Meghan Trainor is usually the queen of "love yourself" anthems and neon-colored music videos where everything feels like a giant party. But then she dropped Bad For Me, and suddenly, the doo-wop upbeat energy was gone. It was replaced by something raw. Something that felt like a punch to the gut for anyone who’s ever had to walk away from a person they love.
Honestly, the song caught people off guard. When Bad For Me Meghan Trainor first started trending in June 2022, fans expected another "All About That Bass" vibe. Instead, they got a gospel-infused, piano-heavy track about toxic family dynamics.
It wasn't a PR stunt. It was a therapy session set to music.
The Therapy Session That Sparked the Lyrics
The story behind this track is actually pretty heavy. Meghan didn't just sit down and decide to write a "sad girl pop" song for the charts. It started in her therapist's office.
Basically, she was struggling with a relationship in her life that was draining her. Her therapist gave her a classic homework assignment: write a letter to that person. Say everything you need to say. Get it all out on paper.
So, she did. She wrote the letter, poured her heart out, and hit send.
And then? Silence.
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The person never responded. No "I'm sorry," no "Let's talk," nothing. Just a void. The very next day, Meghan took that rejection and turned it into the lyrics for Bad For Me. You can hear that specific frustration in the bridge when she sings about "promises that you can't keep." It's not just a song; it's the fallout of a real-life confrontation that went nowhere.
Who Is Bad For Me Meghan Trainor Actually About?
This is the question everyone immediately started Googling. Since the lyrics mention "I know we're blood," it was obvious this wasn't about an ex-boyfriend.
People love to speculate. Is it her mom? Her dad?
For a while, there was a huge rumor that it was about her brother, Ryan Trainor. They’re super close, and he’s often in her TikToks, so fans were panicked that there was some secret feud. Meghan had to step in and shut that down pretty quickly. She explicitly stated in interviews, including a sit-down with On Air with Ryan Seacrest, that it is not about Ryan.
She’s been very careful not to name the exact person. She wants to protect what’s left of that privacy, which makes sense. But she hasn't shied away from the "blood" aspect. She’s been open about the fact that toxic relationships don't just happen in dating. Sometimes the people who share your DNA are the ones you have to run from to save your own mental health.
The Teddy Swims Factor
Adding Teddy Swims to the track was a genius move. Meghan’s husband, Daryl Sabara, was actually the one who suggested it. They were reportedly lying in bed listening to the demo when Daryl sat up and said, "This is your Teddy Swims song."
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He was right.
Teddy’s raspy, soulful voice brings a level of "grown-up" weight to the track. It stops it from being a standard pop ballad and moves it into that gospel-soul territory. Their chemistry on stage—like when they performed it on Jimmy Kimmel Live!—showed a side of Meghan that felt much more mature than her earlier "Title" era.
Why This Song Hit Differently in 2022
The timing mattered. Meghan had just become a mom to her first son, Riley.
Anyone who’s had a kid knows that parenthood changes how you view your own parents and relatives. Your tolerance for "BS" goes way down because you’re looking at your child and thinking, "I would never do this to you."
Meghan has talked about how songwriting got way more emotional after she had Riley. She wasn't just writing for the radio anymore. She was writing for her own survival. The album that followed, Takin' It Back, was supposed to be a return to her roots, but Bad For Me proved that those roots had grown up.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Message"
There’s a misconception that the song is just about "hating" someone. It’s actually the opposite.
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The lyrics say, "I love you endlessly."
That’s the tragedy of the song. It’s about the fact that you can love someone with everything you have and still have to cut them out of your life. It’s a "no contact" anthem. In a world where we’re always told "family is everything" and "forgive and forget," Meghan stood up and said, "Actually, this love is killing me, so I’m leaving."
The track reached number 15 on the Billboard Adult Top 40, but its real impact was on places like Reddit and TikTok, where people used the audio to share their own stories of leaving toxic households.
How to Apply the Lessons from "Bad For Me"
If you're currently dealing with a "blood" relationship that feels more like a burden than a blessing, here are a few takeaways from Meghan's experience:
- Write the letter (even if you don't send it). Meghan used it as a tool for closure. Even if the other person never reads it, getting the words out of your head and onto paper stops them from swirling around and causing more anxiety.
- Silence is an answer. Meghan never got a response to her letter. Instead of waiting forever for a "sorry" that wasn't coming, she accepted the silence as a sign that the relationship couldn't be fixed.
- Boundaries aren't mean. Distancing yourself from a toxic family member isn't "bad." As Meghan told People magazine, "It sucks, but it's doable."
- Find your "Teddy Swims." No, not a literal singer, but a support system. Meghan had Daryl and her brothers to lean on when she decided to go public with such a personal struggle. Don't do the hard stuff alone.
The song serves as a reminder that your peace of mind is worth more than a title or a family tie. Sometimes, "Takin' It Back" means taking back your own life.
To move forward with your own healing, consider setting one firm boundary this week with someone who drains your energy—whether that's silencing notifications or declining an invitation that you only feel "obligated" to attend.