A Very Trainor Christmas

A Very Trainor Christmas is the fourth major-label studio album, and debut Christmas album, by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, released on October 30, 2020, by Epic Records and her own label, Honest OG Recordings.[4] The album contains cover versions of Christmas standards, such as "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (1951) and "Last Christmas" (1984), as well as six original recordings. Trainor worked with producers including her brother Justin Trainor and Asa Welch, and co-wrote songs with the former and her other brother Ryan, among others, to create the album. Artists who are featured on A Very Trainor Christmas include Earth, Wind & Fire, Seth MacFarlane, Trainor's cousins Jayden, Jenna & Marcus Toney, and father Gary Trainor. A Target edition of the album includes a cover version of "A Holly Jolly Christmas" (1964) and the original song "I'll Be Home", which first appeared on the Epic EP I'll Be Home for Christmas (2014).

A Very Trainor Christmas
Studio album by
Meghan Trainor
ReleasedOctober 30, 2020
Recorded2014 ("I'll Be Home"), 2020
GenreChristmas
Length54:31
Label
Producer
  • Meghan Trainor
  • Justin Trainor
  • Asa Welch
  • Mike Sabath
  • Eddie Benjamin
  • Ryan Met
  • Ryan Trainor
  • Federico Vindver
Meghan Trainor chronology
Treat Myself
(2020)		 A Very Trainor Christmas
(2020)
Alternative cover
Target edition artwork
Singles from A Very Trainor Christmas
  1. "My Kind of Present"
    Released: October 6, 2020[1]
  2. "Last Christmas"
    Released: October 6, 2020[1]
  3. "White Christmas"
    Released: October 30, 2020[2]
  4. "Holidays"
    Released: November 23, 2020[3]
  5. "I Believe in Santa"
    Released: December 10, 2020

Background and release

Meghan Trainor forayed into Christmas music by contributing the original song "I'll Be Home" to the Epic Records EP I'll Be Home for Christmas in 2014.[5] She featured on Brett Eldredge's cover version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (1944), for his 2016 album Glow, and released a cover version of "White Christmas" (1942) two years later for Spotify Singles Christmas.[6][7]

In January 2020, shortly before the release of Trainor's third major-label studio album Treat Myself (2020), Billboard announced that she had started writing original Christmas songs, planning to release them later in the year.[8] In a June 2020 interview, Trainor stated that she had been "trying to finish [her] Christmas album", further confirming the project.[9] On September 9, 2020, she officially announced the album title as A Very Trainor Christmas on her social media accounts, along with the release date and artwork, which features her biting a candy cane while dressed in a Christmas hat and a tinsel and bows-adorned dress.[10][11] A trailer for the album was released the following day, consisting of home footage of Trainor and her family.[12] On October 7, 2020, she released the original song "My Kind of Present", accompanied by a cover version of "Last Christmas" (1984). A Very Trainor Christmas was released on October 30.[13]

Composition

Trainor's entire family participated in the creation of A Very Trainor Christmas, as songwriters, background vocalists, producers, and instrumentalists.[12] Her cousins Jayden, Jenna & Marcus Toney, and father Gary Trainor, appear as featured artists, while her brother Justin took part in production and songwriting, and Ryan in the latter. Regarding this decision, Trainor stated that she is "a Christmas baby", and had always dreamed of "releas[ing] a Christmas Album and to do it with [her] family [made] it that much better".[14] Earth, Wind & Fire and Seth MacFarlane were chosen as collaborators due to them being her family's "all-time-favorites". Trainor stated that her family "worship[s] the ground they walk on – so to get them to feature on this album still doesn't feel real. Best Christmas Present Ever!"[14]

A Very Trainor Christmas contains 10 cover versions of Christmas standards, such as "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (1951) and "Last Christmas", as well as six original recordings. A Target edition of the album includes a cover version of "A Holly Jolly Christmas" (1964) and the original song "I'll Be Home", which first appeared on the Epic EP I'll Be Home for Christmas (2014).[14]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
Idolator[16]
Knoxville News Sentinel[17]

AllMusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated that Trainor approaches A Very Trainor Christmas with similar "gusto" as the "old-fashioned showbiz razzle-dazzle" style she has always had. He added that the original recordings sound the "most vivacious", but the whole album is "firmly within the realm of spirited seasonal soundtrack".[15] Writing for Idolator, Mike Wass called it a "resounding success", adding that it "sparks joy", and its incorporation of various genres "makes sure there's something for everybody".[16] He concluded that A Very Trainor Christmas has the potential to "become a go-to Christmas soundtrack for families across America in the years to come".[16] Knoxville News Sentinel's Chuck Campbell wrote that the album lacks "well-crafted classics" to set it apart from other holiday albums, and its momentum is "routinely thwarted" by a combination of familiar and unfamiliar songs, which lead to "the party never hit[ting] its stride".[17]

Commercial performance

A Very Trainor Christmas debuted at number 144 on the Billboard 200 issued for November 14, 2020, with 7,500 album-equivalent units (including 4,200 pure sales) according to Rolling Stone.[18][19] It has since peaked at number 89. Trainor and MacFarlane's cover version of "White Christmas" debuted at number 24 on the Adult Contemporary chart the same week marking the third holiday entry for both artists and it later peaked at number 1 on the chart. The album also entered the Top Holiday Albums chart at number 7[20] and the UK Download Albums chart at number 47.[21]

Track listing
A Very Trainor Christmas track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."My Kind of Present"
  • M. Trainor
  • J. Trainor
2:41
2."It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"Meredith WillsonAsa Welch2:08
3."I Believe in Santa"
  • M. Trainor
  • J. Trainor
  • R. Trainor
  • M. Trainor
  • J. Trainor
2:38
4."Last Christmas"George MichaelWelch4:03
5."Holidays" (featuring Earth, Wind & Fire)
  • Sabath
  • Benjamin
2:45
6."Christmas Party"
  • Met
  • R. Trainor
2:55
7."Winter Wonderland"Richard B. SmithJ. Trainor2:18
8."White Christmas" (featuring Seth MacFarlane)Irving BerlinWelch3:01
9."Holly Jolly Christmas" (bonus track)Johnny MarksWelch1:45
10."Christmas Got Me Blue"
  • M. Trainor
  • Met
  • J. Trainor
  • M. Trainor
  • Met
  • J. Trainor
3:33
11."Sleigh Ride"
Frederico Vindver3:48
12."My Only Wish"
Vindver4:02
13."The Christmas Song"
Vindver3:35
14."Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (featuring Jayden, Jenna, & Marcus Toney)MarksWelch2:30
15."Naughty List"
  • M. Trainor
  • J. Trainor
  • R. Trainor
  • M. Trainor
  • J. Trainor
2:37
16."Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (featuring Gary Trainor)
J. Trainor3:48
17."I'll Be Home" (bonus track)M. TrainorM. Trainor3:39
18."Silent Night"
Benjamin2:45
Total length:54:31

Notes

  • Digital editions of A Very Trainor Christmas feature all 18 tracks however physical versions of the CD album do not feature "Holly Jolly Christmas" and "I'll Be Home". These are exclusive to the Target CD in the US.[4][22][23]

Charts
Weekly chart positions for A Very Trainor Christmas
Chart (2020–2021) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] 71
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[25] 70
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[26] 42
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[27] 42
UK Download Albums (OCC)[21] 47
US Billboard 200[18] 89
US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[28] 7

References
  1. "Meghan Trainor anuncia álbum natalino. Confira a tracklist" [Meghan Trainor announces Christmas album. Check out the tracklist]. Terra (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020. From the new Christmas album, Trainor has already released the singles My Kind of Present and Last Christmas.
  2. "Meghan Trainor Releases Official Video for 'Holidays' feat. Earth, Wind & Fire". Pressparty. November 24, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  3. George, Rachel (November 23, 2020). "Watch Earth, Wind & Fire party with Meghan Trainor in new video for 'Holidays'". ABC News Radio. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  4. "A Very Trainor Christmas by Meghan Trainor". Apple Music. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  5. I'll Be Home for Christmas (liner notes). Epic Records, Syco Entertainment. 2014.
  6. Glow (liner notes). Brett Eldredge. Atlantic Records. 2016.CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. Wass, Mike (November 19, 2018). "Festive! Meghan Trainor Drops A Cover Of 'White Christmas'". Idolator. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  8. Feeney, Nolan (January 14, 2020). "Pop Music Is Changing, So Meghan Trainor Did Too". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  9. Seacrest, Ryan (June 29, 2020). "Has Meghan Trainor Been Working on New Music During Quarantine?". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  10. Aniftos, Rania (September 9, 2020). "Get Ready to Celebrate 'A Very Trainor Christmas' With Meghan Trainor". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  11. VanHoose, Benjamin (September 9, 2020). "Meghan Trainor Announces New Christmas Album: 'It's About to Be A Very Trainor Christmas!'". People. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  12. Mahjouri, Shakiel (September 11, 2020). "Meghan Trainor To Release 'A Very Trainor Christmas!' Album, Shares Sweet Announcement Video". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  13. Rowley, Glenn (October 7, 2020). "There Are Only 78 Sleeps Until Christmas, So Check Out Meghan Trainor's Two New Festive Tracks". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  14. "Meghan Trainor's Forthcoming Christmas Album, A Very Trainor Christmas, Under the Tree". Epic Records. Pressparty. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  15. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (October 30, 2020). "A Very Trainor Christmas - Meghan Trainor". AllMusic. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  16. Wass, Mike (November 4, 2020). "Album Review: Meghan Trainor's 'A Very Trainor Christmas'". Idolator. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  17. Campbell, Chuck (October 23, 2020). "Ariana Grande takes command on 'Positions'; Meghan Trainor's 'Christmas' comes up short". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  18. "Meghan Trainor Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  19. "Top 200 Popular Albums". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  20. Trust, Gary (November 11, 2020). "Meghan Trainor & Seth MacFarlane Ring in Holiday Season With 'White Christmas' Chart Debut". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  21. "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  22. "Meghan Trainor - A Very Trainor Christmas". Amazon. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  23. "Meghan Trainor - A Very Trainor Christmas (Target Exclusive, CD)". Target Corporation. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  24. "Ultratop.be – Meghan Trainor – A Very Trainor Christmas" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  25. "Meghan Trainor Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  26. "Dutchcharts.nl – Meghan Trainor – A Very Trainor Christmas" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  27. "Veckolista Album, vecka 52". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  28. "Meghan Trainor Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
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