No Excuses

"No Excuses" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Meghan Trainor for her third major-label studio album, Treat Myself. Trainor co-wrote it with Jacob Kasher Hindlin and Andrew Wells, who produced it as well. Epic Records released it on March 1, 2018, as the lead single from Trainor's upcoming third major-label studio album. "No Excuses" was announced in February 2018 along with its official single artwork. "No Excuses" is a pop song with country influences.

Colin Tilley directed the music video for "No Excuses", which accompanied the song's release on March 1, 2018. It features visual effects showing Trainor with two carbon copies of herself and Trainor donning various outfits that are inspired by the '80s, in pastel-colored backdrops. She will perform the song live on The Ellen DeGeneres Show the day after its release and on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon later.

Background and release
Trainor co-wrote "No Excuses" with Jacob Kasher Hindlin and Andrew Wells, who also handled the song's production. She revealed the song's title and overall vibe on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon by saying, "don't disrespect me. I'm a woman, have you never met one before?" In the following days, Trainor revealed song lyrics including: "I don't disrespect you, don't you disrespect me", and "Have you lost your mind...open up your eyes." On February 25, 2018, Trainor referenced the song in a letter she published on her site and social media, followed by unveiling of the single's artwork the next day.

While describing the song, Trainor said "it needs to be heard right now -- the world could use a song like this. It's about respect -- we need a little more R-E-S-P-E-C-T in the world, especially right now," and called it the "sassiest" song on its parent album. Sonically, "No Excuses" is a pop song with country influences. It was described as a sexism-blasting empowerment anthem. It features Trainor singing over a "funky, retro" beat.

Critical reception
Writing for the Daily Express, Shaun Kitchener thought that "No Excuses" was Trainor returning to the "bouncy pop roots" of her first studio album, Title (2015). Entertainment Tonight Canada writer Shakiel Mahjouri noted that the song is taking an aim at sexism, and added that the funky and retro song showcases Trainor's "trademark wit and attitude". MTV News' Sam Prance described the song as "amazing" and "incredible and dubbed it a "stomping girl-power anthem" with a brilliant and catchy chorus.

Writing for Bustle, Emily Czachor praised the track, writing that it "touts a marked air of female grit," which seems "particularly relevant right now." It was described as a "newly minted, funk-laden" song. Jezebel's Clover Hope likened it to Aretha Franklin's rendition of "Respect" and called it a "sassy Time's Up-inspired jam", adding "the orchestrated sass is built into Trainor’s voice."

Chart Performance
"No Excuses" debuted and peaked at number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent a total of 12 weeks on the chart. The song peaked at number 17 on the Adult Contemporary chart and at number 16 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for one million copies certified units.

Music Video
The song's music video, directed by Colin Tilley, premiered on the same day as the song's release, which Trainor had previously teased on her Instagram account along with a short behind the scenes look at it. The video features visual effects showing the singer with two "carbon copies" of herself. The video features looks inspired by the '80s, including Trainor donning a denim jacket and another one that looks like a cheerleader outfit. Patrick Hosken of MTV News noted that the looks "belong in a mall-pop video from 1987."