Released May 10, 2019
5.5 / 10
In the lead up to her third studio album, Meghan Trainor dropped a single for the movie "The Hustle" starring Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson. "Badass Woman" has an anthemic quality that's hard to shake off; a smart choice for ending credits that are bound to stick. Throughout, the title is repeated again and again... and again, sounding - and again - either cringe or light-hearted - and again - depending on your disposition. The message is simple, lyrics are simple, the melody is meant to play on a galvanizing loop - especially since it opens with the chorus, to garner longer streaming times and launch the song into orbit without missing a beat. Vocals spring out of nowhere, harmonizing with her vocoded self as she will through a good part of the song. The cooldown that follows lets Meghan's tone shine before leading into the rest of a song whose sound is no stranger to Justin Timberlake's more recent catalog. The main attraction is production of the vocals, with remarkable overlays and ever-so-satisfying harmonies. The big downside is that harmony variations do not suffice to overcome the monotony of the resounding chorus. I also hold the elements borrowed from EDM responsible for lowering the taste level of "Badass Woman". I think it's fair to say Meghan Trainor is still an overlooked singer in the pop stardom sphere despite a huge media presence: is it her discography's fault for not taking her out the purgatory she's been consigned to since she broke out on the scene with "All About That Bass" or is there another reason keeping her on the edge of the Styx?
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