...
member
Al Anderson at a music conference in Nashville.
Impressed by Trainor's songwriting, he referred her to his publisher Carla Wallace of music publishing firm Big Yellow Dog Music.
Though Trainor had been offered a full scholarship to the
Berklee College of Music, she decided to pursue her songwriting career and signed with Big Yellow Dog in 2012.
American songwriter
Kevin Kadish
Kevin Kadish (born 1971) is an American songwriter and record producer. He co-wrote, produced, and mixed the 2014 Diamond certified (10x platinum) single "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboar ...
met Trainor in June 2013 at Wallace's request. He liked Trainor's voice and felt a strong songwriting affinity with her due to their mutual love of
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...
from the
1950s
The 1950s (pronounced nineteen-fifties; commonly abbreviated as the "Fifties" or the " '50s") (among other variants) was a decade that began on January 1, 1950, and ended on December 31, 1959.
Throughout the decade, the world continued its re ...
and
1960s.
Disenchanted with the
electronic dance music that populated
Top 40 radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
, he had wished to create a "50s-sounding record of
doo-wop-inspired pop" for three years, but could not find any artist that shared his interest.
Trainor, who had been introduced to doo-wop by her father at a young age, found it to be "the
catchiest stuff" and wanted to create something reminiscent of
The Chordettes
The Chordettes were an American female vocal quartet, specializing in traditional pop music. They are best known for their 1950s hit songs " Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop".
Career
The group organized in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in 1946. The origin ...
's 1958
single "
Lollipop
A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker, sticky-pop, etc. Lollipops are ava ...
". Kadish shared his idea with Trainor after the two bonded over
Jimmy Soul
Jimmy Soul (born James Louis McCleese; August 24, 1942 – June 25, 1988) was an American vocalist. He is best remembered for his 1963 number one hit, "If You Wanna Be Happy."
Background
Born in Weldon, North Carolina,[If You Wanna Be Happy
"If You Wanna Be Happy" is a 1963 song recorded by Jimmy Soul, written by Rafael de Leon and adapted by Joseph Royster, Carmella Guida and Frank Guida.
Background
"If You Wanna Be Happy" is based on the song "Ugly Woman" by the Trinidadian cal ...]
", and they decided to create an
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. (EP) with the same sound, "just for fun".
They completed three songs before Kadish started producing a
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
album for the rest of the year.
Trainor moved to Nashville in November 2013 and they co-wrote the song "
All About That Bass
"All About That Bass" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, released on June 30, 2014, through Epic Records. The song was included on Trainor's debut extended play (EP) ''Title'' (2014) and her debut studio album of t ...
", pitching it to different record labels, all of which rejected it due to its doo-wop pop sound as
synth-pop was more popular at the time.
L.A. Reid
Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer. He is the founder and served as co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment. He also previously served as the chairman and CEO of Ep ...
, the chairman of
Epic Records, heard the song and encouraged Trainor to record it herself. She signed with the label in 2014 and immediately began working on more songs with Kadish as Epic wanted her to record an entire album.
The label briefly suggested that Trainor work with other producers, such as
Pharrell Williams or
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
, but she insisted on continuing with Kadish: "Kevin's my guy".
Epic Records's
artists and repertoire
Artists and repertoire ( colloquially abbreviated to A&R) is the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists (singers, instrumental ...
division called Kadish and said, "whatever you did on 'Bass,' do it 10 more times. Don't bring in any more writers. Don't bring in any other producers. Whoever you used on that song."
Upon its release as Trainor's debut single on June 30, 2014, "All About That Bass" reached numberone in 58 countries and sold 11 million units worldwide.
Some critics considered it a
novelty song
A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and wit ...
,
and questioned if Trainor would be able to release a successful follow-up or end up a
one-hit wonder.
Music and lyrics
Music
![KK Fano](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/KK_Fano.JPG)
''Title'' comprises songs inspired by 1950s doo-wop music that "straddle the line between
modern R&B and
melodic
A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combinat ...
pop", according to
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
's Matt Collar.
Jon Dolan of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' stated that the EP combines "trickle-down
Beyoncé empowerment themes" and "sugary doo-wop and
girl-group melodies".
Kadish produced, recorded,
engineered, and
mixed the entire EP at the Carriage House studio in
Nolensville, Tennessee
Nolensville is a town in Williamson County, Tennessee. Its population was 13,829 at the 2020 census. It was established in 1797 by William Nolen, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Located in Middle Tennessee, it is about 22 miles south ...
. He plays the drums,
acoustic guitar,
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
, and
bass; Trainor handled drum
programming and
clapping
A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), ...
, and plays
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
and
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
.
David Baron plays the piano,
baritone saxophone, and
hammond organ; and Jim Hoke plays the baritone and
tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...
. Dave Kutch
mastered
Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via meth ...
''Title'' at The Mastering Palace in New York City.
The opening track, "All About That Bass", is a
bubblegum pop,
doo-wop,
hip hop,
Italo-Latin
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
,
and
retro
Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...
-R&B pop song,
influenced by 1960s genres—soul-pop,
groove
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
Music
* Groove (music)
* Groove (drumming)
* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
* Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station
...
,
Motown bounce,
and girl-group pop.
The song includes
syncopated handclaps, bass instrumentation,
and, according to ''
Slate''s Chris Molanphy, "a
scatting
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, the singer improvises melodies and rhythms using the voice as an instrument rather than a speaking medium. ...
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
and shimmying melody".
The
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
is a doo-wop song with
Caribbean music
Caribbean music genres are very diverse. They are each synthesis of African, European, Arab, Asian, and Indigenous influences, largely created by descendants of African slaves (see Afro-Caribbean music), along with contributions from other comm ...
influences and a
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
-inflected
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
,
which blends the
horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
and ukulele
folk-pop
Folk-pop is a musical style that may be 1) contemporary folk songs with large, sweeping pop arrangements, or 2) pop songs with intimate, acoustic-based folk arrangements. Recording production values created a unblemished style that appealed to ...
with island percussion instrumentation and a programmed
beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
, and also incorporates handclaps and modern sound effects.
Trainor projects an assertive and retro aural tone according to ''
Knoxville News Sentinel'', and delivers a
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
verse.
She felt it showcased "what
ersound really is", and considered its
Caribbean drum and rapping new territory for her.
"
Dear Future Husband
"Dear Future Husband" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor. It was included on ''Title'', her 2014 extended play, and later on her 2015 studio album of the same name. Trainor wrote the song with its producer Kevin Kadish. ...
" is a doo-wop,
pop,
and girl-group bounce song, with influences of
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
. It opens with a
stylus sound on a damaged
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
and transitions into retro ukulele instrumentation,
further incorporating brisk piano, buoyant
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...
, and a drum track.
The final track, "Close Your Eyes", is a contemporary
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
on which Trainor gives a soulful and "nuanced, fluttery vocal performance" over an acoustic guitar and pitch-shifted background vocals.
Lyrics
For ''Title'', Trainor wrote lyrics about things she thought many people ignore, such as "commitment and staying true to one's self".
She wanted to speak from the place of "an awkward 19-, 20-year-old, when you're pretty sure you're an adult but you're not, yet," and identified the EP's material as "too young for Kesha" and too mature for
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
.
It comprises "very personal, girl power anthems" that Trainor wishes existed when she attended high school: "Like, love yourself more, respect yourself more
..There are
girl empowerment songs—like 'I love myself I'm beautiful'—but there are also 'I deserve a good man, I deserve a good boyfriend, man, you should take me out.'
Trainor and Kadish grew up as "chubby" kids,
and wrote the lyrics of "All About That Bass" as a call to embrace inner beauty, and promote positive
body image and self-acceptance.
She calls out the fashion industry for creating unreachable beauty standards and criticizes the use of
Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe Inc. for Windows and macOS. It was originally created in 1988 by Thomas and John Knoll. Since then, the software has become the industry standard not only in raster ...
in magazines.
It includes the line "I'm bringing booty back", as a reference to
Justin Timberlake's single "
SexyBack
"SexyBack" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake for his second studio album, ''FutureSex/LoveSounds'' (2006). It was released on July 18, 2006, to US mainstream and rhythmic radio stationsRadio single releases . FMQ ...
" (2006).
Trainor, who was ill-treated by unemployed men she dated in the past,
wrote the title track and "Dear Future Husband" to correct issues with contemporary
dating
Dating is a stage of romantic relationships in which two individuals engage in an activity together, most often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship. It falls into the categor ...
and
hookup culture
Hookup culture is one that accepts and encourages casual sex encounters, including one-night stands and other related activity, without necessarily including emotional intimacy, bonding or a committed relationship. It is generally associated with ...
, like women basing their self worth on social media likes and whether their partner replied to their texts.
On the title track, she refuses to be
friends with benefits and pushes her partner to define their relationship more clearly.
"Dear Future Husband" is about
chivalry and dating,
and lists the things a man needs to do to be Trainor's life partner, and win her adoration and dedication. These include "treat
ng herlike a lady" even when she behaves insanely, calling her pretty every night, and putting her family above his.
"Close Your Eyes" encourages listeners to embrace what makes them different and show their authentic personality to the world.
Release and promotion
MTV News premiered the title track on September 5, 2014.
Epic Records released the EP through
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Oc ...
(CD) and
digital download formats four days later.
The label released the CD in Australia on September 12.
It debuted at number 15 on the
''Billboard'' 200 chart dated September 27, with first-week sales of 21,000 copies,
and sold over 171,000 copies in the United States.
''Title'' peaked at number 17 on the
Canadian Albums Chart and number 35 on the
Danish Albums Chart
Hitlisten, also known as Tracklisten, is a Danish top 40 record chart that is updated every Thursday midnight on the website hitlisten.nu. The weekly Danish singles chart Track Top-40 combines the 40 best-selling tracks from legal music downloads ...
.
The digital release of "All About That Bass" in some European countries shared an identical track list. A pre-order of Trainor's 2015 debut major-label
studio album of the same name, which included all tracks from the EP, replaced it later that month.
"All About That Bass" served as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
from ''Title''. It spent eight consecutive weeks at number one on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, the longest run for any Epic Records artist in the chart's history, and was the best-selling song by a female artist in the
2010s
File:2010s collage v21.png, From top left, clockwise: Anti-government protests called the Arab Spring arose in 2010–2011, and as a result, many governments were overthrown, including when Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was killed; Crimea is ...
, with 5.8 million digital downloads.
The lyrics caused controversy; some critics called the song
anti-feminist and accused Trainor of
shaming thin women.
It was nominated for
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and
Song of the Year at the
57th Annual Grammy Awards
The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
. "Dear Future Husband" and the title track were both considered options for release as Trainor's second single.
Reid scrapped them in favor of "
Lips Are Movin
"Lips Are Movin" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, taken from her debut major-label studio album ''Title (Meghan Trainor album), Title'' (2015). It was written by Trainor and the album's producer, Kevin Kadish. Epic Records ...
" (2014), which he thought "will do better". "Dear Future Husband" was eventually chosen as the third single from the album in 2015, and peaked at number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The title track attained
viral popularity on video-sharing service
TikTok
TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.
TikTok is an international version o ...
in 2021.
Trainor promoted ''Title'' by performing its songs on various television shows and her concert tours. She sang "All About That Bass" at an
Emily West concert, ''
Live! with Kelly and Michael
''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...
'', for ''
Entertainment Tonight'', ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'',
''The X Factor'' (Australia), and
2Day FM
2Day FM (call sign 2DAY) is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on a frequency of 104.1 MHz, and is part of Southern Cross Austereo's Hit Network.
History
1980s
2Day FM was one of three radio ...
. She reprised the title track in sessions for
MTV and the ''
National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'', and as a
mashup with "All About That Bass" at the 2014
iHeartRadio Music Festival
The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day music concert festival held every year in September since 2011 by iHeartRadio along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
From 2011 to 2015, the festival was held at the MGM Gran ...
.
Trainor included all tracks from the EP on her
set list
A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance.
A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
for the
Jingle Ball Tour 2014
The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour 2014 was a national holiday tour by iHeartMedia that began on December 5, 2014 in Los Angeles at the Staples Center hosted by Ryan Seacrest and special guest host Nick Jonas. The tour celebrates the holiday sea ...
, and her 2015 concert tours
That Bass Tour
That Bass Tour was the first headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor. It was launched in support of her debut major-label studio album ''Title'' (2015), and visited North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. The tour ...
and
MTrain Tour
The MTrain Tour was the second North America headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor to support of her 2015 debut major-label studio album ''Title''. The tour was announced in March 2015, with dates being released a ...
.
Critical reception
''Title'' received mixed reviews from music critics. Collar rated the EP four
stars out of five,
and ''Knoxville News Sentinel'' and Dolan rated it three.
Collar praised Trainor's vocals as "soulful, highly resonant," and catchy; he considered "Dear Future Husband" and "All About That Bass" irresistible.
Others criticized the lyrical themes as repetitive on ''Title'' despite its short duration. ''Knoxville News Sentinel'' thought she showed crisp artistic vision on the EP but dubbed its tracks "sort-of sequels" of her debut single.
The newspaper said it proved Trainor was a "one-trick pony" and left much to the imagination about what else she is capable of doing.
Chris DeVille of ''
Stereogum'' thought she could only outlast the success of "All About That Bass" if she found new topics to write about, and was disappointed that the lyrics of "Dear Future Husband" and the title track were interchangeable. He maintained that any tracks on ''Title'' could achieve chart success with ample promotion.
Track listing
Kadish produced all songs and wrote them with Trainor.
Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from the EP's liner notes.
Locations
*Recorded,
engineered, and
mixed at The Carriage House,
Nolensville, Tennessee
Nolensville is a town in Williamson County, Tennessee. Its population was 13,829 at the 2020 census. It was established in 1797 by William Nolen, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Located in Middle Tennessee, it is about 22 miles south ...
*
Mastered
Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via meth ...
at The Mastering Palace, New York City
Personnel
*Meghan Trainor – songwriter,
executive producer,
clapping
A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), ...
,
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
,
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
,
drum programming
*
Kevin Kadish
Kevin Kadish (born 1971) is an American songwriter and record producer. He co-wrote, produced, and mixed the 2014 Diamond certified (10x platinum) single "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboar ...
– songwriter, producer, drum programming,
acoustic guitar,
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
,
hammond organ, vox organ,
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
,
bass,
sound design
Sound design is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including ...
, mixing, recording, engineering,
synthesizer,
background vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
, executive producer
*
David Baron – piano,
baritone saxophone, hammond organ
*Jim Hoke – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone
(track 3)
*Jeremy Lister – background vocals
(track 4)
*Dave Kutch – mastering
*
Fatima Robinson
Fatima Robinson (born August 29, 1971) is an American dancer, music video director and choreographer.
Career
Robinson has choreographed dance routines (for live performances and music videos) for several musical and pop artists, notably for th ...
– art direction, art design
*JP Robinson – art direction, art design
*Sarah McColgan – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
Footnotes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Title
2014 debut EPs
Epic Records EPs
Meghan Trainor albums
Albums produced by Kevin Kadish