Order up! We have been served
Following her 2020 album, “Good News”, Megan Thee Stallion delivers “Traumazine”. This Houston Hottie is fluent in ebonics and euphemisms that gives her flexibility through genres. Surface level, this is an album you can sing while getting ready to go out as you proclaim the lyrics as boldly as Megan delivered them. Beyond the surface level, Megan Thee Stallion has gifted us with her digital diary as the songs detail her recent trials through grief, betrayal, and body positivity. In contrast to other female rappers, Megan has the style of rap where you bop your head to keep up with the rhythm of her delivery. It resembles the cadence of a 90s rapper, the delivery of spoken word, and the word play of a poet. Not only does the album include the talent that Megan Thee Stallion holds but also holds features from Key Glock, Latto, Future, Dua Lipa, and many more!
“Her” with noticable similarties to Beyonce’s, “Renaissance”, black artists in house music is proving itself to be more than a trend and has evolved into a takeover. I only categorize this song as the typical “house” genre because of the music the beat lays on. Take the music out and it would be the aggressive and assertive style that you expect from her, place her on a track of house music and it gives her a layer of versatility, adds to the list of styles she can rap to and also increases her audience reach. With lyrics like, “You do you and whatever that is, I’ma do it better” and “No matter what they do or say, It ain’t no getting rid of me/ I come in every room and draw attention like a centerpiece”. This song can be sung as a fun get ready song or a song of affirmations to boost your confidence.
In “Flip Flop”, Megan allows her fellow stallions to see beyond her big personality and into the hurt she hides. The song details that since the loss of her mother and grandmother in 2019 she struggles to see who can be trusted. She raps that, “I was hangin’ with b****** I thought really loved me/Whole time they was jealous and judgin”. Her final message is that with fame it is hard to see who loves you and who loves the life that you come with. She concludes with, “Your people ain’t your people, they want what you got/Flip-flop, lonely at the top”.
As pop artist Shawn Mendes has shown in his music, celebrities struggle with anxiety too. Mendes has written songs such as “In My Blood” where he describes laying on the floor feeling anxious and in “Monster” with Justin Bieber, he details the stress he feels and how he does not feel as if he is given the grace to mess up in the public eye. Likewise, Megan Thee Stallion is bringing this transparency to hip-hop in “Anxiety”. In her catchy cadence she raps, “I’m a bad b* and I got bad anxiety”. In her chorus she sings, “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday/Bad b* have bad days too.” Personally, I love this approach. I cannot relate when artists sing of blowing thousands of dollars in designer stores, but I relate all too well when it comes to anxiety. My favorite part of this song is where she shares what she would put in a letter to heaven. She would write an apology to her mother for her behavior, but also for not listening to her advice and to please reveal her true friends. In addition she gives a shoutout to a few famous women (Marilyn Monroe, Whitney Houston, and Britney Spears) who also were heavily scrutinized by the media and most likely suffered from anxiety, she raps, “I just wan’ talk to somebody that get me”.
“Gift and a Curse”
Lastly, as an artist with a large platform, Megan Thee Stallion chose to amplify her opinions about women embracing their femininity in whatever form it takes. In “Gift and a Curse” she sings about it is her body so it is her choice and men have no right to take her voice. Additionally, she addresses the constant complaints she gets about showing off her body and embracing her body type. She responds with this, “Crazy how y’all be the first ones tuned in listenin’/But claim I ain’t makin’ no noise”. Her message is that the same men that complain about the way she dresses or embraces her sexuality in her sensual lyrics are the same men that listen to her music the most, so women should do what they want and wear what they are most confident in!
Again, we have been served. Dig in and enjoy! But please don’t feel the need to save any, with Megan Thee Stallion there is always more where that came from.
Photo credits from: https://www.vulture.com/2022/08/megan-thee-stallion-new-album-traumazine-released.html
