Four singles into the promo campaign for her third studio LP, Treat Myself, Meghan Trainor is still searching for a hit.  “All the Ways” isn’t it.

Whether the world is ready for her or not, Meghan Trainor returns August 31, 2018.  Yes friends, that’s when her third studio album, Treat Myself arrives.  It should be interesting to see how well Trainor performs with her third album, considering she lost some of her commercial luster on Thank You (2016).  Also, it may not have helped that two songs from Thank You were absolutely panned by, well, everybody: “Me Too” and “No”.  So far, three singles into the promo campaign for Treat Myself, things have been meh.  Does “All the Ways,” the fourth advance single change the perception?

Answering the question, as Trainor would, “NO!” “All the Ways” is pleasant, however. The record features an optimistic, if somewhat subdued 80s-infused sound, which gives off good vibes.  Trainor focuses on love, and being the confident woman that she is, she has some requirements for her man.  “If you love me, love me, love me like you say,” she sings on the pre-chorus, “Darling, tell me all the ways, tell me all the ways.”  That’s not asking too much, neither is “Take me out dancin’, don’t forget romancin’,” though it’s mostly cliché – ‘been there, done that.’ Trainor delivers warm, respectable vocals throughout, but the lack of frills certainly doesn’t help her build a case for being truly distinct.

Final Thoughts 

The biggest rub with “All the Ways” is that Meghan Trainor absolutely sounds too safe.  She does nothing to conjure up shock value or anything that will truly maker her stand out.  Say what you will about the likes of “Me Too” and “No,” but at least they stood out.  This is fine, but not the least bit memorable.  No, the expectation isn’t that Trainor keeps rolling out “All About That Bass”, but, so far, Treat Myself is trending towards being a total bore.

Meghan Trainor • Treat Myself • Epic • Release: 8.31.18

Photo Credit: Epic