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Meghan Trainor is a powerhouse singer who’s released several chart-topping hits and has earned dozens of accolades over the years. But the Grammy Award-winner faced a setback when she underwent vocal cord surgery. And she revealed that she had to quit drinking to save her voice. 

Meghan Trainor said needing surgery felt like a ‘slap in the face’ 

meghan trainor
Meghan Trainor performs onstage during 2018 BLI Summer Jam at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on June 15, 2018 in Wantagh, New York. | Kevin Kane/Getty Images

Trainor rose to fame in 2013, with her hit single, “All About That Bass.” The chart-topping song, and her 2014 EP, Title, made her an international sensation. 

With that fame and success came a rigorous schedule and back-to-back performances. But the intense workload took a toll on Trainor’s mental and physical health. 

“My health couldn’t keep up,* she told CNN’s Chris Wallace. “I got bronchitis all the time. I was so sick and didn’t know how to take care of myself.” 

The strain on the singer/songwriter’s throat resulted in a vocal cord hemorrhage. And in 2015, she underwent the first of two procedures to fix it. 

“It was a big slap in the face,” she admitted in an interview with People. “I have to be more strict and try not to get sick, even though it’s hard with the schedules. I was trying my best, so it’s just sleep is very difficult. It’s hard to sleep on a moving bus. You gotta learn and get more tricks and try to be healthy.”

In 2017, Trainor had surgery for her vocal cords again. She’s since released three albums — Treat Myself (2020), A Very Trainor Christmas (2020), and Takin’ It Back (2022).

Meghan Trainor had to quit drinking to save her voice 

Trainor is doing whatever she can to keep herself healthy. And as she revealed to People, that includes giving up drinking. 

“It really shocks you and puts you in place,” she admitted. “I stopped drinking — I know it hurts your cords. I don’t ever smoke anything, I drink a lot of water and I started eating healthier and working out more.”

“Now mentally and physically, it’s proven to work,” she continued. “So, I’m gonna keep doing that.”

Meghan Trainor is extra careful with her schedule too

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Trainor was at her peak and ready to go on tour when she had her first surgery. And she recalled fearing it would lead to the end of her career. 

“It was scary,” Trainor told People. “It’s another time of like, ‘I’m going to take away all your hopes and dreams for a second, put it on pause and see if they come back.”

The singer realized that she was pushing herself to the detriment of her health. So she and her team now make a conscious effort to keep her healthy. 

“We just kept saying ‘We’re never doing this again, we’re never doing this again,” Trainor noted. “My team is extra careful now with my schedule now to make sure I have the day off after a long day of interviews and promo because I told them, ‘It seems like after every album cycle, I just have surgery.'” 

“I can’t live like that because I’m putting out albums the rest of my life,” she added. “I can’t be doing surgery every year!”

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