Meghan Trainor, Treat Myself | Album Review 💿

After being delayed more than a year, Meghan Trainor returns with her third studio album, Treat Myself, with so-so results.

If you were to prompt to any number of people with ‘The problem with Meghan Trainor is…,’ chances are, they’d have lots to say.  To be a relatively tame pop artist, The Grammy-winner is quite polarizing.  She received ample flack for originally asserting that she wasn’t a feminist, though she’s since changed her tune.  Besides that faux pas, “Dear Future Husband” (Title, 2015) received flack for being sexist, while her 2016 hit, “Me Too” (Thank You, 2016), has been pegged as narcissistic more than a couple of times.

Perhaps, because of the aforementioned happenings, Trainor has seen her success wane. Her delayed third album, Treat Myself, arrived more than a year later than its original release date, and debuts modestly on the Billboard 200 (a tepid no. 25). Is Treat Myself worth the time?

“Wave” 

“I want what I can’t have, still holding on to hope / Drowning in my tears, this love’s a sinking boat.” Ah, Meghan Trainor commences Treat Myself enjoyably with the minor-key, electro pop record, ✓ “Wave,” featuring Mike Sabath.  Not only does Sabath sing on the second verse, he serves as the producer.  Love is on both performers, with all things ocean-related, particularly those ‘waves’ fueling the fire.  The centerpiece, of course, is the wave-centric chorus, where Trainor insists, he “Take me like a wave… Crash into my arms, tell me I am yours.”

Single ✓ “Nice to Meet Ya” is even more fun, featuring Nicki Minaj. Another minor-key pop joint, sleek production comes at the hands of Ojivolta this round.  Meghan Trainor brings some attitude (contextually), without crossing any lines, unless you consider one instance of the word ‘shit’ to be the end of the world – to each his or her own.  Is it a fiery performance? Meh, few would consider Trainor fiery, but it’s among the best of Treat Myself, particularly the chorus.  As for Nicki, she’s respectable, but certainly doesn’t flip the game on its side.  

✓ “Funk” is very much tongue-in-cheek.  That said, that’s sort of the career that Meghan Trainor has established for herself.  Obviously, “Funk” is a euphemism for the f-bomb, with Trainor singing in cleanly articulated, cutesy fashion.  Perhaps it’s eye-roll worthy, but ultimately, it’s successful against funky, retro production by Eddie Benjamin and Mike Sabath once more. “Funk” may have those annoying qualities associated with an M.T. record, but at the same time, it’s catchy and infectious.

“Babygirl” 

“Babygirl” marks the third Mike Sabath production.  Is it a match made in heaven? Hmm, that might be an overstatement, but the gimmicky moments (the chorus) are intriguing.  Maybe more intriguing are the more legato passages sung by Trainor on the pre-chorus:

“As soon as you love yourself (love yourself)
You’ll never know what an angel you are
Stop breaking your heart
As soon as you love yourself (love yourself)
You gotta try before anyone can
You’ll understand as soon as you…”

There’s ‘girl power’ on “Workin’ On It,” which brings Lennon Stella and Sash Sloan in the fold. Empowerment, self-appreciation, and self-love seems to be the theme, all of which are positive things.  “You say I’m beautiful / And I say you’re full of it,” Lennon Stella sings on the pre-chorus, continuing, “Nothin’ personal / I’m still not used to this.”  The song itself is respectable, but not necessarily as powerful or as rousing as it could’ve potentially been. “Ashes” follows, featuring lighthearted production by Dan Gleyzer, as well as a lighthearted performance by Trainor.  It’s not as if there’s no emotion – that’s the intent – but this record feels underwhelming overall.  Nobody’s expecting powerhouse vocals from Meghan, but I’d love to hear a bit more oomph here.

“Lie to Me”

“Lie to Me” packs more punch than “Ashes,” particularly the chorus, and the colorful electronic pop production touches.  Still, it’s tough to connect at a deeper level with Meghan Trainor.  “Lie to Me” remains tongue-in-cheek, and while the singing is pleasant, it’s still meh in regard to packing a sizable punch. On “Here to Stay,” the relationship is lit, at least from an emotional respective – Trainor doesn’t speak from a physical perspective. The dedication is a selling point, as are the ad-libs and backing vocals.  Still, as is the constant gripe with Treat Myself, you’re waiting for that bigger, grander moment from the singer.   

“Blink” was one of the few singles I reviewed prior to Treat Myself. Like many Meghan Trainor songs of old, there are some retro elements in play – the vocal harmonies and overall harmonic progression.  That said, “Blink” is actually pretty modern overall, with Sigala and Steve Manovski giving Trainor a fine backdrop to work with overall.  The record is still tongue-in-cheek in regard to performance and songwriting.  The chorus is gimmicky and quite repetitive:

“Better not blink
You better not blink, blink
Better not blink
‘Cause you don’t wanna miss this.”

Honestly, that’s about the size of that. The chorus isn’t profound, but it’s undeniably catchy.  Trainor does manage to throw in some sexual innuendo that’s definitely ‘not that innocent’: “…I’m a shootin’ star / I’ma make you come quick, then I break your heart.” Can you say savage? Hard to envision there is such a thing as an “Innocent bad bitch,” which is how she characterizes herself on the second verse.  Also, just so you know, she’s “A rocket ship, I’ma rock this / Yeah, I rock this shit.” Sure Meghan, sure.

“Genetics”

Moving on, doesn’t “Genetics” feel, gee, I dunno, at least a decade too late? I was a fan of The Pussycat Dolls back in the day, but, they’re more aughts than 2020s, right? Of course, the big idea of the groovy cut is body positivity.  Not only does Meghan Trainor spell her G-E-N-E-T-I-C-S out, she also references a past hit: “How you get that bass? / Is it all fake?”  She has more success on ✓ “Evil Twin,” one of the best songs from Treat Myself.  Why is it a rank up? Trainor packs more punch vocally, showcases more personality, and has an infectious, retro-pop background fueling her fire.  The chorus is simple, but one of the catchiest of the entire album, sung with conviction:

“(That’s my evil twin) No, it ain’t my fault
(That’s my evil twin) It wasn’t me at all
Don’t be mad at me
I can’t help that she’s a wild one, baby, wild one baby.”

Other than mainstay Mike Sabath, the only other male collaborator is rising pop artist AJ Mitchell.  Mitchell provides Trainor a lift on the beautiful ballad, “After You.” The vocal harmonies are quite lovely as they sing together, while the vocal production is pretty sweet as well.  Their bread is buttered on the chorus, as well as the bridge section.  This is another winning record, thanks to more assertiveness from Trainor – none of that cutesy stuff.

“Another Opinion” 

Ah, homestretch of the stand edition of Treat Myself. “Another Opinion” embraces sunny, reggae/tropical pop stylings.  It’s a pleasant record, featuring ukulele, and some lovely piano lines.  Vocally, Meghan Trainor is also a bit more dynamic, like some of her best moments on the album. In other words, she opens her mouth and lets it rip.

“Have you lost your mind? / Open up your eyes / Someone else / You must’ve confused me, confused me with / Someone else.” Penultimate number “No Excuses” was released back in 2018 – keep in mind, Treat Myself was quite delayed.  A brief song that just crosses the two-and-a-half-minute mark, “No Excuses” is short, and honestly, that’s a sufficient dose of Trainor. It’s up-beat and utterly exuberant in sound, while also being infectious, if incredibly corny. Remaining true to self, Trainor continues to employ a tongue in cheek approach. Thudding kick drum (four on the floor) and rhythmic guitar define the production on the verse. Here, she’s feisty and sassy, exuding personality.  If nothing else, she’s chocked-full of energy.  The chorus is incredibly catchy lyrically, with the production varied from the backdrop supporting the verse.

“Have You Now” concludes the standard edition romantically to say the least.  Sleekly produced (Mike Sabath and Some Randoms), Meghan is just happy to have her man, the love of her life, and he totally shouldn’t let her down, or so she says on the chorus.

Bonus Tracks

If you splurge and go to Target, you can tack on “All The Ways”, which previously appeared as the opener on The Love Train EP. “All the Ways” is another pleasant cut, featuring an optimistic, if somewhat subdued 80s-infused sound, that gives off good vibes.  Trainor focuses on love (shocker).  She delivers warm, respectable vocals throughout, but there is a lack of frills you might say – it’s a bit ‘safe.’

Also, if you feel so compelled to purchase Treat Myself from Target, you’ll add the title track.  It’s a bit surprising that Trainor wouldn’t include “Treat Myself” on the standard edition.  Meghan confidently sings, with attitude, “Damn, I been working real hard on myself, on my health, and my happiness / Hit pause on my life, took time on my mind, been working less…” Early on, it’s clear she’s giving herself a pat on the back – what’s new? The lyrics that matter the most, however, come on the chorus and post-chorus, and they’re pretty simple, but moderately fun.

“Let me give myself a hand, uh-huh
Let me give myself a hand, uh-huh
Tell myself ‘get up and dance’
So I move my feet, I love all of me, uh-huh
Let me give myself a hand.”

Final Thoughts

Earlier, I asked this question: Is Treat Myself worth the time?  It has some worthwhile moments, but other than that, it’s not the most accomplished pop album you’ll ever hear.  Trainor is at her best when she lets loose more vocally for one thing.  Some of her more subdued moments certainly do nothing to make her more exciting.  Perhaps the biggest rub with this album is that at times, it’s a bore. After multiple delays, honestly, Trainor needed something absolutely epic to right the ship.  Treat Myself isn’t it.

✓ Gems: “Wave,” “Nice to Meet Ya,” “Funk,” “Evil Twin” & “After You”  

Meghan Trainor • Treat Myself • Epic • Release: 1.31.20

Photo Credit: Epic