Like Eminem and Ye, whose early releases were themed series reflecting on the swift changes fame forced on them, Megan is writing ruder, sadder, funnier songs about her relationship with the public. Her new album, Traumazine, revisits the content and thematic conceit of her debut, updating us on life since shouting out Houston and the Hotties during the Grammys. Good News succeeded on many counts, misfires like “Don’t Rock Me to Sleep” notwithstanding, and Megan had an unbeatable 2021, collecting three Grammys and a bachelor’s degree in health administration and keeping the base hydrated with the freestyle tape Something for Thee Hotties. In 2020, Stallion’s debut studio album, Good News, tried to make sense of the tumult in her life while positioning her as a jack of all trades, someone cool enough to kick it with Beyoncé and SZA, barred up enough to exchange lines with 2 Chainz and Young Thug, and capable enough of a vocalist to handle her own R&B hooks without calling in a pro. Meg is navigating the peculiar politics of a career as a mainstream rapper unafraid of overt pop plays, for which you need to be enough of a charmer to make Jimmy Fallon giggle and enough of a braggart to keep the L.A. Two things can be true: It sucks when people gossip about you, and it’s really fun to embarrass them when you see them. ![]() Watching her on television, you get the sense she’d much rather be talking about puppies and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos than bullet wounds and betrayal, but listening to her albums, you feel the unbridled joy derived from the art of talking shit. It’s hard to buy that Megan thrives entirely on the negativity. ![]() ![]() The schism over Meg is symptomatic of a time when we believe whatever version of events we please, facts be damned it also speaks to the lengths people go to in order to discredit a successful woman. Pressure makes diamonds, and Megan Thee Stallion’s mountain range of triumphs and tragedies inspires fans who share aspects of her story - loss of a mother and a grandmother, friendships that devolved into violence and court hearings, denial of due respect in an industry long dominated by men - while sparking the interest of guys who think she lied about being shot in 2020 for clout.
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