All About That Bass

On June 30, 2014, a 20-year-old from Nantucket released a debut single that would redefine pop's conversation about body image. Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass" blended retro doo-wop with a hip-hop-inflected bounce, built around an upright bass groove and handclaps. The song was co-written with Kevin Kadish, who had the title jotted in his notebook before their November 2013 session. Recorded at Carriage House in Nolensville, Tennessee, and Sun Mountain Studios in Boiceville, New York, the track was born from Trainor's own struggles with seeing photos of herself and her desire to write something that celebrated curves.

Critics were split. Many praised the catchy production and self-acceptance message, calling it a body image anthem. Others argued the lyrics framed body positivity in a way that could feel exclusionary to thinner listeners. Trainor defended the song, saying she wrote it for her own insecurities and would never shame anyone. The debate didn't slow its momentum. It earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and became the best-selling song by a female artist in the US during the 2010s. The RIAA certified it Diamond, and it sold 11 million copies globally in 2014 alone, topping charts in 58 countries.

The music video, directed by Fatima Robinson and released June 11, 2014, leaned into a 1950s aesthetic with pastel pink backdrops, vintage dresses, and sassy choreography. It racked up hundreds of millions of views and became a cultural reference point. The song inspired covers by The Roots and Pentatonix's Avi Kaplan, and Trainor performed it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the CMA Awards with Miranda Lambert, and The X Factor UK. She included it on every tour set list from 2015 through 2024, cementing its status as a defining hit of the decade. [edit]