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| Image source: numberone.com.tr |
Artist: Meghan Trainor
Album: Title (2015)
Genre: Pop
Rating: 2.9/5
Where I first heard this song
Spotify
What was happening when I heard this song
Spotify was playing an ad promoting the artist
Review
This song is EVERYWHERE. When I say "everywhere," I mean EVERYWHERE: it's overplayed on the radio, it's topping the charts, it's advertised during commercial breaks when you're streaming music online, IT'S ANOTHER POP SONG YOU CAN'T AVOID NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO.
Now I say "avoid" because the thing with the music industry is that it is very fond of promoting the latest pop song to insane levels. Eventually, the song becomes too popular that it dominates many forms of media and music charts, which makes it redundant and leads to its loss of essence. This is what [sort of] happened to this particular song as I hear it everywhere and is beginning to sound annoying due to its chorus. However, "essence" should be taken lightly when considering this particular song because of the message surrounding its lyrics that have caused a debate regarding a woman's body image and attitude towards skinny women.
"All About That Bass" succeeded at stirring a conversation on the issue of the body types of women. Popular media views the skinny/slender, physically flawless woman as the standard of beauty, especially when it comes to advertising since they use these types of women on the front covers of magazines and fashion ads (but most of the time, they digitally edit these women to appear skinny and flawless). This practice of promoting a skinny figure and altering a woman's appearance to fit a certain standard is the issue that the song confronts as Trainor sings that a thick body type is also beautiful and that the women we see in magazines aren't realistic. But the thing that's inflammatory about this confrontation is that it slams skinny women and indirectly emphasizes that men should love a woman for her body.
There won't be a section on an interpretation of the lyrics since this review is going to be centered on that, but before we get to the lyrical analysis, I just want to get this out of the way and say that the chorus is ANNOYING. After hearing it numerous times, it gets stuck in the head and there's nothing you can do to get it out of your mind except to just wait it out. The chorus doesn't even fit with the rest of the song since it's such a change in tonality, mood, and genre. The verses are uppity and pop-oriented whereas the chorus is mellow, quiet, and blue-eyed-soul-oriented, so this shifting between moods and genres isn't executed well since the change is too obvious. Lastly, the song follows the standard formula for writing a pop song: catchy hook, very similar beat progression that other pop songs have, and easy-to-remember lyrics. But now that I've mentioned the lyrics, here's where the song enters a battleground of debate...
The lyrics are a bit contradicting and can be viewed as a slam on women who are skinny. Trainor, who took part in writing the lyrics, sings that she's "bringing booty back" and to "tell them skinny bitches that." Although she immediately sings afterwards that she is only messing with these "skinny bitches," the genuineness of this joke is questionable when she then sings that her mom told her that "boys like a little more booty to hold at night." This advocacy of guys loving thick women rather than skinny women not only seems to be the basis of her song but also emphasizes that a guy will only love a woman based on her body type and that this preference is a woman who has curves. So where does this leave a skinny woman? Does that mean she will be loved less? Actually, that shouldn't be asked at all because a woman's worth and worthiness to be loved should NEVER be measured based on how thick or skinny she is. Nevertheless, it's not a woman's fault if she's thick or skinny because some women actually can't help it if they are that way.
Despite the mixed message the song delivers, its attempt to confront the issue of a woman's body image should still be praised. This attempt indicates the rising movement of feminism that is currently occurring with young women and brings forth an important issue of a woman's body image and how it plays into her attitude towards herself and attitudes from other people and especially men.
Spotify
What was happening when I heard this song
Spotify was playing an ad promoting the artist
Review
This song is EVERYWHERE. When I say "everywhere," I mean EVERYWHERE: it's overplayed on the radio, it's topping the charts, it's advertised during commercial breaks when you're streaming music online, IT'S ANOTHER POP SONG YOU CAN'T AVOID NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO.
Now I say "avoid" because the thing with the music industry is that it is very fond of promoting the latest pop song to insane levels. Eventually, the song becomes too popular that it dominates many forms of media and music charts, which makes it redundant and leads to its loss of essence. This is what [sort of] happened to this particular song as I hear it everywhere and is beginning to sound annoying due to its chorus. However, "essence" should be taken lightly when considering this particular song because of the message surrounding its lyrics that have caused a debate regarding a woman's body image and attitude towards skinny women.
"All About That Bass" succeeded at stirring a conversation on the issue of the body types of women. Popular media views the skinny/slender, physically flawless woman as the standard of beauty, especially when it comes to advertising since they use these types of women on the front covers of magazines and fashion ads (but most of the time, they digitally edit these women to appear skinny and flawless). This practice of promoting a skinny figure and altering a woman's appearance to fit a certain standard is the issue that the song confronts as Trainor sings that a thick body type is also beautiful and that the women we see in magazines aren't realistic. But the thing that's inflammatory about this confrontation is that it slams skinny women and indirectly emphasizes that men should love a woman for her body.
There won't be a section on an interpretation of the lyrics since this review is going to be centered on that, but before we get to the lyrical analysis, I just want to get this out of the way and say that the chorus is ANNOYING. After hearing it numerous times, it gets stuck in the head and there's nothing you can do to get it out of your mind except to just wait it out. The chorus doesn't even fit with the rest of the song since it's such a change in tonality, mood, and genre. The verses are uppity and pop-oriented whereas the chorus is mellow, quiet, and blue-eyed-soul-oriented, so this shifting between moods and genres isn't executed well since the change is too obvious. Lastly, the song follows the standard formula for writing a pop song: catchy hook, very similar beat progression that other pop songs have, and easy-to-remember lyrics. But now that I've mentioned the lyrics, here's where the song enters a battleground of debate...
The lyrics are a bit contradicting and can be viewed as a slam on women who are skinny. Trainor, who took part in writing the lyrics, sings that she's "bringing booty back" and to "tell them skinny bitches that." Although she immediately sings afterwards that she is only messing with these "skinny bitches," the genuineness of this joke is questionable when she then sings that her mom told her that "boys like a little more booty to hold at night." This advocacy of guys loving thick women rather than skinny women not only seems to be the basis of her song but also emphasizes that a guy will only love a woman based on her body type and that this preference is a woman who has curves. So where does this leave a skinny woman? Does that mean she will be loved less? Actually, that shouldn't be asked at all because a woman's worth and worthiness to be loved should NEVER be measured based on how thick or skinny she is. Nevertheless, it's not a woman's fault if she's thick or skinny because some women actually can't help it if they are that way.
Despite the mixed message the song delivers, its attempt to confront the issue of a woman's body image should still be praised. This attempt indicates the rising movement of feminism that is currently occurring with young women and brings forth an important issue of a woman's body image and how it plays into her attitude towards herself and attitudes from other people and especially men.
2 comments:
In response to your review, do you think it's possible that the "boys like a little more booty to hold at night" is providing a message similar to the Wiggle song by Jason Derulo featuring Snoop Dogg which goes like,"what do you do with that big fat butt? Wiggle wiggle wiggle" in that girls should get a big butt? Also consider Kim Kardashian's appearance on Paper magazine. I'm just wondering if these three things are providing a similar message to the women's body issue. Also consider that skinny girls can be athletic. Most girls who are runners at marathons are an example.
I don't think "Wiggle" is saying that girls should get a big butt but rather serves as an instance that confirms the line that "boys like a little more booty to hold at night." However, we know this is not entirely true since there are guys who have other preferences. What I can say about "Wiggle" is that it's a very derogatory song that objectifies women because it sends the message that it's okay to degrade a woman down to her physical assets as if they are the only qualities she has that will grab a man's attention, especially if she has a big butt. It is songs like these that further exacerbate the issue of body image by focusing exclusively on the body and completely ignores other qualities that women AND men have (eg. I have to yet to hear a song that praises men and women for their minds and insights).
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