How Elvis Presley Inspired a Meghan Trainor Masterpiece
Elvis Presley and Meghan Trainor have more in common than meets the eye. Trainor revealed her second major label album was inspired by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and one of his contemporaries. She also wants her music to resonate with people in a very specific way.
Meghan Trainor wrote an album that was supposed to sound like Elvis Presley
Title was Trainor’s first studio album on a major label. It included her breakthrough hit, “All About That Bass,” as well as other memorable singles such as “Lips Are Movin’,” “Dear Future Husband,” and “Like I’m Gonna Lose You.” She followed that up with the album Thank You. Like its predecessor, Thank You drew from the stars of the past.
During a 2015 interview with MTV, Trainor discussed her intentions for Thank You. “I wanted to go big, I wanted to get all my influences in there and show everything from my Caribbean side to my love for Bruno Mars and Aretha Franklin and even some Elvis vibes, anyone I grew up listening to,” she said. “I was trying to show the world what I love. I wanted to do something that’s not on the radio, but kind of different.” The radio could always use some more Elvis vibes! Thank You turned out to be everything fans could want in a pop album.
Meghan Trainor wants to become a legend whose music will resonate over time
Trainor seemed proud of the songwriting on Thank You. “It has a lot of big songs on it that I can’t for the world to finally hear,” she revealed. “I haven’t been working long on it, but I got some good stuff and I think we are going to wrap it up soon.”
During a 2016 interview with BBC News, Trainor gave fans more insight into her songwriting. “When I want to be remembered as a legend, I want the songwriting to be first,” she explained. “I want them to say: ‘She wrote about things I dealt with. Every age I was in, I related to that.'” Trainor said she looks to Carole King as her role model for writing relatable music.
Elvis Presley recorded great songs about almost any topic imaginable
If Trainor wants to write relatable music, there’s no better inspiration than the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Elvis has a song for every occasion. His tunes include a lot of broad themes like love (“Can’t Help Falling in Love”), heartache (“Heartbreak Hotel”), and toxic relationships (“Suspicious Minds”).
On the other hand, he also sang songs that are more specific in scope but still universal. He captured the joy of going on vacation (“Viva Las Vegas”), the cycle of poverty (“In the Ghetto”), and the fun of hula dancing (“Rock-a-Hula Baby”). He also released classic Christmas albums and a gospel album for Easter, so he has you covered for the holidays!
Trainor also writes about timeless themes like empowerment, body image, and marriage. Time will tell if her music will last. Regardless, she’s looking for inspiration in all the right places!
Trends come and go, but Elvis continues to influence new generations of singers.
