Meghan Trainor is an American musician who gained mainstream recognition in 2014 after signing with Epic Records to release her debut #1 single All About That Bass. The artist autonomously released 3 albums between the years 2009-10, featuring tracks that she herself wrote, performed and even produced before becoming a commercial success in 2014 after her debut single amassed 2.5b views on YouTube, as well as the album it featured on, Title, selling 1.8m copies and becoming the 9th highest selling album of 2015.
After the success of her first album, Trainor would release other albums including as she described it her more versatile album, Thank You, which whilst contained some doo-wop anthems that her first album featured, the artist was now exploring themes of female self-empowerment and acceptability of her image and rise to fame.
Epic Records is an American record label that is owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of SCA (Sony Corporation of America). The label was originally launched back in 1953 by Columbia Records that focused solely on marketing jazz, pop and classical music that didn't target the mainstream, but would continue throughout the decades to sign more upcoming, mainstream artists such as Michael Jackson, George Michael and Wham! of the 1980s.
Music Video: No
The track No was released as the lead single for the artists second album, and is one of Meghan Trainor's earlier examples of exploring mature themes, which No does by encouraging women not to take any unwarranted advances from men. The music video begins with the artist walking dramatically through a warehouse wearing a metallic looking jacket that could symbolise her independence and her being untouchable from any opposing advances. The video features Trainor and a group of female back-up dancers of many ethnic backgrounds performing to a set of choreographed dance routines, a decision made to show they are taking pride in their own bodies without men interfering. Considering the universal message of the video, the decision to include female dancers from different ethnic backgrounds makes it that much more compelling and powerful to watch, as this is a message all women can find relatable or at least support.
The location itself is also very familiar, since this wouldn't be the only mainstream music video to feature a female artist from the 2010s in a desolate location taking pride in their bodies alongside choreographed dancers, another example of this is Beyonce's music video for Formation that includes a similar scene, revealing almost just how popular and supportive female empowerment was for artists of this era and showing the recognition for female artists and the need for independence with their music was becoming more familiar and recognisable.
The cinematography also highlights the themes of empowerment in the video, most impressive seen with the silhouettes of the artist lip-syncing and dancing which emphasise her independence and confidence without having to sexualise her. There is one sequence where the artist and other female accomplices are wearing more revealing clothing, but the scene still manages not to sexualise the artist in an exploitative way, rather show how she is taking pride in her body and is willing to accept negative publicity or hate for it, making the video an anthem for female self-acceptance and body positivity despite this being an era of mainstream music also glorifying hegemonic body types, recognisable in the music videos for Cake by the Ocean and Cheerleader.
Magazine: Seventeen
This front page edition for Seventeen magazine features the artist and released in March 2016. Seventeen is a teen magazine targeted towards a female audience from the ages of 13-19, that explores fashion, romance and celebrity news whilst encouraging self-acceptance and positivity. This edition explores that with the centre image of the artist smiling and taking pride in her image, alongside the copy LOVE YOUR LOOK!, something that is recognisable with the brand and image of the magazine, making this relatable and aspiring to it's target audience. The wardrobe the artist adopts, with the black and pinks which is also seen with the copy also symbolising the strong message of female empowerment, something the audience for this magazine are likely to also agree with considering the similar messages that the magazine often promotes.
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