DocumentaLy 6,033 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 If 2013 was the “Year Of The Selfieâ€, 2014 is the “Year Of The Bootyâ€, then my bet is on 2015 to be the “Year Of The Average-To-Small Penisâ€. Maybe when we run out of body parts to obsess over we’ll be forced to enter a calendar that features the “Year Of Humility†and the “Year Of Team Management Skillsâ€, but we’re still a far cry from a world where appearance ranks second best, so bums it is, then. From Nicki Minaj to Iggy Azalea and J-Lo, this is clearly the year that the music industry unanimously decided batty fat was the hot ticket to quick sales (“big figures†pun, anybody?). Vogue even went with the headline “Dawn Of The Butt†recently, and when a fashion powerhouse which mainly features people whose cellulite is only visible when it has been grafted onto their face embraces the curve – albeit as a fleeting trend – it is undeniable: the butt means business, literally. But behind every great butt is a great PR strategy, which is where Meghan Trainor comes in. For a song that bolsters bigness, Meghan Trainor’s pro-arse anthem “All About That Bass†appeared out of relatively thin air. Released in the US on June 30, the of the Candy Crush generation currently has around 122 million views and managed to rack up an impressive 1.17 million streams in the last week of September alone. It wasn’t released in the UK until October 5, but because digital streams are now factored into the UK charts (with 100 streams equal to one single sale) “All About That Bass†entered at #33 before it was even available to buy, making it the first song to reach the UK Top 40 without a single physical or digital sale. Unsurprisingly, the inclusion of sales figures the following week then pushed it straight to #1. It’s 2014 and absolutely nobody is shocked by the very modern phenomenon that is somebody becoming internationally famous overnight, but while the celebrity status of people like Rebecca Black and the Chris Crocker is confined firmly within a collection of soundbites and screencaps, Meghan Trainor has managed to legitimately break into the UK market, which isn’t that easy for a non-UK artist to do (hence why we got her single three months after its American debut). US chart music is packed full of sassy southern belles but “All About That Bass†is the first Southern-sounding record to successfully chart in the UK since Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long†(although Meghan herself is faking, she was raised in New England). How has this previously unknown 20-year-old somehow made it from small-town obscurity to the top of the UK charts within the space of a summer? As is the case with anything that appears to drop from nowhere and crush everything around it, “All About That Bass†actually took its sweet old time to be released. Rarely does somebody go from nothing to number one without a quietly calculated combination of shrewd PR and good timing. The song was written by Trainor herself, but she spent months trying to flog it to everybody in the music industry, which was of course fruitless because to pull off this song without sounding like a condescending prick you have to be packing some bounce, and nobody in the music industry is beyond a size 2 except Adele, whose personal brand does not lend itself to rap-infused breakdowns. Eventually, Epic Records picked up on it and Trainor performed the single herself. It’s a bit uncomfortable really because she’s not exactly “fatâ€. Nobody in the video is, apart from the one comically obese guy enlisted to dance fabulously. At a push, they’re the demographic of women who might purchase a slimming girdle or some body shaping tights. It’s all very Bridget Jones and, as such, many have flagged it up as problematic. As Trainor has said herself, the song and the video go pretty much hand-in-hand in terms of appeal. She has written a song that tries to spell out Beth Ditto’s entire existence, and the commercial appeal of specific songs that say “HEY! IT’S OK TO BE THIS TYPE OF WAY!†tends to eclipse the commercial appeal of artists who say that every day in everything they do. Not that comparing pop stars gets anyone anywhere, but of all the artists praising the power of the curve lately, of course the one to go straight to #1 in both the UK and the US is a white girl dressed in all-pastel colours busting the kind of choreography year 2 schoolgirls would invent on the playground. Why? Because it’s fun, it’s safe and it’s easily palatable. It doesn’t require any thought because, despite being the national anthem for so-called body positivity, the only thing challenging about “All About That Bass†is the fact that Trainor is not unreasonably thin; she’s just a normal sized woman. And that is obviously great because she’s helping to provide a much-needed balance to a culture of impossible standards, regardless of whether or not she intended to do so (remember that the song was never meant for her). But saying that it’s cool to be curvy isn’t much of a sincere message when it’s constantly qualified by statements like “Boys like a little more booty to hold at night†and “I got that boom boom that all the boys chase/ And all the right junk in all the right placesâ€. There’s no real point in disputing the feminist politics of a woman who has openly rejected feminism, but ultimately the reasons “All That Bass†went to #1 are no different to those that propelled “Blurred Lines†to the same spot. Both are minimal yet undeniably catchy pop songs that fall completely in line with the status quo approach to women’s bodies as something to be judged and sexualised. At best, it’s an uplifting message about loving yo’self or whatever and that’s cool, but it sucks that time and time again the only messages about women we are willing to celebrate or take seriously are the ones that come from white, middle class women that most parents (and men) feel comfortable with (read: not threatened by). “All That Bass†is musically great, just as “Blurred Lines†is musically great (sorry everyone), but content-wise both are equally guilty of flippantly re-enforcing a point of view that is easily sold, because it’s exactly what people want to hear. Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloupsidou 2,047 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 skinny shaming song Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazeaire 5,629 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Ngl I looove that song despite the repetitive chorus lol This is my fav cover of it though and yas for bringing booty back edit: That Mika song though! used to be my jammmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ccynd 912 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I had to look her up, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobofet 813 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 she needs to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIM£ 2,060 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STORM 7,555 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 The people who become famous boggles me sometimes. What happened to real talent and good music? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhaleWhisper 5,249 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 All about that bass is southern sounding????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gayness 2,400 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 more like one hit wonder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denizen mars 5,911 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 skinny shaming song Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels itt: people who didn't read the article and want an excuse to hate on fat people The people who become famous boggles me sometimes. What happened to real talent and good music? you're a kpop fan, time to quit while you're ahead. yeah so you could write this about most pop music. aggressive marketing + catchy hook + populist message that only offends a few hard-to-please folks = does well in the charts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LO�OΠΔ 132 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 The people who become famous boggles me sometimes. What happened to real talent and good music? Lets not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STORM 7,555 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 itt: people who didn't read the article and want an excuse to hate on fat people you're a kpop fan, time to quit while you're ahead. yeah so you could write this about most pop music. aggressive marketing + catchy hook + populist message that only offends a few hard-to-please folks = does well in the charts. I only really listen to BEAST and some other Kpop songs that are lyrical. I stay away from popular music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellshia 3,438 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I don't get it either. The song itself was plagiarized! if a slim woman made a song about how she's happy being slim and loving herself for being slim and trim, I'm sure she'd have gotten flak for 'shaming fat people by glorifying skinniness'. I'd have been OK with it if she spoke about how she's comfortable being plus sized and is not bothered by societal standards of beauty but subtly shaming anyone who isn't like her is just a no-no for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjj 436 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I still can't get over that this song is allegedly plagarized by a korean song. That was the first time I heard about this song and now I can't help but remember that everytime I hear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellshia 3,438 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Ngl I looove that song despite the repetitive chorus lol This is my fav cover of it though and yas for bringing booty back edit: That Mika song though! used to be my jammmm wow that girl is so pretty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gayness 2,400 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 All about that bass is southern sounding????? yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazeaire 5,629 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 wow that girl is so pretty Ya, she's probably my fav youtube 'singer' She can rap too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloupsidou 2,047 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 itt: people who didn't read the article and want an excuse to hate on fat people you're a kpop fan, time to quit while you're ahead. yeah so you could write this about most pop music. aggressive marketing + catchy hook + populist message that only offends a few hard-to-please folks = does well in the charts. I don't give a fuck about the article, the song lyrics include You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll I'm bringing booty back Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashelin 2,418 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Personally I don't find the song catchy at all. It's a boring song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhaleWhisper 5,249 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 yes no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRS Chaebol 196 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I went to school with the dude whose in her video. Not the fat guy dancing, the guy whose supposed to be her bf or something lol. Everyone, literally EVERYONE I knew played that song left and right since he was in the music video. I really don't like that song and I don't mean to sound like an assh0le but I feel like she's gonna be like PSY here in the US. A one hit wonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAY 7,630 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I fucking hate this unbearable basic bitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regina 8,123 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 What is this song copied from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord of the Bitch 888 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 OK, so 2014 is the year for big butts, I hope 2015 would be the year for big testicles, I'm waiting for testic-twerks dance become viral, lmao.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Universe 3,334 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Dafuq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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