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"Bills, Bills, Bills" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, ''
The Writing's on the Wall ''The Writing's on the Wall'' is the second studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child, released in Japan on July 14, 1999, and in the US on July 27, 1999, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Missy Elliott, Kevin "She'kspere" ...
'' (1999). It was written by
Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
,
LeToya Luckett LeToya Nicole Luckett (born March 11, 1981) is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a founding member of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. As a me ...
,
Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...
,
Kandi Burruss Kandi Lenice Burruss Tucker (born May 17, 1976), known professionally by her mononym Kandi, is an American producer, television personality, singer, songwriter and actress. She first gained notice in 1992 as a member of the female vocal group Xs ...
of Xscape, and
Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs is an American record producer, known for producing the TLC #1 hit " No Scrubs" and various Destiny's Child songs from the album ''The Writing's on the Wall''. Briggs' then girlfriend, former Xscape singer Kandi Burrus ...
and produced by the latter. The song was released as the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from ''The Writing's on the Wall'' on May 31, 1999, by Columbia Records. "Bills, Bills, Bills" became Destiny's Child's first number-one single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Internationally, it reached the top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Critically acclaimed, the song was nominated for two Grammy Awards in
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes: *From 1967 to 1968 the ...
and
Best R&B Song The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record four times, while Bab ...
. The accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "Bills, Bills, Bills", directed by
Darren Grant Darren Grant is an American television, film and music video director. He has directed over eighty music videos for mostly R&B and hip hop artists. In 2005, Grant directed his debut film Tyler Perry's '' Diary of a Mad Black Woman''. In 2008, ...
, was filmed in a
beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, and medical spas. Beauty treatments Massage for the body is a ...
as a tribute to Beyoncé's mother
Tina Knowles Tina may refer to: People * Tina (given name), people and fictional characters with the given name ''Tina'' Places *Tina, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran *Tina, Tunisia, a town in Sfax Governorate, Tunisia *Tina, Guadalcanal, Solomon ...
. In 2021, the song resurged in popularity on streaming platforms, as well as
TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version o ...
, where it became the most popular "comeback" track in the United States and the United Kingdom that year.


Background and composition

"Bills, Bills, Bills" is one of the five tracks that Destiny's Child worked with
Kandi Burruss Kandi Lenice Burruss Tucker (born May 17, 1976), known professionally by her mononym Kandi, is an American producer, television personality, singer, songwriter and actress. She first gained notice in 1992 as a member of the female vocal group Xs ...
and She'kspere on their sophomore album that would help create their signature sound. Burruss stated that the idea for the song came to them when they were in a store and Briggs began beat-boxing the beat in his head. Burruss also claimed that the lyrics, specifically the verses for the song, were inspired by personal dating experiences she had. The group members expanded on writing lyrics for the song after the concept was presented to them. Musically, the song is a sassy, playful, and jittery R&B track with slinky instrumentation led by harpsichord- synthesizers. The track is described to have a quirky melody and descriptive lyrics that draw attention to listeners because of the story the group members are singing.


Release

In the United States, "Bills, Bills, Bills" was serviced to
urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...
and rhythmic contemporary radio stations on May 31, 1999, and June 1, 1999, respectively. The single was then released physically in the United States on CD, maxi-CD, 12-inch vinyl, and cassette. In the United Kingdom, the song was issued on July 12, 1999, as a cassette and two maxi-CDs. Germany and France soon followed with maxi-CDs for the song being released on July 16, and July 26, respectively. The track was later sent to US contemporary hit radio on July 20, 1999.


Commercial performance

In the United States, "Bills, Bills, Bills" debuted at number 84 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and climbed to number one five weeks later, dethroning Jennifer Lopez's debut single "
If You Had My Love "If You Had My Love" is the debut single by American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez. It was released on May 4, 1999, as the lead single from her debut studio album, ''On the 6'' (1999). The song was written by LaShawn Daniels, Cory Rooney, Je ...
" from the top spot. It was Destiny's Child's first song to peak at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was the ninth-best-selling single of 1999 in the United States. "Bills, Bills, Bills" also reached number one on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
for nine consecutive weeks. In the United Kingdom, "Bills, Bills, Bills" peaked at number six on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.


Music video

The video takes place in a hair salon, inspired by Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mother and the group's fashion stylist at the time. The video starts with Beyoncé arguing with her boyfriend and being fed up with him asking for her car keys. Destiny's Child are seen doing hair styling on clients. The members then do some choreography with salon chairs in light pink ensembles. In another setting, Destiny's Child are wearing black and white, zebra-like patterned outfits while so-called "broke", "tired", and "good for nothin'" men are seen in rooms behind them. The final setting for the video takes place in front a wall of glass block windows. Here, the members are wearing shiny blue outfits. The video is edited when the members are singing to the camera to make them move jittery to the beat. The video made its premiere on music video stations such as
BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
, MTV, and The Box on the week ending June 13, 1999.


Track listings

US CD and cassette single # "Bills, Bills, Bills" (album version) – 4:16 # "
Bug a Boo "Bug a Boo" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their second studio album ''The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by band members Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson and Kelly Rowland along with ...
" (snippet) – 1:18 # "So Good" (snippet) – 1:03 # "Now That She's Gone" (snippet) – 1:11 US maxi-CD and 12-inch single, Australian CD single # "Bills, Bills, Bills" (album version) – 4:16 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Digital Black-N-Groove club mix) – 7:16 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" (a cappella) – 4:00 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" (
Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...
's Xclusive Livegig mix) – 7:33 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive dub mix) – 8:04 UK CD1 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" – 4:16 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" (I Can't Go for That remix) – 3:57 # " No, No, No" (Part II—featuring
Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...
) – 3:30 UK CD2 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" – 4:16 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Livegig mix) – 7:33 # "With Me Part II" (featuring Master P) – 4:14 UK cassette single # "Bills, Bills, Bills" – 4:16 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" (I Can't Go for That remix) – 3:57 European CD1 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" – 4:16 # "I Can't Go for That" ("Bills, Bills, Bills" remix radio edit) – 3:39 European CD2 # "Bills, Bills, Bills" – 4:16 # "I Can't Go for That" ("Bills, Bills, Bills" remix radio edit) – 3:38 # "I Can't Go for That" ("Bills, Bills, Bills" remix) – 3:57 # "No, No, No" (Part I) – 4:07 # "With Me Part II" (featuring Master P) – 4:14


Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the US CD single liner notes and ''
The Writing's on the Wall ''The Writing's on the Wall'' is the second studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child, released in Japan on July 14, 1999, and in the US on July 27, 1999, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Missy Elliott, Kevin "She'kspere" ...
'' album booklet. Studios * Recorded at Digital Services (Houston, Texas) and DARP Studios (Atlanta, Georgia) * Mixed at Larrabee North Studios (
Universal City, California Universal City is an unincorporated area within the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Approximately 415 acres (1.7 km) within and around the surrounding area is the property of Universal Pictur ...
) Personnel *
Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs is an American record producer, known for producing the TLC #1 hit " No Scrubs" and various Destiny's Child songs from the album ''The Writing's on the Wall''. Briggs' then girlfriend, former Xscape singer Kandi Burrus ...
– writing (as Kevin Briggs), all instruments, midi and sound, production, vocal production, recording * Kandi – writing *
Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
– writing, vocal production *
LeToya Luckett LeToya Nicole Luckett (born March 11, 1981) is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a founding member of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. As a me ...
– writing *
Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...
– writing * Michael Calderon – recording * Vernon Mungo – recording * Claudine Pontier – recording assistant * Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing * Steve Baughman – mixing assistant


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Cover versions

Sporty Thievz Sporty Thievz is a Yonkers, New York-based hip-hop duo—originally a trio—composed of King Kirk (a.k.a. Thieven Stealburg), Big Dubez (a.k.a. Safecracker) and Marlon Bryant Brando (March 19, 1979 – May 11, 2001; a.k.a. Robin Hood). allmusic ...
, the same group that wrote "No Pigeons" as an answer song to TLC's "No Scrubs", wrote a response to "Bills, Bills, Bills" entitled "No Billz (Why, Why, Why)." Sporty Thievz were also featured on "I Can't Go For That", a re-recorded remix of "Bills, Bills, Bills" with new lyrics, produced by the Trackmasters, along with a rapper called Jazz. In 2015, New York-based rock band
They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a ...
recorded a
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
, later released on their album '' Phone Power''. The song was also performed a cappella by the fictional Dalton Academy Warblers group on the American musical television series ''
Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' in the eleventh episode of the second season, entitled The Sue Sylvester Shuffle.


See also

* List of number-one R&B singles of 1999 (U.S.) *
List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1999 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best singles of the United States. Published by '' Billboard'' magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen SoundScan based collectively on each single's weekly physical sales and airplays. ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control 1999 singles 1999 songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Destiny's Child songs Music videos directed by Darren Grant Songs with feminist themes Songs written by Beyoncé Songs written by LeToya Luckett Songs written by Kelly Rowland Songs written by Kandi Burruss Songs written by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs Songs written by LaTavia Roberson They Might Be Giants songs