Pop sensation Meghan Trainor is no stranger to the spotlight—or the winner’s circle. She scored her first major win with the Grammy for Best New Artist at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards in 2016. That same year, her breakout hit “All About That Bass” earned nominations for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It’s no surprise she’s found such lasting success. Trainor’s signature blend of pop beats and empowering affirmations has made her a cross-generational icon. Her music uplifts, inspires and gets stuck in your head—in the best way.
Most recently, Trainor was honored at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music Awards, and she’s feeling more driven than ever. In a candid interview with Reader’s Digest, she shared that she’s ready to step outside her comfort zone, not just for her fans but also for herself. With two young sons (Barry and Riley), a supportive husband (actor Daryl Sabara—yep, the kid from Spy Kids!) and four lovable dogs, Trainor somehow manages to juggle it all without sacrificing her health or happiness.
In our exclusive interview, the pop powerhouse opens up about the future of her music, her creative process and the big goals she’s set for herself this year. She also gets candid about what keeps her grounded, how she cares for her pets, the women who inspire her and the unexpected career she’d pursue if she weren’t in the music industry. (Spoiler: It involves solving crimes and tracking down suspects).
So keep reading for a fun, honest and inspiring deep dive into Trainor’s world—where you’ll see just what it takes to become (and stay) a true pop icon.
This video interview took place on April 4, 2025, and has been edited for length and clarity.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more interviews, true stories, fun facts, humor and entertainment all week long.
Reader’s Digest: You have four adorable dogs. I love the names: Biggie, Ruby, Lilo and Soca. Is Lilo based on the kids’ show Lilo & Stitch?
Meghan Trainor: Of course! For our Chihuahua, I was like, “I want you to be Stitch, but we’re going to make you Lilo.” I like the live-action—it’s so good!
Reader’s Digest: Do you have any tips for pet owners looking for the right food to feed their pets, especially when it comes to your collaboration with Freshpet*?
Meghan Trainor: My husband and I started this really amazing health journey years ago when I first got pregnant because I had gestational diabetes, and we had to learn what you eat spikes your blood sugar right away. So then I was obsessed with it, and then he taught me because he’s brilliant. He was like, “Ingredients are key.” So everything we pick up to buy at the grocery store, we flip it over, no matter what it says on the front, and read the ingredients.
Then we looked at our babies, our dogs, and were like, “Y’all need to be eating some good food as well.” We heard about Freshpet, and we wanted to do a collaboration because I love their food, and my dogs actually love their food. They are obsessed. It’s all they eat; they love it so much. I told [the company] we should do a jingle, and if they want to spread the word about Freshpet, people should sing about it. So I wrote a song that day, and then I was like, let’s do a music video and all my dogs could be in it.
For new pet owners, what you feed your pets is very important for a long, healthy life. Also make sure you have family and friends who can help you with your pets. I travel so much, and on some days, our kids need extra love and attention. So I have a lot of babysitters around me, my family. My older brother takes care of my one poodle when needed. We have babysitters. We spread them out. Sometimes four [dogs] is a lot—that was a crazy choice. So make sure you have help.
Reader’s Digest: I watched your speech at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event. Congratulations on winning the Hitmaker Award! You’re not new to winning awards, so what did this award mean for you specifically?
Meghan Trainor: It’s been a while, so I was like, Oh, at least I get a warning that I’m going to go up there and give a speech. So I had to write a speech. The whole week before, I was panicking. My team and my managers tried to write me a speech, and it was just so not me. I was like, “I love y’all, but I’m going to tear this up.” Then I started just from my heart. I just wrote out what I really wish.
For a while, I’ve been like, I don’t have a bestie that really understands me. My team, my family, my brothers—they’re my best friends. But they’re never in my shoes, you know? They’re never feeling what I’m feeling. But I thought all these women, all the superwomen in this room tonight, get me.
So my mom is always like, “We should have a sleepover party,” because my mom and I would throw the best sleepovers at my house in high school, and my mom would get all the snacks, and it was the best time. And I was like, we should do that together with women in the industry. Just one big sleepover and just talk it out—talk about how crazy this is and what weird experiences we’ve had and help each other. I thought that’d be so cool, so I threw that out there. I haven’t checked my DMs, but I hope someone DM’d me about a sleepover because that’d be really fun.
Reader’s Digest: In your speech, you talked about how you want your music to be relatable. Your music is so catchy and so fun, but it also has a lot of meaning to it. So when it comes to your songwriting process, what is it like for you when writing your own songs, and how would you compare the process of writing for yourself versus other people?
Meghan Trainor: That’s all I’ve been doing right now—writing for other artists. They have been coming to my house, and I will sit and take a day with them, but it’s known before we get there that we will write a song for you, which is nice. So it’s not like, “Oh, who’s gonna cut this?” And then every other day, I’m writing for me, and the only difference is when you have the artists in the room, you get to ask, “What do you want to say? What’s important to you?”
What’s important for me to say is to be kinder to yourself. I need to be more confident. I want to love myself more, so I write that in my songs. I also write manifestations. I write like, “Damn, I look so good.” I love it, and it works. I’ve seen it work since “All About That Bass” to “Made You Look,” so I’m like, can I just write those forever? I love it when parents come up to me and they’re like, “Thank you for being something that we can play in the house. Thank you for not having that many swears and for having good music videos that we could play.” It means the world. And now, as a parent, all my kids do is watch music videos after bath time and before bed. We just watch a lot of my music videos.
Reader’s Digest: You have an incredible career. You’re a pop star, but you’re also a parent and a wife and have four dogs. How do you balance it all? How do you focus on yourself while handling the duties of your day-to-day responsibilities?
Meghan Trainor: At 31, I’m still trying to learn how to ask for help, and saying no is the hardest thing for me. I think boundaries are very hard, but I did it today, and I did a good job. I had a session every day this week so far, and I’m so burnt out and exhausted. I was in bed at 9 p.m. shaking, and my husband was like, “You should really cancel tomorrow’s session. You don’t need to do it. There’s no time pressure. You should speak up for yourself and ask for the day off.” And I was like, “But I can’t disappoint people, you know?” And then I finally was in bed, ready to cry, and I was like, “All right, I’m texting them.” It was really hard, but I have to take care of myself or else I’m going to be useless to everyone.
Reader’s Digest: Thank you for being open, because the experience that you go through is incredibly relatable.
Meghan Trainor: I’m in therapy once a week. I have antidepressants. I have many doctors that I call all the time. I’m in the gym three times a week. I’m taking care of myself. I try to eat really, really healthy. It’s a lot, it’s great and I’m sleepy.
Reader’s Digest: You talked about how winning the Hitmaker Award was a reminder that you’re still doing it. Do you have any goals, either professionally or personally, that you want to accomplish before the year ends?
Meghan Trainor: I’d like to do a little acting. I think that would be fun—doing things that scare me. I gotta make new dreams, because I could do it. I could do anything, especially when you have a C-section and you live and survive, you’re like: Nothing can stop me—I can do it all.
I like to put on my list one thing a year that scares me, and then I want to make more babies. As crazy as that is, I want more children because I’m not tired enough. You know, bring it on. My husband, he’s got a new manager, and he is going to get in to the acting world more again. And that’s very exciting. So I’m going to be No. 1 supportive wife, and I’m writing an album now. I’m in the studio, and I’m writing a lot.
Reader’s Digest: With the new music that you want to release, are there any new messages that you want your fans to take from them?
Meghan Trainor: Positive affirmations, sassy girl stuff. I just want people to dance. I want them to dance and smile and smirk and be like, “Oh my God, that’s me!”
Reader’s Digest: If you could collaborate with any artist past or present, who would it be?
Meghan Trainor: Everyone. I love Miley Cyrus. Lady Gaga is pretty rad too. Have you seen “Abracadabra”? It’s my favorite song ever. Brandy … I love Brandy! I don’t want to sing, though, because she’s so good at singing.
Reader’s Digest: Is there a difference in how you want to approach your music career this year compared to last year? Any changes when it comes to the direction or the sound, even though you’re still going to focus on dancing and empowerment?
Meghan Trainor: I’ve been in the studio. So far, I’ve only had one session, but I always see people try to hate on me and go, “Your music sounds like Christmas music,” and I’m like, “That’s my favorite.” I don’t know—I‘m trying to find a new pocket that’s still my doo-wop, but it’s also like how Sabrina Carpenter bringing the full band or Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan. I’m so inspired by all these amazing women taking over and just running the game, and I want to bring an instrument, man. I want to bring the band back. It’s been me and my track and dancers for a minute, so I think I want to bring the band back.
Rapid Response with Meghan Trainor
Want more fun tidbits about Trainor? Check out her answers below.
Reader’s Digest: Cats or dogs?
Meghan Trainor: Dogs. I love both.
Reader’s Digest: Aisle seat or window?
Meghan Trainor: Window.
Reader’s Digest: Mornings or nights?
Meghan Trainor: Nights.
Reader’s Digest: Would you rather time-travel to the past or the future?
Meghan Trainor: The future.
Reader’s Digest: What advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
Meghan Trainor: You’re doing great.
Reader’s Digest: What is your favorite comfort food?
Meghan Trainor: Popcorn.
Reader’s Digest: If you weren’t a singer or songwriter, what would you be doing?
Meghan Trainor: A detective.
*Editor’s note: Reader’s Digest does not endorse any specific products or services.
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this interview with singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, Reader’s Digest Associate Editor Mariah Thomas tapped her experiences as a celebrity interviewer, lifestyle writer and editor of more than five years. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
