Bills, Bills, Bills

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“Bills, Bills, Bills”
“Bills, Bills, Bills” cover
Single by Destiny's Child
from the album The Writing's on the Wall
Released Flag of the United States June 15, 1999
Flag of the United Kingdom July 12, 1999
Flag of Australia September 14, 1999
Flag of Germany September 21, 1999
Format CD maxi single, 12" maxi single
Genre R&B, pop
Length 4:33
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Kevin Briggs, Kandi Burruss, Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, Kelly Rowland
Producer She'kspere
Certification Gold
Destiny's Child singles chronology
"Get on the Bus"
(1999)		 "Bills, Bills, Bills"
(1999)		 "Bug a Boo"
(1999)

"Bills, Bills, Bills" was the first single from Destiny's Child's second album The Writing's on the Wall. It echoed the female empowerment sentiments of TLC's massive summer hit "No Scrubs", and featured the same producer (Kevin She'kspere Briggs) and songwriter (Kandi Burruss). The song provided the quartet with their first US chart-topper in July 1999, and also reached the UK Top 10. The album featured a greater creative input from the quartet, although they still relied on a heavyweight production crew including Rodney Jerkins, Missy Elliott, Chad Elliot, and Dwayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Tone!

The music video for "Bills, Bills, Bills" (directed by Darren Grant) was shot in a beauty salon as a tribute to Tina Knowles, group member Beyoncé Knowles' mother. It was also the first of three videos that would include Farrah Franklin, though she played only a minor role as a salon client.

Contents

[edit] Charts

Chart (1999) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 26
Canadian Singles Chart 9
France Singles Chart 20
German Singles Chart 19
Irish Singles Chart 17
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 12
Swedish Singles Chart 30
UK Singles Chart 6
US Billboard Hot 100 1

"Bills, Bills, Bills" debuted at #84 on the Hot 100 and climbed to #1 five weeks later, where it remained for a week and spent a total of twenty weeks on the chart. It was the first Destiny's Child song that peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also won a BMI Pop award for being the most played song. Before "Bills, Bills, Bills," the only top ten single the group had achieved was "No, No, No Pt. 2".

"Bills, Bills, Bills" also reached number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks for nine consecutive weeks, making it one of the longest running number one singles ever on this chart and the most weeks at the summit in 1999. It was also the ninth best-selling single of the year in the U.S.

In the UK "Bills, Bills, Bills" peaked at number six and went onto sell over 165,000 copies.

[edit] Responses

Despite the success of the single, some listeners questioned the theme, interpreting the demand that the man pay the woman's bills and the accompanying threat of leaving him if he didn't as male bashing. Additionally, the man in the song is subjected to insults, accusing him of being a "triflin', good for nothing type of brother." Destiny's Child countered that their lyrics were meant to be empowering for women[citation needed].

Certain lyrics within the song reveal that the targets of its criticism are men who do not repay debts, not all men in general. These include lines such as "now you've been maxing out my card," "and then you use my cell phone / [...] / and when the bill comes all of a sudden you be acting dumb," and "and now you ask to use my car / Drive it all day and don't fill up the tank." These same complaints are referred to in the refrain, when the women ask, "Can you pay my bills? / Can you pay my telephone bills? / Do you pay my automo' bills?"

Sporty Thievz, the same group that wrong "No Pigeons" as response to TLC's "No Scrubs," wrote a response to "Bills, Bills, Bills" entitled "No Billz (Why, Why, Why)." Sporty Thievz were also featured on the main remix of Bills, Bills, Bills produced by the Trackmasters, along with a female rapper called Jazz.

[edit] Track Listing

[edit] US Single

12" Promo [1]

Side A

  1. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Livegig Mix) - 7:12
  2. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Dub Mix) - 8:03

Side B

  1. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Digital Black-N-Groove Mix) - 7:22
  2. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Album Version) - 4:16
12" Single [2]

Side A

  1. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Album Version) - 4:16
  2. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Digital Black-N-Groove Club Mix) - 7:16
  3. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (A Capella) - 4:00

Side B

  1. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Livegig Mix) - 7:33
  2. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Dub Mix) - 8:04
CD Maxi-Single [3]
  1. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Album Version) - 4:16
  2. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Digital Black-N-Groove Club Mix) - 7:07
  3. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (A Capella) - 4:02
  4. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Livegig Mix) - 7:34
  5. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Dub Mix) - 8:03

[edit] UK Single

CD Maxi-Single [4]
  1. "Bills, Bills, Bills" - 4:16
  2. "Bills, Bills, Bills" (I Can't Go For That Remix) - 3:57
  3. "No, No, No" (Part II) (featuring Wyclef Jean) - 3:30

[edit] France Single

12" Single [5]

Side A

  1. "Bills, Bills, Bills" - 4:16
  2. "I Can't Go For That" (Bills, Bills, Bills Remix) - 3:57

Side B

  1. "I Can't Go For That" (Bills, Bills, Bills Remix - Radio Edit) - 3:38
  2. "I Can't Go For That" (Bills, Bills, Bills Remix - W/O Rap) - 3:22
CD Single [6]
  1. "Bills, Bills, Bills" - 4:16
  2. "I Can't Go For That" (Bills, Bills, Bills Remix) (Radio Edit) - 3:38

[edit] Austria Single

CD Maxi-Single [7]
  1. "Bills, Bills, Bills" - 4:16
  2. "I Can't Go For That" (Bills, Bills, Bills Remix) (Radio Edit) - 3:38
  3. "I Can't Go For That" (Bills, Bills, Bills Remix) - 3:57
  4. "No, No, No" (Part I) - 4:07
  5. "With Me" (Part II) - 4:14

[edit] Formats and remixes

"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Radio Edit)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Acapella)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (#1's Edit)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Jonathan Coulton)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Instrumental)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Digital Black-N-Groove Club Mix Instrumental)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Digital Black-N-Groove Club Mix)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Digital Black-n-Groove Club Radio Remix)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (DJ Def Club's Xclusive Mix)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Dub Mix)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Livegig Mix)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Mix)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (UK Garage Mix)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (D'n'D 2-Step Mix)
"I Can't Go For That" ('BBB' Trackmasters Remix Radio Edit) (feat Jazz-Ming & Sporty Thievz)
"I Can't Go For That" ('BBB' Trackmasters Remix) (feat Jazz-Ming & Sporty Thievz)
"I Can't Go For That" ('BBB' Trackmasters Remix Acapella) (feat Jazz-Ming & Sporty Thievz)
"I Can't Go For That" ('BBB' Trackmasters Remix Instrumental)

[edit] Credits and personnel

  • Lead vocals: Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland
  • Vocal production - Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Kevin Briggs, She'kspere

[edit] References

  1. ^ Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills
  2. ^ Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills
  3. ^ Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills
  4. ^ Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills
  5. ^ Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills
  6. ^ Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills
  7. ^ Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills
v • d • e
Destiny's Child
Beyoncé Knowles · Kelly Rowland · Michelle Williams
Farrah Franklin · LeToya Luckett · LaTavia Roberson
Studio Albums
Other albums
Singles
"No No No"  · "With Me"  · "Get on the Bus"  · "Bills, Bills, Bills"  · "Bug a Boo" · "Say My Name"  · "Jumpin' Jumpin'"  · "Independent Women"  · "Survivor"  · "Bootylicious"  · "Emotion"  · "Nasty Girl"  · "8 Days of Christmas"  · "Lose My Breath"  · "Soldier"  · "Girl"  · "Cater 2 U" · "Stand Up for Love"
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