Music Review: Destiny's Child "Bills, Bills, Bills"

Destiny’s Child

Bills, Bills, Bills

Album: The Writing’s On the Wall

Year: 1999

          Beyonce’s boyfriend is emptying her bank account in the peeved  “Bills, Bills, Bills."

         Suspicious synths open thes single, setting a perturbed tone. The jeans fit her perfectly. It the was the last pair in her size. She’s been watching the circulars for a sale and finally caught it at the right time. Usually, her size is gone. She hands the cashier her credit card and waits. The cashier frowns and tells her it’s been declined but she’ll try it again. Beyonce nods, thinking it could’ve been a typo. The cashier turns to her, asking if she has another card. She shakes her head and leaves the store. She would call her boyfriend. However, he’s the one she suspects who used her card. Five months ago, he presented himself as a worldly guy, treating her to a day of wine tasting on their first date and going to the ballet.

The last two times they went out for dinner, he had an excuse as to why he couldn’t pay. (“ At first we started out real cool/Taking me places I ain't never been/But now you're getting comfortable and doing those things you did no more you slowly making me pays for things your money should be handling.”)

            Right now, he has her car. This morning, he said his brother his needed his truck to help a friend move and if he could please borrow her car. She gave him keys. She calls her sister to pick her up. Once her sister drops her off at home, she sees her car in the garage and checks the gas. The needle is on E. Her heels pierce the floor as she looks to see where he is. She finds him the family room, watching a movie. She asks him why he couldn’t go to the gas station. There’s one on every corner. He said he didn’t have any money in his account. When he gets his check next week, he’ll pay her back. (“And now you ask to use my car (car)/Drive it all day and don't fill up the tank/And you have the audacity /To even come and step to me/And ask to hold some money from me/Until you get your check next week.”)

            Kelly Rowland has the pre-chorus. She glares at him, thinking what a loser he turned out to be. She can’t believe she’s still with him and hasn’t dumped him yet. (“You triflin', good for nothing type of brother/Silly me, why haven't I found another/A baller, when times get hard I need someone to help me out/Instead of a scrub like you who don't know what a man's about.”)

          They all join in the chorus.  She inquires into his financial situation and then calls him out, despite his pleas that he can pay half.  She tells him he doesn’t any have intention of contributing and breaks it off. (“Can you pay my bills /Can you pay my telephone bills/
Do you pay my automobiles/If you did them maybe we could chill/I don't think you do/So you and me are through/ Can you pay my bills /Can you pay my telephone bills/
Do you pay my automobiles/If you did them maybe we could chill/I don't think you do/So you and me are through.”)

               She tells him what happened to her at the store. She got the mail yesterday and saw her credit card bill. It was triple the amount with a late fee.  It didn’t stop him from using the card while he was out with his friends, picking up everyone’s tab, pretending to be a high roller. She shows him her cellphone bill that has an overage charge. He shrugs, saying maybe someone got a hold of it. She points to his mother’s number and he shuts up. (“Now you been maxing out my card(card)/Give me bad credit, buying gifts with my own ends/Haven't paid the first bill but you steady heading to the mall, going on shopping sprees, perpetrating to your friends that you be ballin'/And then you use my cell phone(phone)/Callin’ who ever that you think at home/Aand then, when the bill comes all of a sudden you be actin’ dumb
don't know where none of these calls come from when your mama's numbers here more than once.”)

            The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

          Rowland repeats part of the bridge four times. (“You trifilin’ good for nothin' type of brother /Oh silly me why haven't i found another?”)

                The chorus is sung once to end the single. 

               Beyonce’s low-key, snappish vocals are bitter, a sour taste starting from the back of her throat to her tongue. No amount of water can wash it out. Now that she knows the truth, she won’t let him use her anymore.

             The simmering “Bills, Bills, Bills” bides it time and then goes off, ambushing her mooching boyfriend without breaking a nail.