Grammy winner and pop star Meghan Trainor says her life didn鈥檛 end after having her children.
In fact, her boys Riley, 3, and Barry, 1, were the biggest inspiration for her newest album 鈥淭imeless.鈥 The two are currently on the road with Trainor for the 鈥淭imeless鈥 tour and will be there when she performs at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on Oct. 2.
鈥淵es, life is all about them now, but also it鈥檚 about making the best version of me for them, so I can take care of them the best I can,鈥 Trainor says.
Trainor released the deluxe version of her album 鈥淭imeless鈥 in August. The album draws on her experiences as a new mother and wife, who is also juggling stardom. It celebrates Trainor鈥檚 musical influences with hints of bebop, funk and R&B shining through her pop-forward, bubbly lyricism.
Her song 鈥淐riminals鈥 is currently going viral as the theme song on the Netflix miniseries 鈥淭he Perfect Couple.鈥 Although Trainor wrote the song six years ago, she鈥檚 happy it鈥檚 finally having its moment in the spotlight.
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She started working on the other songs for 鈥淭imeless鈥 about a year ago, 11 days after having a C-section with her youngest, Barry. Looking back on the album鈥檚 creative process, Trainor says her kids both influenced her new music and helped her decide which songs would make the album cut.
During bath time, Trainor would sing her new songs to her sons to see which ones they gravitated toward. If they remembered the song after she sang the second chorus, Trainor says she knew she had a potential hit. Riley fell in love with songs like 鈥淏estie鈥 and 鈥淐rushin鈥欌 early on, and Trainor would dance with him while they sang them together. She鈥檇 cry as she swayed back and forth with her son, who鈥檚 love for outer space inspired her song 鈥淭o the Moon.鈥
Some of Trainor鈥檚 biggest fans are kids, and she says she recognizes the influence she鈥檚 had. Her debut single in 2014, 鈥淎ll About That Bass,鈥 was the best-selling song released by a female artist in the 2010s in the U.S. Even 10 years after its release, Trainor says she鈥檚 had parents tell her how their kids took their first step and hit their first dance moves to 鈥淎ll About That Bass.鈥
鈥淭hat was their first favorite song,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really magical when the babies like it. You know, it鈥檚 going to be big.鈥
The song also celebrated body positivity and established Trainor as an advocate for the youth who gravitated to it.
On tour for the first time in seven years, Trainor says she鈥檚 excited to be back performing new music for the fans she鈥檚 watched grow up, and she says she hopes to create more core memories with fans and their families on her 鈥淭imeless鈥 tour.
During every performance, Trainor says she asks who鈥檚 at their very first concert. Every night in every city, it sounds like everyone in the building is screaming at the top of their lungs.
Childhood was where Trainor鈥檚 love for music began. Her father loved old-school R&B like James Brown; Earth, Wind and Fire; and Stevie Wonder. However, Trainor鈥檚 mother loved pop music, and she had an uncle from Trinidad and Tobago who was a soca singer, a genre infusing African, Caribbean and South Asian rhythms. All of it influenced Trainor鈥檚 foundation as a songwriter and singer. She says she still listens to soca music before her performances because good music invites good feelings that she hopes to share with the audience.
鈥淢usic can be medicine and it helps me with my insecurities, my doubts or my conflicts in life,鈥 she says. 鈥淲hen it helps other people, it鈥檚 just like an extra gift and feels like I鈥檓 a superhero.鈥
Trainor says she鈥檚 grown a lot since 鈥淎ll About That Bass鈥 first climbed the charts and understands the importance of taking care of herself. Weekly therapy sessions are a priority, and she takes antidepressants as a part of her mental and emotional self-care regimen. Now 30, Trainor is manifesting her best future life by doing the work in the present.
鈥淚鈥檝e heard 30s is your best (decade) and, so far, it is,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like you finally care a little bit less about what everyone thinks, and you鈥檙e just working on yourself.鈥
Still figuring out how to navigate her changing life and all its moving pieces, Trainor takes her influence as a pop star seriously. As she continues to grow, Trainor hopes to create more music that inspires music lovers of all ages and that instills resilience in the hearts of young listeners.
鈥淣ever stop,鈥 she says. 鈥淣ever give up when someone tells you no. Use that as fuel and just keep going.鈥