Meghan Trainor
Billboard cover star Meghan Trainor has had an amazing last few years, with four Hot 100 singles and a Billboard 200-topping debut album. But the girl who seemingly came from nowhere and burst on the scene in a pastel flash was a ukelele-toting songwriter for big acts in the industry, from Fifth Harmony to Rascal Flatts, and judging by her recent work for Jennifer Lopez, she doesn't plan on dropping her first gig. Here are six songs you may not realize the pop star had a hand in crafting.
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1. "Sledgehammer" by Fifth Harmony
Meghan could be considered the honorary Sixth Harmony considering how much she's written for the group. On Fifth Harmony's debut album Reflection, Meghan penned "Suga Mama," "Brave Honest Beautiful," and the group's first top 40 entry "Sledgehammer," while featuring on "Brave Honest Beautiful," a celeb name-dropping self-esteem booster.
2. "Ain't Your Mama" by Jennifer Lopez
The sassy, tropical track originally meant for Meghan's 2014 album Title ended up in J.Lo's hands. "My kid loves the song -- he's made me play it five times already, so I know it's a hit," Jennifer texted Meghan when the song was only a demo.
3. "Road Less Traveled" by Lauren Alaina
Meghan is one of the wordsmiths behind country singer and American Idol runner-up Lauren Alaina's latest single, "Road Less Traveled."
Alaina co-wrote the song with Meghan and songwriter Jesse Frasure after struggling with bulimia. "It was just one of those days where I went in to write with two of my good friends, and I was super comfortable, and the message of the song is so important to me and what we say in the song is so important to me," Lauren said. "And I know that Meghan has done a really great job with her artistry by encouraging people, and that’s what this song is all about."
4. "I Like the Sound of That" by Rascal Flatts
Meghan cut her teeth in the country scene alongside Dan + Shay's Shay Mooney and Frasure on "I Like the Sound of That," a track built around the sounds one associates with a lover, starting with a running shower. Meghan also penned "DJ Tonight" for the trio from their ninth studio album Rewind.
5. "Painkiller" by Jason Derulo
On "Painkiller," Meghan seized the opportunity to put her own spin on Jason Derulo's (in)famous "Jason Deruuuulooooo" intro. "Her and the producer were in the room and were like 'Yeah, let’s do it,' and I’m like, 'No, I’m not doing that no more, it’s retired,'" Derulo told MTV News. "And then the intro came in and she did it and I was like, 'It’s pretty dope.'" Countdown to Jason Derulo singing "Meghan Traiiiiinor" on her next single.
6. "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" by Sabrina Carpenter
Meghan wrote the song for a then-14-year-old Sabrina, but the lyrics cross the generational gap with their relatability, with lyrics like "Here I am again, the same old situation/Why does the guy thing have to be so complicated?" The playful ode to painful puppy love won Sabrina a Best Crush Song award at the 2015 Radio Disney Music Awards.