All About That Bass
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"All About That Bass" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter
Meghan Trainor Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
, released on June 30, 2014, through Epic Records. The song was included on Trainor's debut
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
(EP) ''
Title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
'' (2014) and her debut studio album of the same name (2015). Written by Trainor and producer
Kevin Kadish Kevin Kadish (born 1971) is an American songwriter and record producer. He co-wrote, produced, and mixed the 2014 Diamond certified (10x platinum) single "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboar ...
, "All About That Bass" is a bubblegum pop, doo-wop and hip hop track. Trainor, who as a teenager struggled with her negative body image, was inspired to write the song to promote self-acceptance. Some music critics praised "All About That Bass" production and memorable message, while others called it a
novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and wit ...
and criticized the failure of its lyrics to empower every body type. The song was nominated for awards, including
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and Song of the Year at the
57th Annual Grammy Awards The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
. It was the best-selling song by a female artist during the 2010s in the United States, and was certified
Diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...
by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also reached number one in 58 countries and received multi-platinum certifications in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Spain, and the United Kingdom, becoming the fourth best-selling song of 2014 with 11 million copies sold worldwide.
Fatima Robinson Fatima Robinson (born August 29, 1971) is an American dancer, music video director and choreographer. Career Robinson has choreographed dance routines (for live performances and music videos) for several musical and pop artists, notably for th ...
directed the song's
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
, which features 1950s-inspired aesthetics and a pink pastel backdrop. The video was released on June 10, 2014, and played an important role in the song's rise to prominence. "All About That Bass" inspired
parodies A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
and
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s. Trainor performed the song on television shows such as ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'',
Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...
, and '' The X Factor UK'', and included it on the
set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
s of her concert tours
That Bass Tour That Bass Tour was the first headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor. It was launched in support of her debut major-label studio album ''Title'' (2015), and visited North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. The tour ...
and
MTrain Tour The MTrain Tour was the second North America headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor to support of her 2015 debut major-label studio album ''Title''. The tour was announced in March 2015, with dates being released a ...
(2015), and The Untouchable Tour (2016).


Background

After independently releasing three albums herself between 2009 and 2010,
Meghan Trainor Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
decided to write songs for other singers because she considered herself "one of the chubby girls who would never be an artist". In 2012, she signed a publishing deal with Big Yellow Dog Music, a
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
-based music publishing firm, and moved to Nashville the following November. American songwriter
Kevin Kadish Kevin Kadish (born 1971) is an American songwriter and record producer. He co-wrote, produced, and mixed the 2014 Diamond certified (10x platinum) single "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboar ...
met Trainor in June 2013 at the request of Carla Wallace, a co-owner of Big Yellow Dog. Kadish liked Trainor's voice and booked a writing session with her the following month. He said it was "like a blind date" because they had a strong song-writing affinity and a mutual love of
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...
from the
1950s The 1950s (pronounced nineteen-fifties; commonly abbreviated as the "Fifties" or the " '50s") (among other variants) was a decade that began on January 1, 1950, and ended on December 31, 1959. Throughout the decade, the world continued its re ...
and 1960s. Kadish read a list of potential song titles to Trainor, of which "All Bass, No Treble" was her favorite. Trainor was inspired by her teenage problems with self-acceptance and body image, and suggested these as a basis for the lyrics. She told ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' Kadish had experienced similar problems during his childhood and could relate to these themes. She suggested a
booty Booty may refer to: Music *Booty music (also known as Miami bass or booty bass), a subgenre of hip hop * "Booty" (Jennifer Lopez song), 2014 *Booty (Blac Youngsta song), 2017 * Booty (C. Tangana and Becky G song), 2018 *"Booty", a 1993 song by G ...
theme with "it's about the bass, not the treble". Trainor was also inspired by
Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...
's " Just the Way You Are" (2010), and criticized the use of electronically edited images in beauty magazines. Kadish played a
drum beat A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments. As such a "beat" consists of multiple drum strokes ...
while Trainor sang the
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
, "I'm all about that bass, 'bout the bass, no treble". Kadish and Trainor wanted to incorporate influences of 1950s doo-wop, a genre Trainor found catchy, into the song, which they wrote within 40 minutes. According to Kadish, he and Trainor equally contributed to the lyrics and melody, and Kadish finished the
demo Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
of "All About That Bass" two to three days later. Although both were satisfied with the song, they doubted its commercial prospects. They pitched it to several
record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
s, who said it would not be successful because of its retro-styled composition and wanted to rerecord it using synthesizers, which Kadish and Trainor refused. Trainor sang "All About That Bass" for Paul Pontius, who was the A&R manager for Epic Records chairman L.A. Reid. She performed the song the following week using a
ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
for Reid, who signed her with the record label 20 minutes later. Reid decided that the demo, with additional mastering, should be the song's final cut. Speaking in 2015, he said he considered it "
lightning in a bottle Lightning in a Bottle (LIB) is an annual music festival in the Central Valley region of California first held in 2006. It is presented by The Do LaB, which seeks to promote sustainability, social cohesion, and creative expression. The Do LaB ...
" and realized at their first meeting Trainor "was going to explode".


Composition and lyrical interpretation

"All About That Bass" is three minutes and eight seconds long. The song was produced, engineered, programmed,
sound design Sound design is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including ...
ed, and mixed by Kadish—who also played drums, electric guitar, and bass guitar—at the Carriage House studio in
Nolensville, Tennessee Nolensville is a town in Williamson County, Tennessee. Its population was 13,829 at the 2020 census. It was established in 1797 by William Nolen, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Located in Middle Tennessee, it is about 22 miles south ...
. David Baron played the piano, baritone saxophone, and Hammond organ. Trainor provided the track's
clapping A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), ...
and
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
, and Dave Kutch mastered the recording at the Mastering Palace in New York City. "All About That Bass" is a bubblegum pop, doo-wop and hip hop song. Kelsey McKinney of '' Vox'' characterized it as retro- R&B pop, while '' Slate''s Chris Molanphy described its style as "vintage white-girl, Italo-Latin
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
". The track has a 1950s-inspired throwback soul
beat Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery (c ...
, and influences from 1960s genres—soul-pop,
groove Groove or Grooves may refer to: Music * Groove (music) * Groove (drumming) * The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s * The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station * Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station ...
, Motown bounce and girl group pop. "All About That Bass" includes syncopated handclaps and bass instrumentation. In the song's outro, Trainor alternates between wordless vocal
ad-lib In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation. The r ...
s and a pitched-down echo of "bass, bass, bass" at the end of the chorus mark. She
rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
s some of the lyrics. According to Molanphy, it has "a
scatting In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, the singer improvises melodies and rhythms using the voice as an instrument rather than a speaking medium. ...
tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
and shimmying melody", which has been compared with South Korean group
Koyote Koyote (), also known as KYT is a South Korean co-ed vocal group consisting of members Kim Jong-min, Shin Ji, and Bbaek Ga. The group, which is known for its signature dance and hip hop sound, debuted in 1998 with hit song "Genuine". Since it ...
's song "Happy Mode" (2006) and American band Phish's song "Contact" (1989). The lyrics of "All About That Bass" are a call to embrace inner beauty, and to promote positive body image and self-acceptance. The line "I'm bringing booty back" references Justin Timberlake's "
SexyBack "SexyBack" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake for his second studio album, ''FutureSex/LoveSounds'' (2006). It was released on July 18, 2006, to US mainstream and rhythmic radio stationsRadio single releases . FMQ ...
" (2006). In her song, Trainor criticizes the fashion industry for creating unreachable beauty standards. She affirms the listeners their bodies are flawless, and asks them to "move along" if they are only attracted to thin women. Kevin O'Keeffe of ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' compared its lyrical message to those of Kesha's "
We R Who We R "We R Who We R" is a song by American singer Kesha from her first extended play (EP), '' Cannibal'' (2010). The song was released as the EP's lead single on October 22, 2010. It was written by Kesha, with Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Dr. Luke, Benny ...
" (2010),
Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
's "
Fuckin' Perfect "Fuckin' Perfect" (stylized "Perfect" on the clean version, and as F**kin' Perfect on the main cover) is a song by American singer Pink from her first greatest hits album '' Greatest Hits... So Far!!!'' (2010). It was released on December 14, 201 ...
" (2010), and Sara Bareilles' " Brave" (2013), among others. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''s Caroline Sullivan called "All About That Bass" a 2014 version of
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
's "
Beautiful Beautiful, an adjective used to describe things as possessing beauty, may refer to: Film and theater * ''Beautiful'' (2000 film), an American film directed by Sally Field * ''Beautiful'' (2008 film), a South Korean film directed by Juhn Jai-h ...
" (2002).


Release

"All About That Bass" was released as the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from Trainor's debut
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
(EP) ''
Title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
'' in 2014 and her studio album of the same name the following year. Epic Records released the song for digital download in several countries on June 30, 2014, as Trainor's debut single, and serviced it to radio stations in the United States on the following day. In the United Kingdom, it became available to stream on August 14, and for download on September 28.
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainme ...
sent the track to radio stations in Italy on September 5 and the United Kingdom's
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
added it to its playlist three days later. An EP titled "All About That Bass" was released in Austria, Germany and Switzerland on October 3; it also included the tracks "
Title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
", " Dear Future Husband", and "Close Your Eyes". On the same day, "All About That Bass" was released as a
CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
in Germany with only "Title" as its b-side. As "All About That Bass" began rising in popularity, Radio Disney's vice president of programming Phil Guerini asked Epic to send it a
family-friendly A family-friendly product or service is one that is considered to be suitable for all members of an average family. Family-friendly restaurants are ones that provide service to families that have young children. Frequently, family-friendly produc ...
version of the song with lyrics suitable for all audiences. The record label agreed to this because it wanted to maximize airplay and reach as many radio formats as possible. In the
bowdlerize Expurgation, also known as bowdlerization, is a form of censorship that involves purging anything deemed noxious or offensive from an artistic work or other type of writing or media. The term ''bowdlerization'' is a pejorative term for the practi ...
d version, the line "But I can shake it, shake it, like I'm supposed to do" was replaced with "But Imma make it, make it, like I'm supposed to do"; and the line "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night" became "Boys like the girls for the beauty they hold inside"; it was also used on
adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
radio stations. Trainor and Kadish refused to make this version available for digital download because they believed it would "water down" the original.


Critical reception

Some music critics viewed "All About That Bass" as a
novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and wit ...
. MTV News named it the sixth-best track of 2014, while ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' named it the sixth-worst of that year. Jon Caramanica of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' called it a "shimmery" and "cheeky ..hit" but criticized Trainor's unenthusiastic and drawn-out delivery, and accused her of imitating
black music Black music is a sound created, produced, or inspired by black people, people of African descent, including African music traditions and African popular music as well as the music genres of the African diaspora, including Caribbean music, Lat ...
. Molanphy described the lyrics as "effortlessly memorable" and complimented the production, but worried the misuse of the word "treble" in its lyrics might ruin the word's meaning for a whole generation. The lyrics of "All About That Bass" caused controversy; some critics called the song anti-feminist and accused Trainor of shaming thin women. Kris Ex of ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' said Trainor imitated body standards often used to stereotype black women and appropriated colloquialisms that are associated with African-American Vernacular English. Alexa Camp of '' Slant Magazine'' called the song "faux empowerment" and criticized Trainor for encouraging women to rely on men's opinions for validation. McKinney said some of its lyrics promote a body-positive attitude and high self-worth while others contradict those values by denigrating other women. ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' writer Yomi Adegoke argued the track's substitution of conventional beauty standards with new ones is a poor representation of body positivity, and was insulted by its statement men find only curvy women attractive. In response, Trainor said; "I didn't work this hard to hate on skinny people, I wrote the song to help my body confidence—and to help others". Writing for ''The Guardian'', Sullivan and Beejoli Shah defended "All About That Bass"; Shah suggested critics were reading too much into its lyrics and that "this isn't an academic polemic on modern womanhood: it's a pop song". Ashley White of ''
Florida Today ''Florida Today'' is the major daily newspaper serving Brevard County, Florida. Al Neuharth of the Gannett corporation started the paper in 1966, and some of the things he did with this newspaper presaged what he would later do at USA Today. ...
'' thought the song did not shame thin women, instead interpreting its lyrical message as "no one—skinny, fat or in between—should have to feel uncomfortable or imperfect in their skin". ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
''s Melissa Maerz named "All About That Bass" one of the two best tracks on ''Title'', describing it as a "boomin' booty ode". Shah praised its lyrics and bassline but felt it did not signal a long career for Trainor. Writing for '' Spin'', Dan Weiss called the song a "fluke hit" but noted it was historic and would uplift more listeners than it offended. Sullivan stated that while the track's palatable nature and retro-inspired "cuteness" contributed to its success, the unwavering body-positive message of its lyrics was its biggest appeal. '' Stereogum''s Chris DeVille considered criticisms of the lyrics valid but praised the "pleasant swagger" in Trainor's expressionless delivery and its joyful nature, finding it a clever update on its retro influences.
Yahoo! Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Manage ...
writer Paul Grein called "All About That Bass" one of the greatest and most successful contemporaneous "message songs". Evan Sawdey of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' called the song optimistic, lively, and "absolutely delightful", and concluded that it was one of the most enjoyable songs of 2014.


Accolades

"All About That Bass" reached number 23 on ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
''s annual year-end
Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abs ...
critics' poll of 2014. The song was nominated for Best Song with a Social Message at the
2014 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2014 MTV EMAs (also known as the MTV Europe Music Awards) were held at The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland on 9 November 2014. This was the first time since 2003 when the awards were held in Scotland and the fifth time the United Kingdom has h ...
and for Favorite Song at the
41st People's Choice Awards The 41st People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2014, were held January 7, 2015, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and were broadcast live on CBS at 9:00 pm EST. The ceremony was hosted by Anna Faris an ...
. At the 2015 ''Billboard'' Music Awards, it received three nominations, winning Top Hot 100 Song and Top Digital Song. At the
57th Annual Grammy Awards The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
in 2015, "All About That Bass" was nominated in the categories
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and Song of the Year. The song was also nominated for the
Dorian Awards The Dorian Awards are film and television accolades given by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, founded in 2009 as the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association. GALECA is an association of professional journalists and ...
,
iHeartRadio Music Awards The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a music awards show that celebrates music heard throughout the year across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's digital music platform. Founded by iHeartRadio in 2014, the ev ...
,
LOS40 Music Awards LOS40 Music Awards, formerly known as ''Premios 40 Principales'', is an award show by the musical radio station LOS40. It was created in 2006 to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the worldwide station. History LOS40 is the m ...
, Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards,
Radio Disney Music Awards The Radio Disney Music Awards (RDMA) were an annual awards show operated and governed by Radio Disney, an American radio network. Beginning in 2001, the show was originally broadcast only on Radio Disney, but later began being televised on Disne ...
, and the
Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United ...
.


Chart performance

"All About That Bass" was a
sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little prom ...
; it debuted at number 84 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 issued for July 26, 2014, and reached number one on September 20, making Trainor the 21st female artist in ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart history to do so with her debut single. "All About That Bass" spent eight consecutive weeks at number one, the longest run for a female artist in 2014, and any Epic Records artist in the chart's history. During the first six weeks at number one, the song led an all-female top five, breaking the record for the longest time women occupied the top five. It was also the first debut single to spend at least 15 weeks in the top two and the 10th song to spend 25 weeks in the top 10. "All About That Bass" was the best-selling song by a female artist in the
2010s File:2010s collage v21.png, From top left, clockwise: Anti-government protests called the Arab Spring arose in 2010–2011, and as a result, many governments were overthrown, including when Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was killed; Crimea is ...
, selling 5.8 million digital downloads in the United States. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the song
Diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...
, which denotes 10 million units based on sales and track-equivalent on-demand streams. On the Canadian Hot 100, "All About That Bass" peaked at number one, sold 408,000 copies in the country, and was certified 8× Platinum by Music Canada. In the United Kingdom, "All About That Bass" accumulated 1.17 million local streams and reached number 33 on the singles chart, becoming the first song in the chart's history to reach the top 40 based on streams alone. Following its release for digital download, the song peaked at number one and sold 884,000 copies; the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
(BPI) certified it 2× Platinum. It also reached number one in Australia and New Zealand, attaining 9× Platinum and 3× Platinum certifications respectively, and peaked at number one in 58 other countries, including 12 in Europe. The song also peaked at number two in Belgium (Wallonia), Czech Republic, Israel, Norway, and South Africa; number three in the Netherlands and Sweden; number five in Belgium (Flanders) and Italy; number six in Romania; number eight in Finland and France; and number 10 in Japan. The song received a 4× Platinum certification in Mexico, 3× Platinum in Norway, Sweden, 2× Platinum in Denmark, Italy, Spain, and Platinum in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), "All About That Bass" was the fourth best-selling song of 2014 with 11 million copies sold worldwide.


Music video


Background and concept

Fatima Robinson Fatima Robinson (born August 29, 1971) is an American dancer, music video director and choreographer. Career Robinson has choreographed dance routines (for live performances and music videos) for several musical and pop artists, notably for th ...
directed the
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "All About That Bass". Trainor described Robinson as "the best of the best" and that Robinson made her "a rock star in two days". Trainor wanted to make the video enjoyable to reflect the fun nature of the song. To that end, Robinson suggested using subdued pastel colors, which would popularize the video during summer, and depicting Trainor as an
ingénue The ''ingénue'' (, , ) is a stock character in literature, film and a role type in the theater, generally a girl or a young woman, who is endearingly innocent. ''Ingénue'' may also refer to a new young actress or one typecast in such role ...
doing "booty-bumping dance moves and just shaking it up". Trainor told ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' she considered the caricature "a cartoon" that she only ever intended to portray in the video. She felt pressured to retain the look after the video became popular. The first time Trainor watched the video, she cried because she felt insecure about her appearance in it. As a result, Trainor "edited the crap out of it", changing the scenes in which she thought her face looked awkward, and said the final version made her "look like a pop star". Music website ''
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
'' premiered it on June 10, 2014.
Social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
played an important role in the video's creation and marketing. Robinson cast Sione Kelepi as a dancer after discovering his popular dance videos on social media platform
Vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themsel ...
. Kelepi shared the music video with his followers, which led to initial public interest in the video and it being recommended to more
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
users.


Synopsis

The music video has a 1950s visual theme. Trainor is dressed in a pink sweater and long, white socks; she sings and dances in front of a pink backdrop. In following scenes, she dances with female dancers and exaggerates her facial expressions. Kelepi appears throughout the video; in one scene he
pirouette In dance and gymnastics, a turn is a rotation of the body about the vertical axis. It is usually a complete rotation of the body, although quarter (90°) and half (180°) turns are possible for some types of turns. Multiple, consecutive turns are ...
s and performs a full
split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...
. Two girls are shown playing with dolls in a dollhouse, dancing in a bedroom, and riding bicycles. During a repetition of the line "I won't be no stick-figure, silicone Barbie doll", Trainor throws away a doll. Writing for '' Out'', Stacy Lambe stated the video delivers a "retro pop world" that "makes you want to dance in your seat".


Reception

Jim Farber of the '' New York Daily News'' said the discourse about Trainor's weight in the video's YouTube comment section "had taken on a life of its own". YouTube was instrumental in the success of "All About That Bass"; the video was
Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
's second-most streamed music video of 2014 while YouTube ranked it as the ninth-most popular upload of the year based on "views, shares, comments, likes", and other factors. ''Entertainment Weekly''s Miles Raymer wrote the video's dance sequence and colorful sets were perfectly designed to attain online popularity. Grein suggested the video was most likely to win Best Video with a Social Message at the
2015 MTV Video Music Awards The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 30, 2015. The 32nd installment of the event was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, and hosted by Miley Cyrus. Taylor Swift led the nominations with a total of ten, follo ...
. Sawdey called the video "fun and buoyant" but said the song's lyrics were responsible for its popularity. Caramanica felt the video complemented the song. ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' writer Brian Mansfield described the clip's theme as a fusion of
Sir Mix-a-Lot Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...
's "
Baby Got Back "Baby Got Back" is a song written and recorded by American rapper and songwriter Sir Mix-a-Lot, released in May 1992 as the second single from his third album, ''Mack Daddy'' (1992). The song was written and co-produced by him, and samples the 1 ...
" (1992) and " Beauty School Dropout" from the 1971 musical '' Grease''. DeVille said despite its flaws, the visuals are endearing and effective. '' Billboard'' writer Andrew Hampp interpreted the video as "slyly satirical". Julie Zeilinger of the same magazine criticized it for drawing inspiration from the thin women Trainor criticizes in the song's lyrics, and noted that Trainor failed to acknowledge body diversity as a spectrum and instead depicted only its extremities. Emma Garland of ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character t ...
'' found the video enjoyable, cautious, and easily digestible but she criticized its choreography. Diana Cook of Cracked.com felt it displayed a double standard, saying there would be much more of a backlash if
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
created a song about men preferring smaller bodies and mocked an overweight woman eating a cupcake in its video. Robin James and Kat George of ''Vice'' found cultural appropriation in the scene where Trainor is surrounded by black women
twerking Twerking (; possibly from 'to work') is a type of dance that came out of the bounce music scene of New Orleans in the late 1980s. Individually performed chiefly but not exclusively by women, performers dance to popular music in a sexually prov ...
; according to James, Trainor appropriates "respectable chubbiness" to improve her own body image. ''
The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...
''s Larry Fitzmaurice shared a similar opinion and placed the video third in his list of "Music's 8 Most Cringe-Worthy Acts Of Cultural Appropriation In 2014".


Live performances

Trainor performed an acoustic rendition of "All About That Bass" at an Emily West concert in Nashville on July 16, 2014, after West saw Trainor in the audience and insisted she perform. Trainor reprised the song on ''
Live! with Kelly and Michael ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...
'' on August 7. She sang an acoustic ukulele version of the song on '' Entertainment Tonight'' that was posted to their website the following month. Two days later, Trainor performed "All About That Bass" on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'', with Fallon and The Roots, who used classroom instruments. ''Rolling Stone'' writer Ryan Reed commented the unlikely arrangement maintained the quality of the original version with its "sparse percussion and intimate doo-wop harmonies" supporting her impassioned delivery. On September 11, Trainor reprised the song on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
''. On September 15, she sang it on ''
The X Factor Australia ''The X Factor'' is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent. The first season of the show premiered on Network Ten on 6 February 2005. Ten dropped ''The X Factor'' after ...
''. Trainor performed a mashup of "All About That Bass" and Taylor Swift's "
Shake It Off "Shake It Off" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, ''1989''. Swift wrote the lyrics and composed the melody with producers Max Martin and Shellback. An uptempo dance-pop song featuring a saxop ...
" (2014) for Australian radio station
2Day FM 2Day FM (call sign 2DAY) is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on a frequency of 104.1 MHz, and is part of Southern Cross Austereo's Hit Network. History 1980s 2Day FM was one of three radio ...
; ''Billboard'' published this performance on September 18. A journalist from the magazine, Erin Strecker, wrote it was unsurprising a mashup of "two super-catchy tracks" was also catchy. Trainor reprised "All About That Bass" as a duet with American singer
Miranda Lambert Miranda Leigh Lambert (born November 10, 1983) is an American country singer and guitarist. Born in Longview, Texas, she started out in early 2001 when she released her self-titled debut album independently. In 2003, she finished in third place o ...
at the
Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...
on November 5; the two singers wore little dresses and Trainor wore a Nasty Gal jacket over hers. Lambert praised the song's message in an interview and recalled playing it before every performance on her Platinum Tour (2014–2016). On November 26, Trainor sang a medley of "All About That Bass" and "
Lips Are Movin "Lips Are Movin" is a song by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, taken from her debut major-label studio album ''Title (Meghan Trainor album), Title'' (2015). It was written by Trainor and the album's producer, Kevin Kadish. Epic Records ...
" (2014) on the finale of the nineteenth season of American television series '' Dancing with the Stars''. She included the former song in her set list for the Jingle Ball Tour 2014. On the final episode of '' The X Factor UK''s eleventh series, Trainor performed the song with finalists Andrea Faustini,
Fleur East Fleur East (born 29 October 1987) is an English singer-songwriter, rapper and radio presenter on Hits Radio. She competed on the second series of the televised singing competition ''The X Factor'' in 2005 as a member of the girl group Addicti ...
and
Ben Haenow Benjamin Bernard Haenow (born 6 January 1985) is a British singer-songwriter and former van driver. In 2014, he was crowned as the winner of the eleventh series of ''The X Factor'' UK after beating Fleur East. Following his win, his debut singl ...
. She included "All About That Bass" on the setlists of her 2015 That Bass and MTrain concert tours, as well as her 2016 The Untouchable Tour. Trainor reprised the song on November 22, 2018, while wearing "a glittery jersey and sparkly blue pants" at a
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
and
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
game, which launched
The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...
's 128th annual Red Kettle Campaign. She also performed it while headlining the Philadelphia Welcome America Festival as part of the 2019
Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...
celebrations. On January 8, 2020, Trainor sang the lyrics of "All About That Bass" over the "creeping, insidious beat" of
Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single " Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her brother Finneas O'Connell, with whom ...
's " Bad Guy" (2019) for BBC Radio 1's game "Your Lyrics Different Song", which ''Billboard''s Glenn Rowley considered an impressive and successful rendition.


Cultural impact

Josh Duboff of '' Vanity Fair'' stated "All About That Bass" achieved "pop-cultural touchstone-status" while ''The New York Times''s Joe Coscarelli called it "a cultural phenomenon". ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' cited the song's impact and said in a 2014 article; "We're Officially in the Era of the Big Booty". Steven J. Horowitz of ''Billboard'' wrote "All About That Bass", along with Jennifer Lopez's "
Booty Booty may refer to: Music *Booty music (also known as Miami bass or booty bass), a subgenre of hip hop * "Booty" (Jennifer Lopez song), 2014 *Booty (Blac Youngsta song), 2017 * Booty (C. Tangana and Becky G song), 2018 *"Booty", a 1993 song by G ...
" (2014), helped "booty records" make a commercial return to the mainstream. The song's stay at number one in the United Kingdom coincided with the number-three debut of
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated Flow (rapping), flow in her rapping, alter e ...
's "
Anaconda Anacondas or water boas are a group of large snakes of the genus '' Eunectes''. They are found in tropical South America. Four species are currently recognized. Description Although the name applies to a group of snakes, it is often used ...
", which ''The Guardian'' and ''The Independent'' dubbed "the battle of the booty songs". ''Rolling Stone''s Steve Knopper wrote; "if we assume the latest sing-about-your-butt trend in pop music has finally reached its, uh, conclusion, the unquestionable winner is Meghan Trainor's 'All About That Bass'". According to Sullivan, the three songs reflect a change in pop culture, in which female artists frequently endured criticism from society for their weight, while Adegoke wrote the songs helped curves reach culture's forefront. In November, American company Booty Pop reported a 47% increase in demand; New York doctor Matthew Schulman told ''Billboard'' demand for Brazilian
buttock augmentation Gluteoplasty (Greek ''gloutόs'', rump + ''plassein'', to shape) denotes the plastic surgery and the liposuction procedures for the correction of the congenital, traumatic, and acquired defects and deformities of the buttocks and the anatomy o ...
surgery had risen by 25% at his practice in 2014, and Boston entrepreneur and gym instructor Kelly Brabants stated she experienced a waiting list for her Booty by Brabants class because "it's not about being stick-thin anymore, every girl now wants a booty"; ''Billboard'' attributed this to the three songs. According to Sullivan, "All About That Bass" resulted in Trainor being viewed as "the poster girl for the larger woman" and "pop's emblem of self-acceptance". ''Billboard'' wrote the song's success made Trainor a "breakthrough star virtually overnight" and one of the "biggest breakout stars" of 2014. In a press release, Trainor recalled meeting female fans who told her: "I've hated myself. I hated life. I didn't want to go to school. I get bullied. And then I heard your song and I cried". The song's success led
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned ...
to sign Kadish in October; the publishing company's CEO
Martin Bandier Martin N. "Marty" Bandier (born July 21, 1941) is an American music industry executive who was the CEO/Chairman of Sony/ATV Music Publishing for 11 years. Bandier studied at Stuyvesant High School, Syracuse University, and Brooklyn Law School ...
stated the track is "clearly one of the biggest songs of the year and we know there is a lot more to come from him".


Parodies

The success of "All About That Bass" spawned viral
parody music Parody music, or musical parody, involves changing or copying existing (usually well known) musical ideas, and/or lyrics, or copying the particular style of a composer or performer, or even a general style of music. In music, parody has been u ...
videos. In November, a
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...
-themed parody of the song called "All About That Baste" accumulated over four million views in its first month of release by The Holderness Family. The lyric "no treble" was replaced with "more butter", which
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
interpreted as a reference to the original song's message about body positivity. On December 1, 2014, the cast of Canadian television comedy series ''
This Hour Has 22 Minutes ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' (commonly shortened to ''22 Minutes'' since 2009) is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics w ...
'' made a parody version titled "Just a Pretty Face", which was released as a Conservative Party political advertisement that criticized the Federal
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...
leader
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
. On December 7, 2014,
Nerdist Industries Nerdist Industries, LLC is part of the digital division of Legendary Entertainment. Nerdist Industries was founded as a sole podcast ( The Nerdist Podcast) created by Chris Hardwick but later spread to include a network of podcasts, a premium cont ...
released a parody titled "All About That Base: No Rebels", which was performed by Team Unicorn. The video, which has a '' Star Wars'' theme, depicts men dressed as stormtroopers dancing with cheerleaders whose costumes were inspired by the ''Star Wars'' character
Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
. Mitchell Peters of ''Billboard'' said it is memorable and humorous. On December 12, 2014, a parody music video by
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
entitled "All About That Space" went viral. The video, which depicts NASA interns dancing and includes images of the Johnson Space Center, accrued over one million views within four days and was dubbed "wonderfully a-dork-able" by Lee Moran of the '' New York Daily News''. The many parodies and homages led to ''Time'' publishing an article titled "No More 'All About That Bass' Parodies, Please" on December 15, 2014. In it, Daniel D'Addario attributed the song's popularity among parodists to its hook's emphasis on the words "bass" and "treble", which are easy to rhyme, and Trainor's impassioned delivery on it. In early 2016, on ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show on CBS. It is the fourth and current iteration of '' The Late Late Show''. Airing in the U.S. from Monday to Friday nights at 12:37:28a ...
'', Trainor and Corden performed a parody of "All About That Bass" about failed
New Year's resolution A New Year's resolution is a tradition, most common in the Western World but also found in the Eastern World, in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behavior, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise im ...
s.


Cover versions

The Roots covered "All About That Bass" on ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' on August 20, 2014; Chris Payne of ''Billboard'' called the performance "angelic".
Maejor Brandon Michael Green (born July 23, 1988), better known by his stage name Maejor (formerly Bei Maejor and later Maejor Ali), is an American record producer, singer, and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. Green has written and produced songs f ...
's remix of the song featured
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
, and it was released on October 15. In September, Kate Davis released a 1940s-jazz-style version of the song, on which she played
double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...
with pianist Scott Bradlee; within three months, it had received 8 million views on the latter's YouTube channel. On October 24,
Avi Kaplan Avriel Benjamin Kaplan (born April 17, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his basso profondo range and for his tenure as the vocal bass of the a cappella group Pentatonix from 2011 to 2017. As a part of the group, he rele ...
, a member of the American group Pentatonix, released his cover version of "All About That Bass"; James Grebey of ''Spin'' gave the cover a positive review and said the song "sounds very different a few octaves lower" and that Kaplan's rendition "might just be an improvement". Jamaican-American singer Anita Antoinette covered the song on the seventh season of the American talent television series ''
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'', receiving praise by the show's judges Pharrell Williams and Adam Levine. Ashley Lee of ''Billboard'' wrote Antoinette provided the song with "a
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
twist". Cover versions of the song recorded by Power Music Workout and Meghan Tonjes reached number 13 and number 70 on the UK Singles Chart, respectively.


Formats and track listings

* Digital download # "All About That Bass"3:08 * CD single # "All About That Bass"3:08 # "
Title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
"2:54 * Digital EP # "All About That Bass"3:09 # "Title"2:54 # " Dear Future Husband"3:04 # "Close Your Eyes"3:40


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Title''. ;Locations * Recorded and engineered at The Carriage House, Nolensville,
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
* Mastered at The Mastering Palace (New York City) * Published by Year Of The Dog Music ( ASCAP), a division of Big Yellow Dog, LLC / Over-Thought Under-Appreciated Songs (ASCAP) ;Personnel *
Meghan Trainor Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
 – songwriter,
vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
,
clapping A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), ...
,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
*
Kevin Kadish Kevin Kadish (born 1971) is an American songwriter and record producer. He co-wrote, produced, and mixed the 2014 Diamond certified (10x platinum) single "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboar ...
 – songwriter, producer, drum programming,
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
, bass,
sound design Sound design is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including ...
, mixing,
recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...
,
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
* David Baron –
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
, baritone saxophone, Hammond organ * Dave Kutch – mastering


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


All-time charts


Certifications


Radio and release history


See also

*
List of best-selling singles This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, new ...
* List of Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles of 2014 * List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles of 2014 * List of ''Billboard'' Mainstream Top 40 number-one songs of 2014 * List of number-one hits of 2014 (Austria) * List of number-one hits of 2014 (Denmark) * List of number-one hits of 2014 (Germany) * List of number-one hits of 2014 (Scotland) * List of number-one hits of 2014 (Switzerland) * List of number-one singles from the 2010s (New Zealand) *
List of number-one singles of 2014 (Australia) The ARIA Singles Chart ranks the best-performing singles in Australia. Its data, published by the Australian Recording Industry Association, is based collectively on each single's weekly physical and digital sales. In 2014, fourteen singles ...
* List of number-one singles of 2014 (Ireland) * List of number-one singles of 2014 (Poland) * List of number-one singles of 2014 (Spain) *
List of number-one songs of 2014 (Mexico) This is a list of the Monitor Latino General number-one songs of 2014. Chart rankings are based on airplay across radio stations in Mexico using the Radio Tracking Data, LLC in real time. Charts are ranked from Monday to Sunday. Besides the Gener ...
* List of top 10 singles in 2014 (France) * List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 2010s


Footnotes


References

{{featured article 2014 songs 2014 debut singles American hip hop songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Body image in popular culture Bubblegum pop songs Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles Doo-wop songs Epic Records singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Meghan Trainor songs Music controversies Novelty songs Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in Austria Number-one singles in Denmark Number-one singles in Germany Number-one singles in Hungary Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in Poland Number-one singles in Scotland Number-one singles in Spain Number-one singles in Switzerland Songs written by Kevin Kadish Songs written by Meghan Trainor UK Singles Chart number-one singles