Jennifer Lopez’s music is inspired by eclectic influences, such as reggae, dance hall and various genres of Latin music. “Ain’t Your Mama” fits in perfectly. This is exactly why it’s so surprising that the song was written without any involvement on her part. It turns out that one of the main contributors to the track was none other than Meghan Trainor. So how did this catchy song end up in Lopez’s hands? And how did Trainor feel about giving it up?
Meghan Trainor originally wrote ‘Ain’t Your Mama’ for her own album before giving it to Jennifer Lopez
“Ain’t Your Mama” was written as a Trainor song from the start, Microphone reports. Lopez’s future hit was written as a feminist anthem, about the preference of romantic partners who can take care of themselves. The plan was for the track to find a place on the singer’s ‘All That Bass’ album. Thanks.
In the end, it didn’t fit the flow of the album. Instead of letting the track languish, Epic Records encouraged Trainor to find a home for it with other artists on the roster. She texted Lopez, who was working on an album. She wanted to drop the vocals as soon as possible.
The track became a club hit during the summer of 2016. It peaked at 76 on the Billboard Hot 100. But that success, along with the themes of the song itself, were overshadowed by controversy upon its release. fall.
Jennifer Lopez Slammed Dr. Luke’s Co-Production Credit on ‘Ain’t Your Mama’
Trainor, at this point a major pop star for several years, was the biggest name tied to “Ain’t Your Mama” besides Lopez herself. Unfortunately, as AND online reports, the other credits on the track became a major issue. Six songwriters have been credited, including controversial producer Dr. Luke.
For the uninitiated, Dr. Luke was known for a sex abuse scandal involving Kesha and several other women. Hours after “Ain’t Your Mama” premiered, there was a major backlash. The request: an explanation why Lopez would work with the tarnished producer.
“I texted him the song and [Lopez] had no idea, [about Dr. Luke’s involvement]“explained Trainor. “She thought I did it all alone at home, which a lot of people think because I do that.”
Thanks to Trainor, the “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer was protected from the growing backlash. There was no studio time with Lopez and Dr. Luke present. The producer got his hands on plenty of pop songs in the mid-2010s, so in 2016 it was still not uncommon for unreleased tracks to be named after him.
Trainor is responsible for many pop hits that even his fans may not know about
Trainor got his start in the music industry as a professional songwriter. And even when her career pivoted to her own pop stardom, she continued to write a wide array of songs. Sometimes she would take a bite that took her out of her comfort zone. But her habits mostly meant having a lot of extra gear that she couldn’t use on her own.
Billboard reports that’s why Trainor continues to be credited on other people’s Billboard Hot 100 hits, despite having her own career to worry about. She even insists on hanging out while her songs are recorded by other artists.
Trainor wrote “Sledgehammer”, the first top 40 hit for Fifth Harmony. She indulged her country music fandom by writing “Road Less Traveled” alongside Lauren Alaina. And she contributed both songwriting and a vocal appearance on Jason Derulo’s “Painkiller.”
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