Meghan Trainor is not responsible for eradicating fatphobia. But her fans also have a right to be upset
I remember exactly where I was the first time I watched the music video for Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’. It was 2014, and I was at home on my family’s desktop computer—doomscrolling YouTube, likely in an attempt to swerve a highly pointless Physics GCSE mock test. As a 15-year-old desperately struggling (as so many teenage girls do) to be okay with my size, Trainor’s anthem of body positivity did bits for my brain chemistry. Back then, the male gaze was king, so any song promising girls that having thick thighs could still knab them a man was heaven-sent. I’d argue that it’s the power and meaning behind this very message that’s now prompted such an intense backlash to Trainor’s evident weight-loss.
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The thing is, it wasn’t just Trainor’s lyrics that spoke to young girls, it was her very existence as a mid-size queen. We still had four years to wait before Lizzo’s ‘Good as Hell’ hit the shelves, so for so many of us, Meghan’s presence on the pop girl circuit meant a whole lot.
But what about now? Ten years on, and fans are grappling with a new Trainor, one who, in the pursuit of a different lifestyle, has subsequently alienated many of her fans. During a recent concert, Trainor changed the iconic lyrics of ‘All About That Bass’ from “it’s pretty clear, I ain’t no size two” to “it’s pretty clear, I got some new boobs.”
@jessie_forth #musicontiktok #music #wangotango #allaboutthebass #singing #meghantrainor #fyp #foryou #viralvideos #viral
♬ original sound - Jess 💕
After a video of this moment onstage made its way onto TikTok, some fans immediately began expressing their upset and disappointment. One netizen wrote: “this song doesn’t hit the way it used to,” while another noted: “you became everything you used to criticize.”
On one of Trainor’s recent Instagram posts, one fan commented: “When I was in high school, you made my friends and I feel like it was OK to be normal girls with normal bodies. But if even you are conforming to the pressures of unrealistic beauty standards then what hope do the rest of us have? I know it’s not fair to put that kind of pressure on a stranger. But this is just devastating. It’s like we’re never gonna be good enough.”
Meghan Trainor once built her brand on celebrating body positivity and rejecting “stick-figure” ideals. Now she’s using weight loss medication to get closer to that same look? As someone who’s always been thin, it’s a little disheartening to see the narrative flip. At the end of… https://t.co/vxdfrEPaxQ pic.twitter.com/8yuPZ6j2yc
— Nova Neon (@NovaNeonLive) April 12, 2025
@curseofcassie idk i just be yapping
♬ All About That Bass - Meghan Trainor
However, there were a number of others who emphasised that the entire point of the song is body acceptance and loving yourself for who you are, irrespective of size. Trainor has every right to embrace her body and feel confident in herself, even if her shape is different to when she first penned this song.
People who decide to go online and drag the singer down, insinuating that changes she’s made has now resulted in her looking “60” and unattractive, are evidently dealing with far deeper issues themselves. But, what’s new?
“She looks 60”
Fans outraged after “fake” Meghan Trainor shows off Barbie makeover after weight loss and plastic surgery, even changing lyrics to ‘All About That Bass’ on stage
(link below ⬇️) pic.twitter.com/oNRpKOLwCd
— Bored Panda (@boredpanda) May 13, 2025
After seeing a barrage of comments and questions from fans in her comment section, Trainor addressed the weight loss recently on Instagram.
The singer wrote: “No, I don’t look like I did 10 years ago. I’ve been on a journey to be the healthiest, strongest version of myself for my kids and for me. I’ve worked with a dietician, made huge lifestyle changes, started exercising with a trainer, and yes, I used science and support (shoutout to Mounjaro!) to help me after my 2nd pregnancy. And I’m so glad I did because I feel great.”
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Mounjaro is an injectable weight loss medication that was originally marketed to treat type 2 diabetes. However, in recent years there have been increasingly high reports of celebrities and public figures using this drug, alongside the exceedingly popular injection Ozempic, to lose weight.
We’re currently living through an incredibly toxic time, one where weight-loss injections have become as popular as reality TV show reunion episodes. And while there’s of course an argument to be made regarding individuals, women in particular, to have the choice to do whatever they would like to their own bodies to feel confident and content, this trend has inadvertently prompted a massive regression.
Celebrating thinness on such an extreme scale in the public realm naturally means that anyone who does not fit that mould becomes an immediate target for abuse and harassment. So, while Trainor has every right to do as she pleases, the feeling of fear that comes with losing these idols and public figures who helped young girls feel accepted and valid is extremely crippling.
Eradicating fatphobia is not Meghan Trainor’s responsibility. It’s not any single woman’s responsibility. However, her weight loss has triggered an important conversation.
