How Meghan Trainor finally came to embrace the mad machine of success

A more mature and content Meghan Trainor on the beautiful benefits of hindsight – and finding joy in her life now.

It’s been a decade since Meghan Trainor smashed on to the global charts with her breakthrough hit, All About That Bass.

And despite her success since, she says hindsight is a beautiful thing.

“I finally feel like I know what is going on,” she declared to Insider.

“I was just being dragged everywhere and I had no idea what I was doing, and was always sick and alone,” she says of her early days in the game.

“Now I’m happily married with two perfect babies, and I have the greatest team in the world and the best support from my family and my team. And my schedule is almost normal and I feel very lucky in that we’re crushing it and we’re happy while doing it.

“So it’s different now.”

US singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor at the American Music Awards in 2022. Many artists don’t often speak so candidly about the mad machine of success. Picture: Lisa O'Connor/AFP

Many artists don’t often speak so candidly about the mad machine of success. Despite going No.1 all around the world – from Germany to Bulgaria and, of course, the US – Trainor was not happy.

“Every interview was like, what’s it like, you’ve made it? And I was like, ‘I’m sick and I’m alone and I don’t know what city I am in. It was just too much too fast. I was 19 years old and had no idea what was going on. Now I’m 30 and here we are.

Meghan Trainor was an Australian Idol judge in 2023. Picture: Seven

“There’s a couple of things I wish I didn’t do but I am me today because of those things. I would have hugged her and (said), ‘hold on, all your dreams are going to come true, don’t even worry’.”

But she’s warning fans she won’t be following Taylor Swift’s lead when it comes to touring. The American hit maker says she will keep her concerts at the industry standard 90 minutes, compared with Swift and Beyonce’s 2½ to 3 hour stadium spectaculars.

“I’m not going to do three hours because I can’t handle that – so don’t expect a long-long show, but I will give you a good hour and a half.”

Swift played an extraordinarily high energy non-stop three-hour show when she brought her Eras tour to Australia in February.

“She is setting the bar too high,” Trainor laughs. “Her and Beyonce out there for like three hours and I am like, ‘no I won’t do it’. I can’t, I am gonna cry. I can’t do that.”

Trainor is yet to lock in Australian dates for her The Timeless Tour that kicks off in Cincinnati, US, on September 4. She will be supported by Natasha Bedingfield and Trainor’s social media star mate Chris Olsen.

“I am trying to make a dance party,” she continues. “Don’t come at me for my dance skills but I’m going to rehearse a lot. I’m going to sing, I’m going to play instruments, I want to do it all. I want to put on a good show that when people go they are like, ‘that was worth it’.”

Trainor chatted to Insider via Zoom to promote her new single, Been Like This, the first release from her upcoming album, Timeless.

Been Like This, with T-Pain, is the first single from Meghan Trainor’s new album, Timeless.

The Grammy Award-winner playfully flits between an Aussie and American accent, having brushed up on our slang while living in Sydney filming as a judge on the 2023 season of Australian Idol.

It is her candid way of speaking that has endeared Trainor to fans on social media, where she has amassed close to 20 million followers on TikTok alone. While some find social media difficult to navigate, it is a safe space for Trainor.

“I used to think I was not good at it but then I popped off on TikTok and figured it out,” she explains.

“It was a place where I could be myself and talk about my insecurities out and open, and people will relate to me; or talk about my mental health and people can relate; or dance and shake my booty. I love it here. I found my little community there and everyone is really nice and sweet.”

Trainor gave birth to her second son, Barry Bruce, in July last year. She is married to actor Daryl Sabara, of Spy Kids movie fame, and they were already parents to son, Riley.

There has not been a lot of downtime between having a baby and working on new music.

US singer Meghan Trainor and husband actor Daryl Sabara. Picture: Valerie Macon/AFP

“This video is the hardest I’ve done in a while because that chandelier, I had to get on top of it and hold on for dear life, no harness,” she explained of the clip for Been Like This, a collaboration with T-Pain.

“That outfit was so hard because it was literally broken pieces on my body, the bodysuit, so whenever I took a break the pieces would slam into my skin and I literally went home bleeding. I gave it 110 per cent.

“It came out even better than I thought it could. So I’m very happy with it.

“T-Pain was dripping sweat after every single take. He gave me his whole heart and soul and energy – watching your hero work that hard for you, I was sobbing, I couldn’t believe it.”

Physically, Trainor is looking and feeling phenomenal.

“I just had a C-section and now he’s eight months old but, like, we’re still recovering,” she said, playing down the compliment. “I was nervous to jump back in but the songs were ready and it is feeling good now.”

Trainor works out four times a week and eats “healthy for my body”.

“I’m crushing life. I’m doing great, and I’m only going to get stronger. I’m learning how to workout better, and it’s crazy when you learn how to lift weights … your body transforms. If anyone’s having a baby, get fit dude because I’ve got to lift these kids and they are so heavy.”

The family will travel with her when she takes the Timeless tour around the world.

Australia, she said, will be on the tour. “They have been the nicest to me my entire career,” she said of her Down Under connection.

Meghan Trainor’s new single – Been Like This – is out now. Her album, Timeless, is slated for release in June