“Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself” read Meghan Trainor’s motto on her Instagram account – and last year, no one could accuse her of doing otherwise. Exploding onto the music scene with a lethally catchy dose of pop feminism in “All About That Bass”, Trainor may never again encounter a person who greets her with “and you are…?”. Demands for a full-length version of her debut EP Title have come knocking, but a severe case of vocal polyps delayed the recording process while the singer struggled with a weakened voice following her recovery. Thankfully for her clamoring fans, Trainor has managed to release the single “Lips Are Movin’” to whet everyone’s appetite for the LP release.
“Lips Are Movin’” strongly suggested a “one hit wonder” label could stick rather persistently to Trainor’s name. Upon pressing play to what was marketed as a new single, the listener might well be forgiven for thinking “Lips” was a remix of “All About That Bass”. There is the distinct lack of treble, for instance, as the solo bass line grooves and pulses to set up the intro. There are those peppy handclaps, adding cheeky punctuation and pop ‘tude to the rhythms. And there is Ms. Trainor herself, mouthing off at a guy who clearly doesn’t respect her feminine worth. “I gave you bass/You gave me sweet talk” she cries. You see? Again with the bass.
This time however, there’s a Taylor Swift-style accusation – because this time there is a specific guy involved (perhaps Trainor’s recent cheat of a boyfriend?). “If your lips are movin’ /Then you’re lyin’ lyin’ lyin’ babe” she accuses, assuring her “two-faced” lover that she isn’t dumb enough to overlook the foreign perfume that is hanging around his collar. “I might be young, but I ain’t stupid”, Trainor reminds him. And trying to buy her forgiveness with diamond earrings? Just plain insulting. Fair point, Meghan, maybe I will crank the volume after all.
We need to remember this is Meghan Trainor we’re talking about. Her music is meant to be sassy, fun and easy to sing along to. It is meant to make teenage girls think they’re feminists while they’re dancing around their bedrooms. Does “Lips” tick those boxes? Heck yes. Just use caution when belting out the chorus – you may find yourself singing the lyrics to “All About That Bass” by mistake. But you probably won’t be any the wiser.