Meghan Trainor; T-Pain.Photo:Taylor Hill/FilmMagic, Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic, Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage
Working withT-Painwas a dream come true forMeghan Trainor.
The Grammy-winning “Made You Look” singer, 30, spoke about her excitement for the collaboration and how it came together during an interview on Tuesday’s episode ofLive with Kelly and Mark. Initially, Trainor made the song on her own before sending it to T-Pain, 39, who “didn’t respond” for some time.
Once the “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')” performer finally heard “Been Like This,” Trainor recalled, “He was like, ‘I love it, whoa!’ And I was like, ‘Are you going to do a verse?’ And he’s like, ‘For sure.’ And then like, never responded. I was like, ‘He hates me.’”
Trainor explained that T-Pain is her “favorite artist,” so she felt compelled to ask about the collaboration once again. “Then finally, on my 30th birthday, he came and surprised me at my house. [He] was like, ‘Happy birthday. I did the verse. I’m sorry I ghosted you. Boom!’ And played it,” she said.
The result felt like a product that’d been a lifetime in the making for the “Me Too” star. “I’ve been very aggressive about how much I love T-Pain for the past 10 years on every interview. They’re like, ‘Who do you love?’ I’m like, ‘Carole King and T-Pain,'” she said. “People think it’s so cute.”
After getting in touch via social media, Trainor and T-Pain “finally started texting a year ago” before discussing a musical team-up. “I was like, ‘This is it, man. We’re going to collab.’ I kind of forced it,” she said.
“This is the craziest s— that anybody’s ever done, period,” said T-Pain in the video. “Look, it’s the actual f—ing newspaper, bro!”
T-Pain performs in New Zealand in January 2024.Dave Simpson/WireImage
Dave Simpson/WireImage
The hip-hop icon then read out Trainor’s kind words from the ad. “This is a letter of appreciation for the one and only T-Pain. The first time I heard your music, I knew I had found my favorite artist of all time. Your musicality and lyrics blew my mind,” she wrote.
“Rhyming ‘Wisconsin’ with ‘mansion’ is expert level songwriting and it motivated me to no end,” added Trainor, referencing his 2008 single “Can’t Believe It” featuringLil Wayne. “You inspired me to be the artist I am today. Thank you for paving the way for not only me, but an entire generation of music makers.”
She credited T-Pain for “changing the game and how songs are made,” thanking him “for being the kindest, most humble hero.”
Meghan Trainor in Los Angeles in August 2022.Unique Nicole/Getty
“I cannot believe we got to collaborate and create a song together. I’m still in shock and feel like I’m living in a dream world. I’m forever grateful to you for you and your music have impacted my life,” said Trainor. “Thank you, T-Pain, for making my dreams come true music with me. You’ve Been Like This since birth, I love you.”
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T-Pain performs at the Soul Train Awards in November 2023.Paras Griffin/Getty
Paras Griffin/Getty
“He saw it, and he loved it. It’s not enough, I got to thank him for the rest of my life because he truly made my dreams come true,” said Trainor, who revealed the music video might shock fans who aren’t aware of T-Pain’s dancing skills.
“He did a music video with me that’s coming out soon where he is the greatest dancer. I think we all forgot because we were like, ‘Oh, he’s so talented at singing and writing lyrics,’” she said. “But this dude was giving robot. He was like dripping sweat, giving 110%.”
“Been Like This” will appear onTimeless, which is set for a June 14 release. In September, Trainor will embark on The Timeless Tour with special guests including Natasha Bedingfield, Chris Olsen and Ryan Trainor.
source: people.com
