Bills, bills, bills

"Bills, Bills, Bills" is a 1999 hit single by Destiny's Child, released as the first single from their second album The Writing's on the Wall. It echoed the female empowerment sentiments of TLC's single "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! Toné!. The song was nominated for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" at the 2000 Grammy Awards.

Music video

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.

The clip is featured on the video compilation The Platinum's on the Wall and as an enhanced video on the UK CD Part1 edition of the "Bug a Boo" CD-Single.

Region Date
United States June 15, 1999
United Kingdom July 12, 1999
Australia September 14, 1999
Germany September 21, 1999

Chart performance

"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.

Chart (1999) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[2] 26
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[3] 20
Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[4] 8
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[5] 10
France (SNEP)[6] 20
Germany (Media Control AG)[7] 19
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100)[8] 9
New Zealand (RIANZ)[9] 12
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[10] 30
Switzerland (Media Control AG)[11] 28
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[12] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 1

End of year chart (1999) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[14] 21

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 wrote "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 "I Can't Go For That", a re-recorded remix of Bills, Bills, Bills with new lyrics, produced by the Trackmasters, along with a female rapper called Jazz.

US Single
12" Promo[15]
Side A
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Livegig Mix) - 7:12
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Dub Mix) - 8:03
Side B
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Digital Black-N-Groove Mix) - 7:22
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Album Version) - 4:16
12" Single[16]
Side A
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Album Version) - 4:16
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Digital Black-N-Groove Club Mix) - 7:16
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (A Capella) - 4:00
Side B
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Livegig Mix) - 7:33
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Dub Mix) - 8:04
CD Maxi-Single[17]
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Album Version) - 4:16
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Digital Black-N-Groove Club Mix) - 7:07
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (A Capella) - 4:02
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Livegig Mix) - 7:34
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Dub Mix) - 8:03
CD Single 38K 79175
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Album Version) - 4:16
"Bug-A-Boo" (snippet) - 1:18
"So Good" (snippet) - 1:03
"Now That She's Gone" (snippet) - 1:11

UK Single
CD Maxi-Single[18]
"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) - 3:30

France Single
12" Single[19]
Side A
"Bills, Bills, Bills" - 4:16
"I Can't Go For That" (Bills, Bills, Bills Remix) - 3:57
Side B
"I Can't Go For That" (Bills, Bills, Bills Remix - Radio Edit) - 3:38
"I Can't Go For That" (Bills, Bills, Bills Remix - W/O Rap) - 3:22
CD Single[20]
"Bills, Bills, Bills" - 4:16
"I Can't Go For That" (Bills, Bills, Bills Remix) (Radio Edit) - 3:38

European Maxi Single
CD Maxi-Single COL 665287 2[21]
"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) (featuring Wyclef Jean) - 4:07
"With Me" (Part II) (featuring Master P) - 4:14

Formats and remixes

"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Radio Edit)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Acapella)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (#1's Edit)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Instrumental)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Ben Jay Remix)
"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)1
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Livegig Mix)
"Bills, Bills, Bills" (Maurice's Xclusive Mix)1
"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)
Notes
1 remixes contain re-recorded vocals with Beyoncé (ad-libs) and Kelly (ad-libs on bridge), arranged by Maurice Joshua.

Credits and personnel

Lead vocals: Beyoncé Knowles (2 verses) and Kelly Rowland (2 bridges)
Background vocals: Kelly Rowland, Letoya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, Beyoncé Knowles
Vocal production: Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Letoya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kevin Briggs and She'kspere