Timeless (Meghan Trainor album)

Timeless is the sixth major-label studio album by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor. Epic Records released it on June 7, 2024. Trainor worked with producers including Federico Vindver, Gian Stone, Grant Boutin, and Jason Evigan. Featured artists include T-Pain, Lawrence, and Niecy Nash. It is a doo-wop and bubblegum pop album with club beats and influences of dance-pop and R&B. The album has a message of self-empowerment, women's empowerment, and positive self-talk, inspired by Trainor's family, motherhood, and experiences in the music industry.

Trainor has promoted Timeless with public appearances and televised performances on programs such as Today and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. After its release, she will embark on her first concert tour in over seven years, The Timeless Tour (2024), in the United States. The album has been supported by three singles, "Been Like This", a collaboration with T-Pain, "To the Moon", and "Whoops". Critics believed it combined genres from Trainor's previous music in a more intense manner, and they discussed the songwriting. Timeless debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard 200 with Trainor's best sales week since 2020. The album also reached number 12 in the United Kingdom and number 23 in Australia.

Background
Meghan Trainor's popularity declined in the lead-up to the release of her third major-label studio album, Treat Myself (2020), which received limited live promotion due to the COVID-19 lockdowns. After her 2014 song "Title" attained viral popularity on video-sharing service TikTok in 2021, she announced her intention to return to its parent album's doo-wop sound on her fifth major-label studio album. TikTok was highly influential on Trainor's creative process, and she began writing material that would resonate with audiences on it. She gained popularity on the service while regularly sharing clips and other content with influencer Chris Olsen. Her 2022 album Takin' It Back included the single "Made You Look", which went viral on TikTok. It became Trainor's first song since 2016 to enter the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 10 in several other countries.

Recording and production
Trainor hosted producer Gian Stone in an episode of her podcast Workin' on It in March 2023, during which she announced that she had one more album left in her contract with Epic Records. She was considering recording country songs for it at the time. Producers of Timeless include Federico Vindver, Stone, Grant Boutin, Trainor's brother Justin, and Jason Evigan. Both Vindver and Stone had served as producers on Takin' It Back, and the former produced three tracks for Trainor's Christmas album A Very Trainor Christmas (2020).

Trainor had been a fan of the American singer and rapper T-Pain for years, having previously cited him as an inspiration in a 2014 interview. Reciprocating this, he began seeking out the help of her husband, Daryl Sabara, and her manager to bring about a meeting in 2023. T-Pain surprised Trainor at her 30th birthday celebration, where they ate pizza and played each other unreleased music. Subsequently, he appeared on two songs on Timeless. After Trainor had written many self-confidence songs for the album, she ran out of inspiration. Her manager sent her a speech by Niecy Nash, which inspired one of the final tracks conceived, and she appeared as a feature on it.

Trainor chose Timeless as the album title due to her wanting to live forever for her children: "I want to live. Like, 'Wow. We're so lucky, we're here. We have all this time together.'" She believed the album was her best material, consisting of "a lot of self-help pop bangers" and "some really soulful songs". Trainor's intention with it was to make listeners happy: "If they're feeling down about themselves, I hope that my song can try to change their energy and their inner thoughts, hopefully, to make them feel a little better [...] So I hope I'm making people dance and making people happy." In the accompanying statement, Trainor rejoiced the 10-year anniversary of her career and dedicated Timeless to her fans and family.

Overview
The standard edition of Timeless contains 16 tracks; on physical editions, the track "Bite Me" is exclusive to the Target version. The album predominantly has a doo-wop and bubblegum pop sound, with club beats and influences of dance-pop and R&B. Benjamin Jack of Sputnikmusic described its predominant style as "doo-wop infrastructure charged with modern pop hallmarks", while Riff's Mike DeWald thought it is strictly embedded in pop but signs of doo-wop and classic vocal standards are found throughout it. Lyrically, Timeless has a message of self-empowerment and positive self-talk found in Trainor's earlier music, inspired by her family, motherhood, and experiences in the music industry. She presents a feminist point of view on dating and emotional detachment in relationships, placing emphasis on the consequences of men's actions and societal misogyny with a theme of women's empowerment.

Songs
The opening track, "To the Moon", is a minor key 1960s-style torch song which incorporates brass instrumentation, a compact groove, and club beats with space-themed lyrics inspired by Trainor's son's love of space and rocket ships. "Been Like This", a collaboration with T-Pain, begins with a jazz-influenced intro and transitions into a trumpet melody, combining doo-wop with contemporary influences and Charleston. According to DeWald, "Crowded Room" has the same "brassy sway" as Trainor's 2014 single "All About That Bass", but its harmonized vocals are distinct and "more quiet and intimate". The fourth track, "Whoops", is a pop-doo-wop break-up song with influences of R&B, on which Trainor quaintly addresses an ex-partner and derides the woman who he cheated on her with.

"Crushin'" is a pop song with a covert rhythm and many vocals, which features American band Lawrence and lyrically details how the narrator has a crush on themself. The girl group-influenced "I Wanna Thank Me" is about self-love and encourages listeners to prioritize their mental health; it samples Nash's acceptance speech at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, where she thanked herself, incorporating background vocals from her wife and daughter. The seventh track, "Love On Hold", features Auto-Tuned vocals from T-Pain over a more modern production than "Been Like This". Trainor wrote "Forget How to Love" with her brothers a week after having a caesarean section, addressing the increase in online hate and someone who made her feel undeserving. The ninth track, "Rollin'", has Brill Building production which incorporates strings, bass, and brass instrumentation; in its feminist lyrics influenced by her experiences in the music industry, Trainor addresses society's hypocritical expectations from women and the misogyny and mansplaining they endure from their male counterparts.

"I Don't Do Maybe", which has horn instrumentation and a Latin and Cuban-influenced rhythm, sees Trainor confront a love interest who refuses to commit and demand full commitment from him. Trainor declares that she understands how overwhelmed the subject feels upon falling in love with her and asks him not to be "afraid of gettin' deeper" on "I Get It". On the 12th track, "Sleepin' on Me", she addresses people who have been ignoring her and asks them not to insult her. "Hate It Here" is about having a bad time somewhere and wanting to leave and have a sexual encounter instead. "Bestie" discusses self-love with a theme of friendships over a simplistic production. "Doin' It All for You" is a 1980s synth-pop song about doing things to satisfy a lover. Timeless closes with the title track, a rhythmic ballad inspired by Trainor's death anxiety, which she also wanted to be a "beautiful love song" that could be played at a wedding or used to reminisce a loved one who is away. The Target edition includes the additional track "Bite Me".

Release and promotion
Trainor and T-Pain released "Been Like This" as the lead single from Timeless on March 14, 2024. The same day, she announced the album, titled Timeless, would be released on June 14, 2024, and shared its official artwork on social media. In the cover, Trainor dons lengthy black gloves and cobalt blue tights. "Been Like This" was sent for radio airplay in Italy on March 22, and it charted at number 40 in the United Kingdom and number 51 in Ireland. The second single, "To the Moon" was released on May 3, 2024, accompanied by a music video which featured appearances by Sabara, their son, Nash, Olsen, and influencers Brookie and Jessie. Trainor performed the songs during the 22nd season of American Idol on May 5.

Epic Records released the album on June 7, 2024. The same day, Trainor performed "Whoops" and a medley of "Been Like This" with "To the Moon" on Today. Initially waiting for one of the songs to gain popularity on TikTok, the label sent "Whoops" to radio stations as the third single on June 24. A music video for the song was released on June 10, 2024, depicting her dancing in an empty room and destroying furniture with a baseball bat. The following day, Trainor reprised it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She sang "I Wanna Thank Me" during iHeartRadio's Can't Cancel Pride 2024, and "Been Like This" and "Whoops" at Capital's Summertime Ball 2024. Timeless will be supported by Trainor's first headlining concert tour in over seven years, The Timeless Tour, which will begin in Cincinnati in September 2024 and conclude in Inglewood, California, in October 2024. Natasha Bedingfield, Olsen, Paul Russell, and her brother Ryan will serve as special guests.

Critical reception
Critics analyzed Timeless in the context of Trainor's previous material. DeWald believed that though she had always combined different genres in her music, the album featured "classic sounds" and the synthesis felt more intense. AllMusic's Matt Collar thought Trainor borrowed a bit from all musical styles she had tried in the past, hitting several stylistic notes that popularized her, and delivered a "frothy, confident, mixtape of an album". Jack described the album as a clear improvement from Takin' It Back, but he opined that it was devoid of a true sense of direction, and though Trainor leaned into the modern aspect of her sound, it was not interesting enough for a whole album.

They also commented on the songwriting and lyricism of Timeless. Collar believed that though doo-wop can be a whimsical and pastiche genre, the album was intelligently written and filled with melodic hooks that accentuate Trainor's talents as a pop songwriter as well as singer. DeWald thought it offered her brand new perspective after becoming a mother, placing emphasis on her family, and was consistently fresh throughout its duration. South China Morning Post's Rhea Saxena praised Timeless and believed it would empower young women to resist sexism and toxic relationships. On the other hand, Jack opined that poor lyricism and incohesion kept the album's friendly focus below its aspirations and the repetitive theme of love created redundancy. Though he considered that it displayed "flashes of songwriting prowess", they were adumbrated by the production, doo-wop style, and "low points".

Commercial performance
Upon its release, Timeless was the third-highest debut of the week in the United States and Australia. In the former, the album debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200. It sold 12,000 copies, including 3,000 vinyls, which constituted Trainor's biggest sales week since 2020 and her best week in vinyl sales. Timeless entered at number 48 on the Canadian Albums Chart. The album reached number 23 in Australia, becoming her fourth-highest peak on the chart. It became Trainor's third-highest charting album in the UK and debuted at number 12, 55 positions higher than Takin' It Back. Timeless charted at number 55 in Austria, number 97 in Switzerland, and number 158 in Belgium.

Track listing
Notes
 * $undefined$ signifies an additional producer
 * $undefined$ signifies a vocal producer

Personnel
Musicians


 * Meghan Trainor – lead vocals, background vocals (all tracks); percussion (track 7)
 * Federico Vindver – programming (tracks 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 16, 17), keyboards (1, 3, 6, 9, 11), electric guitar (3, 11), guitar (17), Mellotron (3), piano (6, 11, 16), drums (6, 17)
 * Gian Stone – programming (tracks 2, 4, 10, 13, 16), background vocals (2, 4, 10, 13), keyboards (10, 12), electric guitar (10, 14), percussion (10)
 * Grant Boutin – programming (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 14, 15), background vocals (2, 4, 7, 12, 15), keyboards (4, 12, 14); electric guitar, percussion (7)
 * T-Pain – lead vocals, background vocals (tracks 2, 7)
 * Kurt Thum – programming (track 2)
 * Jesse McGinty – trumpet (tracks 3, 6, 9–11, 16, 17), tuba (3, 6, 9, 11), trombone (3, 9–11, 16, 17), tenor saxophone (6, 9, 11, 16, 17), baritone saxophone (6, 11, 16, 17), euphonium (6), flugelhorn (9), saxophone (10, 16)
 * Sean Douglas – background vocals (track 4), keyboards (5)
 * Clyde Lawrence – background vocals, bass, organ, piano (track 5)
 * Gracie Lawrence – lead vocals, background vocals (track 5)
 * Jonny Koh – guitar (track 5)
 * Jordan Cohen – saxophone, trumpet (track 5)
 * Dia La Ren Nash – background vocals (track 6)
 * Jessica Betts – background vocals (6)
 * Niecy Nash – lead vocals, background vocals (track 6)
 * Justin Trainor – background vocals (tracks 7, 8, 12, 13, 15), programming (13, 15, 17)
 * Daryl Sabara – background vocals (tracks 7, 8, 13, 15)
 * Ryan Trainor – background vocals (tracks 7, 8, 15)
 * Scott Hoying – background vocals (tracks 8, 16)
 * Jason Evigan – background vocals (track 10)
 * Parris Fleming – trumpet (track 10)
 * Guillermo Vadalá – bass (tracks 11, 16)
 * Davide Rossi – cello, viola, violin (tracks 11, 17)
 * Scott Harris – electric guitar (track 12)
 * Steph Jones – background vocals (track 13)
 * Chris Gelbuda – background vocals, electric guitar (track 15)
 * Karl Feher – drums (track 16)

Technical
 * Randy Merrill – mastering
 * Tom Norris – mixing (tracks 1–9, 11–16)
 * Jeremie Inhaber – mixing (track 10)
 * Justin Trainor – engineering (tracks 1–3, 5–16)
 * Federico Vindver – engineering (tracks 1, 3, 6, 9, 11), arrangement (1)
 * T-Pain – engineering (tracks 2, 7)
 * Brian Starley – engineering (tracks 3, 6, 9, 11)
 * Gian Stone – engineering (track 4)
 * Grant Boutin – engineering (track 4)
 * Meghan Trainor – vocal arrangement (track 8)
 * Scott Hoying – vocal arrangement (track 8)