EXCLUSIVE: Meghan Trainor – Dirty Talk & Overcoming Anxiety

Meghan stormed into the spotlight in 2013 when her single ‘All About That Bass’ became one of the best-selling singles of all time, and it is safe to say the sassy starlet hasn’t stood still since.
She found continued success with her super catchy tracks ‘Lips Are Movin’’, ‘Dear Future Husband’, ‘Better When I’m Dancin’’ and ‘Marvin Gaye’ (ft Charlie Puth). Some of her most recent hits, such as ‘No’, ‘Me Too’ and ‘No Excuses’ really cemented Meghan as a confident female musician with a mind of her own.
Her new album ‘Treat Myself’ is forthcoming and Meghan has already teased us with a couple of releases, but what else can we expect from her latest offering? “The songs are all loud, and feel like an anthem, even if it’s about love,” Meghan detailed.
“They’re very passionate, and the slow song I have on this album is this very special important ballad that is just gonna rip everyone’s hearts out in the best way, and make everyone cry. I’m very proud of these songs.”
Interestingly, Meghan’s loved ones have been included within the album – her father features playing piano and the organ (whilst singing background) and her fiancée also provides vocal input.
“I was the boss that day!” Meghan said when asked about the concern of mixing business with pleasure by working with relatives in a studio setting. “I felt very comfortable because I love them and they love me. (My father being involved) was a dream come true, because he used to play on my first albums when I was growing up, so it was like a big ‘Thank You’ moment.”
Meghan isn’t afraid to be a bit risqué with her lyrics and when asked about this she was, as always, very open about the impression this may have on her family: “I’ve written like dirty songs! I send my songs to my family and I’m like ‘What do you think?’. They’re always supportive no matter what and they always take it lightly.”
Girl power is a key theme within Meghan’s songs, as she explained: “We always need a reminder of respect – there’s nothing more powerful than that concept. It is so important right now. ‘No Excuses’ could be a great anthem for the women that are coming out and speaking out, and I hope this song encourages them to keep doing what they’re doing.
“I always think that to have power is to empower other people. I hope to encourage the fans to get sassy and confident and have the guts to tell someone like, ‘that’s disrespectful, don’t do that.’
“I’m seeing a lot of women take over the charts; I think we’re all standing up and we’re very powerful. It shows in our hard work when our songs are up in the top and we’re singing at award shows.”
Meghan continues to be refreshingly honest and this was further proven when she opened up about her struggles with anxiety. “I didn’t know it would help so many people,” she admitted. “I learned that back in the day everything was decided for you and they didn’t have as much anxiety as we do. I think it’s because we have so many things to decide.
“We have so many decisions to make all day long, even down to what are we about to post. And I think that’s killing us. I think that’s giving us anxiety and I took a long break from social media for a minute and got back to working on me and my health, and started thinking about only positive things. And that really cured me.”
A healthy approach to life has also transformed Meghan’s life: “Being healthy – working out and eating well – is the biggest change I’ve made that has made a positive impact. I just stopped drinking booze, not because I had a problem with it or anything – I just hated hangovers and I hated my skin being so dry.
“I noticed that helped my mental health a lot, and my fiancée Daryl inspired me to enjoy working out, which is a whole new thing. I don’t believe in runners’ high, but I believe in like the aftermath of no matter what happens today, I worked out and I look great and feel great.”
Meghan and Daryl’s relationship can certainly be described as fast-paced – the couple said ‘I love you’ after just one week together! “We’re both a little aggressive,” she divulged. “I wrote him a song called ‘Marry Me’ on my ukulele in a hotel room, so we were talking about it from month one. We knew early, and it’s that cheesy line of ‘’you know when you know’.
“That’s so real though ‘cause I’ve never had anything like this with any other human. I never not got sick of someone, you know what I’m saying? I’ve been with him literally every day, and I’m never sick of him. And I miss him when he’s not in my visual sight. It’s a problem.”
Meghan is mega excited to release her new album to the public, as she concluded: “I do believe it is my best one. I just care about it so much, and I can’t wait to promote it everywhere for the entire world because I want everyone to hear every song!”
THE latest tracks from Meghan’s upcoming album, ‘Can’t Dance’ and ‘Let You Be Right’, are out now
> Hannah Montgomery