No (Meghan Trainor song)
"No" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor for her second major-label studio album Thank You. It was written by Trainor, Eric Frederic, and Jacob Kasher Hindlin, and produced by Ricky Reed. The track was released on March 4, 2016, as the lead single from the album. Backed by a guitar instrumentation, the dance-pop and R&B song draws some influences from doo-wop, with lyrics about unwanted advances from men towards women.
Its composition was compared by several critics to the music of various pop artists of the late 1990s and early 2000s, such as Britney Spears and NSYNC. "No" was a commercial success, becoming Trainor's second single to reach the top three on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three. It also reached the top ten in several European countries, as well as in Australia and Canada.
Fatima Robinson directed the music video for "No". It was set at a warehouse, noted to be visually darker than Trainor's previous clips and featured her dancing alongside an all-female dance troupe. The clip drew comparisons to the works of Spears and Madonna for its sexual nature. Trainor has performed "No" on several shows, including the 3rd iHeartRadio Music Awards, The Graham Norton Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. She also performed it during The Untouchable Tour.
Background and release
Referring to her meeting with label director L.A. Reid, Meghan Trainor revealed that he had told the singer she then lacked a proper lead single for her upcoming album, and that she " an album of Nice Meghan". Trainor said it took little time to craft the song with producer Ricky Reed, explaining that she told him that they "needed a big eff-you song, an anthem about girl power that sounded like nothing on the album". The duo wrote "No" the same day. She went into the studio wanting to write a "big, angry anthem", but described the final product as an anthem about independence for women. Trainor added that she will "never forget that moment" when she was "too scared" to play it for Reid, but he played it more than 29 times. Ultimately, the song changed the direction of its parent album, as they started experimenting with new musical styles and produced six more tracks.Trainor stated in December 2015, that she had almost completed her second major-label studio album, describing the material as "something that's not on the radio" and "different". She began teasing the lead single on Twitter in late January 2016. In a Fuse interview published on February 2, Trainor confirmed the song title as "No" along with a March release date, and stated that it is an anthem for women about telling a man that they are "out here on own" and good with it. She also said that the theme of the song is her in a club, where a man approaches her and she goes "no no no. I don't need your hands all over me. I'm good. I'm gonna dance on my own with my girls". Billboard gave a preview of the lyrics: "My name is 'no'/My number is 'no'".
On March 1, 2016, Trainor unveiled the single artwork for "No" on her social media accounts. It features the singer with red hair in an emerald green-colored dress. She shared the song's hook "Untouchable, untouchable" two days later. It was digitally released on March 4, along with the artwork and preorder for its parent album Thank You. In the United States, "No" was serviced to adult contemporary radio stations on March 7, and to contemporary hit radio stations the next day. The song was selected as the 'Track of the Day' by BBC Radio 1 on March 7, and sent to contemporary hit radio stations in Italy on March 11. A karaoke version of it appears as the 18th track on the Japanese edition of Thank You.
Composition
Musically, "No" is a dance-pop and R&B song that draws some influence from doo-wop, with guitar instrumentation. The song opens with modern doo-wop vocals, before it charges up into an early millennium-pop vibe with its beat and crunchy guitar; for Billboards Joe Lynch, it features retro music playing through an "old-timey crackle" before coming to a stop, followed by a Neptunes-esque beat. Lyrically, the song discusses men who approach women and "can't take the hint" when their advances are rejected according to Los Angeles Times' Gerrick Kennedy. The song finds Trainor confronting a guy who won't stop pursuing her in a club: "My name is no, my sign is no, my number is no, you need to let it go", she sings during the "catchy, chant-along" chorus. The lyrics were noted to be "clever, sassy" and a display of attitude. In the pre-chorus, Trainor tells women everywhere to pay attention and follow her lead. "No" is written in the key of C minor in common time. The song begins with a tempo of 73 beats per minute for the introduction before increasing to 94 beats per minute. Trainor's vocals span one and a half octaves throughout the song, from G3 to C5. When asked about the song's inspiration in an interview, Trainor stated that she wanted to be better at being single, and that the song is "a big anthem" for helping young girls and teens who are growing up realize that they don't need a man, and that they "can go out with girls and have just as much fun"."No" has been noted to showcase a more grown-up and "in-charge" side of Trainor compared to her previous work. Its lyrics involve themes about telling a "pushy" male counterpart to "back off". It has been described as "earwormy" and called "familiar yet altogether new territory" for the singer. Fuse's Emilee Lindner noted the song as a departure from Trainor's earlier work as well, writing that she "ditched the upright bass and the Hammond B and swapped in a '90s pop drum kit" and likened it to Mýa's song "My Love Is Like...Wo". Lindner added that it was lyrically opposite to Trainor's debut, stating that it's an empowering song, but without the problematic lyrics in her previous work. She called it a "flat fuck-you" to entitled men who approach women with unsolicited advances.
Critical reception
Writing for Billboard, Joe Lynch stated that Trainor made it clear on the song that there is more to her than "what you think you know". He added that the singer was confident on "All About That Bass", but on "No" she's entirely in charge. In a positive review, Brennan Carley from Spin wrote that "No" "is definitely a new direction for Trainor, who's mostly tossing aside her sock-hopping persona for no-nonsense truth-telling", and added that it "combines everything you loved about early NSYNC and Britney Spears melodies". Digital Spy's Amy Davidson described the song as "gloriously '90s". Forbes contributor Hugh McIntyre described it as a noticeable departure from her previous work, adding that it is "sultrier and a little more aggressive". Lucy Bacon of MTV News called it a "girl power anthem". Mike Wass of Idolator praised the song, describing it as "slinky, turn-of-the-millennium R&B/pop" and tipped it as a cross between Christina Aguilera and Destiny's Child. According to Times Nolan Feeney, the song has NSYNC vibes, and probably could have been a Britney Spears song 15 years ago.Isabella Biedenharn of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Trainor "serves up a catchy sundae of whistles and sassy quips" on "No". Writing for Newsday, Glenn Gamboa opined that the singer puts her own twists on the usual club tale, using a Destiny's Child-esque style to create an empowerment song that is "so catchy that it's tough to shake". Describing it as a "clubby/girl-group rumbler", Knoxville News Sentinels Chuck Campbell stated that her brush-off of a suitor on it is playful. Chris Conaton of PopMatters wrote that "No" fits right in Trainor's wheelhouse, but described it as a far cry from the doo wop and early girl group-inspired songs on her debut record. Spin's Dan Weiss stated that the song, which has a chorus influenced by TLC, wipes out the "pastel-colored trauma" from "All About That Bass", calling the end result seamless and glorious. According to Slant Magazines Alexa Camp, it pretends to be a suffragette's anthem as if "rejecting an unsolicited suitor were the ultimate expression of female agency". Writing for ABC News, Allan Raible stated that "No" has "its heart in the right place", but ends up being gimmicky. He added that the song is built around a watered-down version of music released by Destiny's Child and En Vogue years earlier.
Billboard named "No" the 100th best song of 2016, writing that "after decades of men singing to women they know 'want it' on the dance floor, Meghan Trainor hits the club and K.O.'s the entitled male ego with one simple word: 'No'", describing it as the middle ground between "Dear Future Husband" and "actually finding that husband", adding that the singer "shut down a lot of bull" on it. On the other hand, Time named "No" the eighth-worst song of 2016, noting that Trainor had been criticized in the past for "espousing anti-feminist messages in her lyrics and interviews", and that "'No', on its surface, "seemed like a corrective". The staff called the song's message "flimsy" and its melody "uninspired and repetitive", while also asserting that it showcases her "blaccent", and called it "a noteworthy example of the kind of cultural appropriation that has plagued popular music throughout its history".
Chart performance
"No" debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated March 26, 2016, marking her highest entrance. The single opened at number two on Digital Songs with 113,000 copies sold in its first week of release. "No" also debuted at number 21 on Radio Songs, marking the highest debut on the chart since Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" had debuted at number 6 more than five years prior. Also, "No" added 3.3 million first-week domestic streams, even without an official music video or audio on Trainor's Vevo channel. In its third week, "No" entered the Hot 100's top ten on the chart dated April 9, 2016, ascending from 12 to 6 and becoming her fourth song to reach the top ten. The song marked her fastest climb to the top ten, besting the four-week ascent of "All About That Bass". Additionally, "No" became Trainor's second number-one song on the Digital Songs chart, after selling 128,000 downloads during that week. The following week, besides descending to number two on the Digital Songs chart with 147,000 downloads sold, "No" ascended from six to three on the Hot 100, becoming Trainor's second top-three song. It was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA for shipments of 2 million copies and placed at number 45 on the Billboard Year-end chart for 2016."No" was successful in Canada, peaking at number 10, and being certified 3x platinum by Music Canada. The song went number one on the Mexico Ingles Airplay chart and in Latvia. It debuted at number 59 on the UK Singles Chart, and later peaked at number 11. "No" peaked at number 20 on the Irish Singles Chart, and at number 77 in Poland. Despite its low chart peak, the song was certified 2x platinum in the latter country. It reached number six in Spain. "No" peaked at number nine in Australia, and spent a total of 13 weeks on the chart. The song was certified 3x platinum for shipments of over 210,000 units by the ARIA. It reached number 18 in New Zealand, and was eventually certified gold by the RMNZ. Other chart peaks include number three in Israel and number two in South Africa.
Music video
Background
The accompanying music video for "No" was shot on March 4, 2016, and directed by Fatima Robinson. Trainor wanted the music video to be darker, more sexually appealing and very different than her previous works, in order to match the different sound of the song. She aimed for it to be of the standard of her music video for "All About That Bass", but with completely the opposite feel. The video included several choreographed routines with a dance move for each lyric; Trainor said it was the most she had danced in her life. Trainor's stylist, Maya Krispin, chose 1990s pop-inspired outfits for the singer that were comfortable enough for her to dance in. Trainor was particularly drawn to metallic gold coat designed by Isabel Marant which was light and aided great movement. Other outfits chosen included a black sequined blazer by Veronica Beard and a customized crimson outfit by Michael Costello. Krispin custom designed the rest of Trainor ensemble: a black jumpsuit with a bedazzled bra, and fishnet bodysuit. Although Trainor wanted the video to be sexier, she opted to wear bodysuits that fully covered her body because she felt insecure about showing her cleavage, particularly her arms. Trainor first shared a still from the clip on Instagram on March 16. The music video was released on YouTube and Vevo on March 21.Synopsis
The music video begins with Trainor walking through an abandoned warehouse filled with smoke and old industrial machines. A troupe of backup dancers join her at a location in the warehouse where they perform a tightly choreographed dance routine. Trainor is also shown in individual scenes kneeling on a floor while throwing her hair back and forth, and standing in front of a high-powered fan. She later proceeds to dance on a platform in the warehouse, accompanied by the troupe. In another segment, Trainor is seen on a couch intertwining her legs with other women and touching theirs and her own cleavage. Throughout the video, there are black and red silhouette shots of a woman dancing with torch flames. Near the end, she appears dancing with open flares.Reception
The music video for "No" was well received by critics. Lynch likened Trainor's styling to early 2000s music videos by Spears, and late 1990s videos by Madonna, adding: "It's a much sexier look than we're used to seeing from Trainor, but she owns it, looking as comfortable in the vaguely Erotica-esque outfits of the "No" video as she did in the Easter pastels of her 'All About That Bass' clip". Lorena Blas of USA Today highlighted Trainor's choreography and her growth from "All About That Bass", comparing it to choreography by Missy Elliott and Janet Jackson, and Destiny's Child's music video for "Jumpin', Jumpin'". Atkinson complimented Trainor's "tough-and-sexy look" and found the video "very Y2K-leaning", likening it to a number of late 1990s and early 2000s music videos. Sasha Geffen from MTV News shared this view, writing that the "No" video "brings back some major '90s pop vibes — think TLC, Destiny's Child, and Britney Spears — and even seems to nod to those early iPod commercials with its black and red silhouette shots". Joey Nolfi of Entertainment Weekly highlighted its change from the subdued style of Trainor's music video for "Like I'm Gonna Lose You", commenting that she was "confidently stomping through" and pursuing "genuine pop star choreography". John Paul Stapleton of The Boston Globe opined that the video "shows a more sultry side" of the singer and "recalls Janet Jackson in her prime". Jordan Simon from Idolator complimented Trainor's edgier image, noting that she "gracefully avoids the sophomore slump" with the video. Jennifer Davis of InStyle wrote that the clip showed Trainor in a whole new light, and deemed the singer "unapologetic" and her dancing "fierce".Osterheldt found the song better than the music video, but said the video's sexiness strengthened the message of "No" and praised it for "normalizing a woman's right to say no, in a sexy way", reasoning: "Too often men think a woman's clothes or demeanor mean that she is asking for it, that they are entitled to her body". In less enthusiastic reviews, Brodsky said Nicki Minaj "did the underground dominatrix thing better" with her music video for "Only", while Dennis Hinzmann of Out magazine criticized Trainor's dancing, writing: "Unfortunately for her the pros show her up and make her look for the most part noncommittal. If you're going to pop, lock, and head snap, you have to feel it in your soul".