Singer reminds herself (and us) how badass she is, overcoming panic attacks, embracing family and releasing a new album ‘A
LL About That Bass” singer Meghan Trainor may have bawled when she won the Best New Artist Grammy in 2016, but what really makes her lose it is when she hears her music in a certain location.
“It still makes me scream and my knees go weak when I hear myself in the mall,” Trainor, 26, tells The Post, noting that one particular store seems to be all about her. “CVS always plays ‘Like I’m Gonna Lose You.’ Like, all the time. I swear I’m on their playlist. And it rattles me, ’cause I love CVS!”
In addition to other hits, such as “Lips Are Movin,” “Dear Future Husband” and “No,” Trainor has some new songs to shop by — “Treat Myself,” her third majorlabel album, is out today. Among her latest tunes are: the hip-hop-strutting “Nice To Meet Ya,” a “bucket list” collaboration with Nicki Minaj; and the empowering ballad “Babygirl,” which Trainor describes as “me talking to my 16-year-old self.”
Trainor famously sang about loving her “boom boom” curves on her 2014 smash “All About That Bass,” and the title of her new LP is once again all about loving herself.
“I went through a dark phase of panic attacks,” she says, “and when I crawled out of it, my therapist said, ‘You should treat yourself, because what you accomplished and went through was hard — and you should remind yourself how badass you are.’ ”
And just how did Trainor indulge her badass self ?
“I went out and bought myself a car, and then I started taking more time for myself,” she says. “I started working out more and eating better. It was a very important lesson I had to learn — to speak up for myself and be like, ‘I need a break!’ My mental health is No. 1.”
Trainor says that the panic attacks began after a second vocal cord surgery that she had in 2016. The pop star had to remain silent on complete vocal rest following the procedure.
“That’s what I think started it all up — me being alone with my thoughts,” she says.
But Trainor wasn’t all alone during her recovery: She had actor Daryl Sabara (“Spy Kids”) by her side. The pair started dating in 2016 and got married two years later.
“We met through a friend, [actress] Chloë Moretz,” says Trainor. “She set us up on a double date with her. We went bowling, and we fell in love.”
Balancing careers and marriage isn’t as tricky as you might think for these young showbiz sweethearts.
“Oh, it’s so easy,” says Trainor, who benefits from some husbandly duties: “I get foot massages when I have to wear heels. He’s my workout buddy. Life is just a dream.”
For Trainor, her whole life is a family affair: Her mom, Kelli, is her assistant, and dad, Gary, is her household manager. Her older brother, Ryan, is her songwriting partner, while her young brother, Justin, is her engineer. All of them live “five minutes away” from each other in the Bay Area of California: Trainor’s parents have a home that she bought for them, and her brothers are housemates with her and Sabara. If that living arrangement with her siblings sounds a little too cozy for comfort, Trainor insists it’s all good.
“It’s a lot goin’ on,” she says, but “we love it. We’re the best of friends; we truly are. It sounds weird, but it’s true. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
But don’t expect Trainor and Sabara to be adding to their household with any kids just yet.
“We’re so busy, I don’t wanna be, like, throwing up while I’m doing this,” she says about avoiding any morning sickness while on the job. “I just wanna get through the [upcoming] tour . . . our last tour without having babies probably. And then make a village of kids.”