Meghan Trainor's career nearly stopped by bullies

Meghan Trainor "stopped trying" to be a singer after she was targeted by bullies.

The 22-year-old is one of the hottest stars in the music industry right now, thanks to hits such as All About That Bass, Lips Are Movin and No. But if she had listened to her critics at school, Meghan's life could have taken a very different turn.

"I always wanted to be a pop star, but that was like saying, 'I want to be a firefighter'," Meghan told Britain's Evening Standard newspaper. "You think as a kid,'That’s what I am going to be,' but it doesn’t usually happen.

"When I got into my teens I became a little more insecure. You get picked on and bullied, and I would think, 'I’ll never be a famous pop star, I don’t look like these stars do.'

"I stopped trying for a while, but eventually all my dreams did come true."

Meghan first found success writing songs for other people before landing her record deal in 2014. She has become a role model for curvy women, thanks to the empowering tune All About That Bass, but admits her figure was often a point of ridicule during her school years.

"I was comparing pictures of me nowadays to pictures of me from high school the other day," she said. "My brother said, 'This is a young, insecure Meghan and this is a confident, beautiful Meghan'. You can just see how my face is lit up and how much happier I am, compared to when I was insecure and hated myself."

Thankfully, Meghan moved on from being the subject of bullies, and even took home the Best New Artist gong at the Grammy Awards earlier this year (16).

She also loves the fact that people can relate to her music, adding: "I just want people to enjoy the music, but if the music can help in their lives, that’s even better."