MEGHAN TRAINOR appears on screen in a bundle of cascading blonde curls and bubbly giggles from her home in California. Just like any one of her sugar-syrup pop songs, her committedly upbeat nature offers an instant hit of feel-good energy.
Since her body positivity banger All About That Bass blasted her into the spotlight a decade ago, and it's "every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top" lyrics went down as gospel for a new loud and proud generation, Trainor, 30, has ensured her spot as one of the most popular musicians in the world.
She has 27.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and cemented a sub-genre of self-love anthems ("it's my superpower," she quips) with tracks including No, Lips Are Movin and Made You Look. There is a Grammy under her belt and a die-hard fanbase of girls and gays who gobble up her surefire, formulaic hits as and when they come. "Don't I make it look easy, baby?" she bellows in one - and, in fact, she does.
For the most part, Trainor is celebrated for shouting about confidence, but her most recent album Timeless, out now, came from a place of despair. "The first song I wrote was a week after my C-section-I crawled down to the studio and started recording," she says. It followed a taxing pregnancy, which included a miscarriage scare and a difficult birth to her second child, Barry, now almost one. He joins Riley, three, both with her husband of six years Daryl Sabara (who was Juni in Spy Kids).
This story is from the June 14, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 14, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
In the eye of the storm A rich account of Britain's political chaos
Tim Shipman’s fourth and final tome covers Johnson to Sunak, via Truss
Is this government full of amateurs?
Labour's hard landing has revealed a cabinet struggling with the basics
It's going to be weird when the national anthem plays, but I'm so proud to lead the United States
Emma Hayes closed the book on 12 trophy-laden years at Chelsea with her fifth consecutive Women’s Super League title in May.
Can Guardiola fix 'fragile' City after latest implosion?
Rebuilding his ageing side will bea greater challenge than building it in the first place for one of the greats
London wins battle of the global city brands again...
...but the capital still has plenty of work to do ifit wants to keep that crown
At home with...Earl of East
The duo behind the fragrance brand have made a Leyton new-build their sanctuary
How evolution evolved: the risks and rewards of gene-editing technology
INDIA BLOCKspeaks to paediatrician and TV writer Dr Neal Baer about the controversial advancement
This beloved take on Dickens is a joyful gift that keeps on giving
AIl through a bright, bitter winter day I was smiling because I was coming to see Jack Thorne's adapAtation of Charles Dickens's story again.
Market merrymaking
Bundle up in your warmest coat, hat and mittens to visit the best Christmas markets in the UK.
Festive favourites
Perfect your Christmas spread with a vibrant spin on a seasonal staple.