''Title'' is the debut major-label studio album 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 ...

. It was released on January 9, 2015, by Epic Records. Initially a songwriter for other artists in 2013, Trainor signed with the label the following year and began recording material she co-wrote with

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 ...

. They were dissatisfied with the electronic dance music predominant in contemporary hit radio and drew influence from retro-styled

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 music. ''Title'' is a doo-wop, pop, blue-eyed soul, and R&B record, with elements of Caribbean, hip hop,

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

, and

soca music Soca music is a genre of music defined by Lord Shorty, its inventor, as the "Soul of Calypso", which has influences of African and East Indian rhythms. It was originally spelt "sokah" by its inventor but through an error in a local newspaper ...

. Inspired by past relationships and her insecurities about body image, Trainor wrote songs she wished existed before she attended high school. The songs on the album explore themes such as

female empowerment Women's empowerment (or female empowerment) may be defined in several ways, including accepting women's viewpoints, making an effort to seek them and raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, and training.Kabeer, Naila ...

self-respect Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Mackie (2007) d ...

, and self-awareness. Trainor promoted it with several public appearances and televised performances. After ''Title'' release, Trainor embarked on the 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 ...

. The album was supported by four singles, including "

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 reached number one in 58 countries and became the best-selling song by a female artist during 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 ...

in the US. It also produced the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top-15 singles "

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 ...

", "

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. ...

", and "

Like I'm Gonna Lose You "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor from her debut major-label studio album ''Title'' (2015), featuring guest vocals from John Legend. Trainor wrote the song with Justin Weaver and Caitlyn Smith ...

", the last of which features

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...

and peaked at number one in Australia, New Zealand, and Poland. Reviewers criticized ''Title''s repetitiveness and did not foresee a long-lasting career for Trainor, though some appreciated her wit and audacious attitude. ''Title'' debuted at number one on charts in the US, Canada, Scotland, and the UK, and spent multiple weeks at the summit in Australia and New Zealand. It was Epic's first number-one album in the US since 2010, and in Australia since

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's ''

The Essential Michael Jackson ''The Essential Michael Jackson'' is a greatest hits compilation album by American singer Michael Jackson. It was released on July 19, 2005, by Sony Music's catalog division Legacy Recordings as part of ''The Essential'' series. The two-disc com ...

'' in 2005. ''Title'' made Trainor the fifth female artist in history to send her debut single and album to number one and follow-up single to the top five in the US. It was the ninth-best-selling album of 2015 worldwide, and earned multi-platinum certifications in the US, Australia, Canada, and Poland.

Background

developed an early interest in music and started singing at age six. She began performing her compositions and

as part of the

cover band A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays songs recorded by someone else, sometimes mimicking the original as accurately as possible, and sometimes re-interpreting or changing the original. These remade songs are known as cover songs. ...

Island Fusion, which included her aunt, younger brother, and father. Trainor temporarily relocated to

Orleans, Massachusetts Orleans ( ) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts situated along Cape Cod. The population was 6,307 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Orleans, please see the article Orleans (CD ...

, with her family when she was in eighth grade, before moving to North Eastham, Massachusetts. She attended

Nauset Regional High School Nauset Regional High School is an NEASC accredited high school located in Eastham, Massachusetts, United States and a part of Nauset Public Schools. Nauset is inside the Cape Cod National Seashore, making it the only high school on the East Co ...

, where she studied guitar, played trumpet, and sang in a jazz band for three years. When Trainor was a teenager, her parents nudged her to attend songwriting conventions and took her to venues at which production companies were searching for new artists and songwriters. She used

Logic Studio Logic Studio is a discontinued professional music production suite by Apple Inc. The first version of Logic Studio was unveiled on September 12, 2007. It claims to be the largest collection of modeled instruments, sampler instruments, effect plu ...

to record and produce her compositions and later worked independently in a home studio built by her parents. Trainor independently released three albums of material she had written, recorded, performed, and produced, between the ages 15 and 17. These included her

eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

2009 release, and 2011 albums ''I'll Sing with You'' and ''Only 17''. Trainor 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 her songwriting, he referred her to his publisher Carla Wallace of music publishing firm Big Yellow Dog Music. Though Trainor had been offered a scholarship at the Berklee College of Music, she decided to pursue her songwriting career and signed with Big Yellow Dog in 2012. Her ability to compose in a variety of genres influenced this decision. Trainor was unsure about becoming a recording artist herself; her father recalled: "She thought she was one of the chubby girls who would never be an artist."

Recording and production

Trainor found songwriting affinity with American songwriter

, whom she met in June 2013, due to their mutual love of pop music from the

and 1960s. Kadish had wished to create a 50s sounding record of doo-wop-inspired pop" for three years, but could not find any artist that was interested. He shared the 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,single "

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 the

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) ''

Title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

'' (2014) with the same sound, "just for fun". They wrote the song "

" (2014) in July 2013, and had 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 and Kadish pitched it to several

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

s, who said it would not be successful because of its retro-styled composition and wanted to rerecord it using synthesizers, which they refused. Trainor performed the song on a

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 ...

for

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, who signed her with the label 20 minutes later. Trainor 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. Her

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 ...

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." While recording ''Title'', Trainor took a two-month break because

polyps A polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa. Polyps are roughly cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the vase-shaped body. In solitary polyps, the aboral (opposite to oral) end i ...

were developing on her vocal cords. She recounted that Kadish would "calm erdown,

hey would Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...

dim the lights, so hewouldn't get frustrated", and had to use demo vocal takes Trainor had recorded as guides. Some of the album's material was recorded while Trainor laid on a bed Kadish made in the studio. In September 2014, she told '' Billboard'' that it was "pretty much done" and she only had one more song left to realize. Following the initial completion of ''Title'', Trainor and Kadish had an additional day to work together and went into the studio. They wrote the song "

" (2014) within eight minutes. Trainor told ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

'' in mid-August, "It was done until we wrote this smash in eight minutes, literally. I calculated it: eight minutes. We were like, we have to add this now." Trainor wrote "

" (2015) with fellow songwriters Justin Weaver and

Caitlyn Smith Caitlyn Smith (born June 13, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She was raised in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Smith's debut album ''Starfire'' was released on Monument Records on January 19, 2018. Her second studio album, ''Supern ...

while working in

Music Row Music Row is a historic district located southwest of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Widely considered the heart of Nashville's entertainment industry, Music Row has also become a metonymous nickname for the music industry as a w ...

, and intended to pitch it to

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

. Initially reluctant to include it on the album, her manager and uncle convinced her otherwise. ''Title''s sound was inspired by Trainor's love of throwback-style records, and music from the 1950s and 1960s. She wanted to continue the doo-wop vibe of the album's preceding singles, and simultaneously showcase influences of

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 ...

, rapping, and

Fugees Fugees (; sometimes The Fugees) is an American hip hop group formed in the early 1990s. Deriving its name from a shortening of the word "refugees", the group consists of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill. The group rose to fame with i ...

. Trainor considered it distinctive and disparate from popular music at the time: "it's got the throwback in there, but I snuck some

in there and clever fun lyrics and catchy

melodies 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 combinati ...

". According to her, the writing on ''Title'' reflects on the changes in her life and artistic process. Trainor intended the album to be a source of empowerment for young people; she wished some of its songs existed before she attended high school. She gravitated towards discussing unemployed men she had dated in the past, who made her pay for them and only texted her instead of taking her out. When ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

''s Nolan Feeney asked Trainor what she wanted listeners to hear on it, she said, "I want to help myself. I want to make sure guys take me on a date and treat me right because I didn't do that in the past. I want to love my body more. I just hope younger girls love themselves more, and younger people in general."

Composition

Overview

The standard edition of ''Title'' includes 11 tracks; the deluxe edition contains four additional original songs. The album predominantly has a doo-wop, pop, blue-eyed soul, and R&B sound. Kadish and Trainor drew from their mutual interest in retro-styled music, as they were tired of penning hackneyed electronic dance music catered to contemporary hit radio's tastes.

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 Stephen Thomas Erlewine thought it balanced old-fashioned girl-group pop and

old-school hip hop Old-school hip hop (also spelled old skool) is the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music and original style of the genre. It typically refers to the music created around 1979 to 1983, as well as any hip hop that does not adhere to contem ...

. ''Title'' comprises three-part harmonies, handclaps, finger-clicks,

acoustic bass guitar The acoustic bass guitar (sometimes shortened to acoustic bass or initialized ABG) is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually larger than a steel-string acoustic guitar. Like the traditional electric bass guitar ...

, bubblegum pop melodies, and reggae and soca

riddim Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm". In the context of reggae and dancehall, it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the ...

s. According to Jim Farber of the '' New York Daily News'', the album's Caribbean music tracks were inspired by Trainor's

Tobago Tobago () is an List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, island and Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago, ward within the Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trini ...

-born uncle, and

Millie Small Millicent Dolly May Small CD (6 October 1947 – 5 May 2020) was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who is best known for her 1964 hit " My Boy Lollipop". The song reached number two in both the UK and US charts and sold over seven million ...

's song "

My Boy Lollipop "My Boy Lollipop" (originally "My Girl Lollypop") is a song written in the mid-1950s by Robert Spencer of the doo-wop group The Cadillacs, and usually credited to Spencer, Morris Levy, and Johnny Roberts. It was first recorded in 1956 by American ...

" (1964). He wrote that it roots itself in the same style as "All About That Bass" and "Lips Are Movin", and recalls "girl groups in all their glory". Trainor performed ''Title'' reminiscent of musical theatre style, and combined rap verses with

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...

choruses. Chuck Arnold 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 ...

'' described her vocals as "torch-y" and "tangy", reminiscent of

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A membe ...

. The album has lyrics about contemporary

, and self-awareness. It uses themes of contradiction, such as individual versus society, modernity versus tradition, and dependence versus independence. Writing for ''

The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington ...

'', Paul de Barros noted that ''Title'' focuses on adult themes, and Trainor occasionally employs

profanity Profanity, also known as cursing, cussing, swearing, bad language, foul language, obscenities, expletives or vulgarism, is a socially offensive use of language. Accordingly, profanity is language use that is sometimes deemed impolite, rud ...

on it. According to ''

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

''s Bryanna Cappadona, she portrays a "bossy, egocentric and sexually candid" personality on the album. Helen Brown of ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' remarked that "Trainor tackles 'complicated' relationships and drunken one-night stands with perma-perkiness" on it, while Tshepo Mokoena of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' wrote it proved that Trainor is not a feminist.

Songs

Trainor's love of songwriting inspired the 24-second interlude "The Best Part", which ''Billboard''s Carl Wilson compared to the 1954 song " Mr. Sandman". "All About That Bass", 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-R&B pop song, encourages embracing inner beauty, and promotes positive body image and

self-acceptance Self-acceptance is acceptance of self. Definition Self-acceptance can be defined as: * the awareness of one's strengths and weaknesses, * the realistic (yet subjective) appraisal of one's talents, capabilities, and general worth, and, * feelings ...

. Trainor stated that "

" was inspired by doo-wop standards like Dion's "

Runaround Sue "Runaround Sue" is a rock and roll song (in a modified doo-wop style), originally a US No. 1 Hot 100 hit (No. 4 on the Hot R&B chart) for the singer Dion during 1961, after he split with the Belmonts. It was written by Dion with Ernie Mares ...

" (1961), and

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

songs that possess big choruses with intentionally low-pitched melodies; its lyrics are about chivalry and

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 list the things a man needs to do to be Trainor's life partner. "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. The song features lyrics about Trainor's body image insecurities. "3am" is a "quieter and more vulnerable" song, on which Trainor succumbs to an ex-boyfriend and drunk dials him. The soul ballad "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" features guest vocals from

. In the song's lyrics, Trainor parlays her fear of losing a loved one into determination to relish and savor every moment spent with them. "Bang Dem Sticks" is a raucous, suggestive, and thematically ribald song, about her attraction to drummers. It has a simple percussion rhythm, horn and drum instrumentation, and a

patois ''Patois'' (, pl. same or ) is speech or language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. As such, ''patois'' can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects or vernaculars, but not commonly to jargon o ...

-inflected rap verse from Trainor. On "Walkashame", she details a

hangover A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects usually following the consumption of alcohol, such as wine, beer, and liquor. Hangovers can last for several hours or for more than 24 hours. Typical sympto ...

, and expresses embarrassment while defending someone returning home nonchalantly after an unintended one-night stand. Trainor wrote 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 ...

and "Dear Future Husband" as a reaction to issues with contemporary dating 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. The former is a doo-wop song with Caribbean music 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 ...

, on which she refuses to be friends with benefits and pushes her partner to define their relationship more clearly. The penultimate track of the standard edition is "What If I", a 1950s-style ballad with string instrumentation, which contemplates the dangers of first-date sex and is lyrically reminiscent of

The Shirelles The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McFad ...

's 1960 single "

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

". The final track, "Lips Are Movin", is a bubblegum pop, doo-wop, and Motown bounce song, with lyrics inspired by Trainor's frustrations with her record label. Reviewers including ''The Tennessean''s Dave Paulson and MTV News' Christina Garibaldi deemed it a song about leaving a significant other after being cheated on, an interpretation Kadish is open to. It received widespread comparisons to "All About That Bass" from critics; Trainor admitted they "followed the

ame #REDIRECT AME {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous page ...

formula". "No Good for You", the first of the four bonus songs on the deluxe edition, contains elements of ska, with Trainor offering her opinion about a troublesome man in its lyrics. "Mr. Almost" and "My Selfish Heart" are about being in an unhealthy romantic relationship. In "Credit", Trainor demands credit from her ex-boyfriend's new partner, for the positive qualities and habits he developed during his time with her. "

I'll Be Home "I'll Be Home" is a 1955 song that was written by Ferdinand Washington and songwriter, Stan Lewis. Flamingos version The Flamingos first recorded the song in October, 1955 at Chess' rudimentary office studio at 4750 South Cottage Grove using ju ...

", a seasonal ballad, appears on the Japanese edition of the album.

Release and promotion

Trainor marketed ''Title'' as her debut studio album. She pulled her independent albums from circulation in the build-up to its release. Upon his first meeting with Trainor, Reid thought she had "

lightning in a bottle Lightning in a Bottle (LIB) is an annual music festival in the Central Valley region of California first held in 2006. It is presented by The Do LaB, which seeks to promote sustainability, social cohesion, and creative expression. The Do LaB ...

" with "All About That Bass" and "was going to explode", but was unsure about what her next step should be: "All I knew is that I had one in my hand, I didn't even think about what would come behind it." Trainor felt pressured to retain her look from the song's

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

after it gained popularity. In March 2015, she partnered with plus-size retailer FullBeauty Brands as a consultant for the creation of clothing for women with varying body types. Trainor's 2014 EP of the same name, which included "All About That Bass", "Dear Future Husband", "Close Your Eyes", and the title track, was released on September 9, 2014. Epic announced ''Title''s release date in October 2014, and replaced the EP with its pre-order. The album's standard and deluxe editions were released digitally on January 9, 2015. * * Its special edition, consisting of music videos and behind-the-scenes footage, was released on November 20, 2015. Meghan Trainor 2015 (cropped)

''Title'' was supported by several singles. 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 ...

, "All About That Bass" reached numberone in 58 countries and sold 11 million units worldwide. According to the 2019

Nielsen Music Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...

year-end report, it was the best-selling song by a female artist during the

, with 5.8 million digital downloads sold in the US. The lyrics caused controversy; some critics called the song anti-feminist and accused Trainor of

body shaming Body shaming is the action or inaction of subjecting someone to humiliation and criticism for their bodily features. The scope of body shaming is wide, and can include, although is not limited to fat-shaming, shaming for thinness, small breasts, ...

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 ...

. The follow-up singles "Lips Are Movin" and "Dear Future Husband" reached the top 15 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The latter's music video was criticized over allegations of antifeminism,

sexism Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers pri ...

and perpetuation of

gender stereotypes A gender role, also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person's sex. Gender roles are usually cent ...

. "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" was released as the fourth single, and reached number one in Australia, New Zealand, and Poland. Trainor promoted ''Title'' with a series of public appearances and televised live performances. She performed at award shows, including the

Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...

iHeartRadio Music Awards The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a music awards show that celebrates music heard throughout the year across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's digital music platform. Founded by iHeartRadio in 2014, the ev ...

, ''Billboard'' Music Awards, and the

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Pro ...

. Trainor's appearances on television talk shows included ''

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 Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...

'', ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'', and '' Jimmy Kimmel Live!''. She was part of the line-up for the Jingle Ball Tour and ''Today''s Toyota Concert Series. The album was supported by two concert tours,

and

. The former began in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

, in February 2015, and concluded in Milan in June 2015. Sheppard served as the opening act. The MTrain Tour commenced in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

the following month, supported by

Charlie Puth Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer and songwriter. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his song videos uploaded to YouTube. Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after p ...

and British band Life of Dillon. Its remainder was canceled on August 11, 2015, after Trainor suffered a

vocal cord hemorrhage Vocal cord hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel in the vocal cords ruptures, which results in leakage of blood into the superficial lamina propria and dysphonia A hoarse voice, also known as dysphonia or hoarseness, is when the voice involuntari ...

Critical reception

''Title'' received mixed reviews from music critics. At

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, which assigns a

weighted mean The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...

rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 59, based on 13 reviews. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

''s Melissa Maerz characterized it as "real-girl pop with massive charm" and said it will help Trainor project multi-generational appeal. Arnold thought ''Title'' is "charmingly old-fashioned" and commended Trainor for co-writing each of its tracks. Farber complimented her vocals and wit-laden style of songwriting but thought the album "crosses the line from confident to smug", and noted her self-harmonizing as emblematic of its " mphasis onthe image of self-containment". Brown described it as "relentlessly cute" and a showcase of "plenty of wit and watertight tunes", but advised Trainor to "read more self-help than she spouts". ''Title''s repetitiveness drew criticism. Marc Hirsh of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' considered the album "more of the same" as "All About That Bass" and censured Trainor for pillaging herself, but was positive of its sassy attitude and catchiness. Writing for the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'', Mikael Wood opined that it "offers a dozen variations" of her debut single and deried its opposing themes as "unexamined", accusing her of appropriating the vocal patterns of black artists. Wilson stated that though ''Title'' sends the right message to Trainor's young audience, it gets dreary. Some reviewers thought ''Title'' signaled Trainor's unsustainable commercial success. '' Slant Magazine''s Alexa Camp believed that her retro style is untenable and anticipated a commercial decline reminiscent of Duffy, as she lacked Winehouse's "raw emotive talent" and ability to infuse a retro sound with "distinctly 21st-century sonic and lyrical sophistication". Dan Weiss of '' Spin'' stated he would be pleased if the album became "a gateway for body-conscious adolescents", but thought it was indicative that Trainor lacks endurance: "If she was actually as clever as her press release and titled the album ''It Girl With Staying Power'', she might actually have staying power". Wilson noted that aside from her "understandable naïveté", her foibles are "stylistic cherry-picking" and a "compulsion to appear adorably relatable and socially correct", which she would be wise to eschew for a long-lasting career. Mokoena said it is "full of lyrical contradictions" and warned listeners not to expect "insightful and intimate songwriting". Erlewine opined that though ''Title'' was marred by "echoes" of "All About That Bass", it proved Trainor is smart enough to channel "a big hit into a real career".

Commercial performance

In the US, ''Title'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 issued for January 31, 2015, with 238,000

album-equivalent unit The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, is a measurement unit in music industry to define the consumption of music that equals the purchase of one album copy. This consumption includes streaming and song downloads in addition to traditio ...

s during its first week, replacing

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

's ''

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...

'' at the top of the chart. Trainor became the first female artist to top the chart with her debut album since Ariana Grande's 2013 release '' Yours Truly''. Keith Caufield of ''Billboard'' wrote that its debut-week tally included 195,000 in pure sales and that it was "an impressive figure, considering January is traditionally a sleepy month for big new releases". ''Title'' made her the fifth female artist in history to send her debut single and album to number one and follow-up single to the top five in the country. The album also entered at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart. ''Title'' opened atop the

Australian Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

issued for January 25, Epic's first album to do so since Michael Jackson's ''

'' (2005). The album spent two weeks at the summit. It debuted atop the

New Zealand Albums Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...

on January 19, spending two consecutive weeks there. ''Title'' entered at number one on the

Scottish Albums Chart The Scottish Albums Chart is a chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) which is based on how physical and digital sales towards the UK Albums Chart fare in Scotland. The official singles chart for Scotland, the Scottish Singles Chart, ...

and

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

. It achieved success in Europe, where it peaked within the top 10 in Denmark, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Several songs from it entered charts worldwide despite not being released as singles. The title track reached the 100th position on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number nine in New Zealand. It was

certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

Gold in both countries. "No Good for You" debuted and peaked at number 91 on the

Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and known by its current name since October 2007, based on sales data from the Swedish ...

, where it charted for two weeks. ''Title'' received certifications, including 3× Platinum in the US, Australia, and Canada; 2× Platinum in Poland; Platinum+Gold in Mexico; Platinum in Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, and the UK; and Gold in the Netherlands. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, it was the ninth-best-selling album of 2015, with 1.8 million copies sold worldwide.

Track listing

Notes * signifies a vocal producer * The physical special edition includes "Good to be Alive" as the 16th track.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desc ...

of ''Title''. Recording locations *Recorded and engineered 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 ...

) (tracks 1–4, 8-11, and 13–15), The Green Room ( East Nashville, Tennessee) (tracks 5 and 6), Germano Studios (New York City) (track 6), Meghan Trainor's home studio (Nashville) (track 7), and Beluga Heights Studio (Los Angeles) (track 12) * Mixed at The Carriage House (Nolensville, Tennessee) (tracks 1–4, 8-11, and 13–15), Larrabee North Studios (

Universal City, California Universal City is an unincorporated area within the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Approximately 415 acres (1.7 km) within and around the surrounding area is the property of Universal Pictur ...

) (tracks 5–7), and Beluga Heights Studio (Los Angeles) (track 12) *

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) *

Management Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a Government agency, government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includ ...

– Atom Factory, a division of Coalition Media Group (Los Angeles) *

Legal Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...

– Myman Greenspan Fineman/Fox Rosenberg & Light LLP Personnel *Meghan Trainor – vocals, additional drum programming, background vocals, executive producer, guitar, handclaps, piano,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

, programming, recording,

, vocal production *

– vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals, bass, bass vocals, classical guitar, drum programming, drums, electric guitar,

electric upright bass The electric upright bass (EUB) is an instrument that can perform the musical function of a double bass. It requires only a minimal or 'skeleton' body to produce sound because it uses a pickup and electronic amplifier and loudspeaker. Therefore, ...

, engineering, mixing, organ, piano, production,

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 ...

, synthesizer, ukulele,

vibraslap The vibraslap is a percussion instrument consisting of a piece of stiff wire (bent into a U-shape) connecting a wooden ball to a hollow box of wood with metal “teeth” inside. The percussionist holds the metal wire in one hand and strikes th ...

(tracks 1–4, 8-11, and 13–15) * David Baron – baritone saxophone, bass, celesta, clavinet, electric piano,

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

, Hammond organ, piano, strings, synthesizer,

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 ...

(tracks 2–4, 8-11, and 13–15) *Jim Hoke – baritone saxophone, flute, tenor saxophone (tracks 3, 8, 10, and 13) *Jeremy Lister – background vocals (track 4) *Eleonore Denig – violin (track 10) *

Shannon Forrest Shannon Forrest (born August 22, 1973 in Easley, South Carolina) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. As a session drummer, he has contributed to the work of many well-known artists, and he is also a pr ...

– drums (track 10) *Shy Carter – vocals * Chris Gelbuda – additional background vocals, instruments, recording, production, programming, *

– vocals (track 6) *Jason Agel – recording (track 6) *Kenta Yonesaka – recording assistant (track 6) * The Elev3n – production, *

Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is an American mixing engineer.Daley, Dan (May 2005).Manny Marroquin. ''Sound on Sound''. Retrieved February 10, 2007 He has received ten Grammy awards for his professional audio work. Life and career ...

– mixing (tracks 5–7) * J.R. Rotem – bass, drums,

horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...

, organ, piano, production, strings (track 12) *Samuel Kalandjian – engineering, mixing, recording (track 12) *Dave Kutch – mastering *Anita Marisa Boriboon – art director, design *Lana Jay Lackey – styling *Danilo – hair *Mylah Morales – make-up *Brooke Nipar – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Title (Meghan Trainor album) 2015 debut albums Epic Records albums Meghan Trainor albums Albums produced by Kevin Kadish Albums produced by Chris Gelbuda Albums produced by J. R. Rotem Doo-wop albums