‘Bootylicious’, ‘Survivor’, ‘Lose My Breath’…Destiny’s Child are responsible for some of the biggest hits of the past two decades. The R&B girl group’s impact is massive, but arguably it was their 1999 release ‘Bills, Bills, Bills’ that kicked the band’s career into the stratospheric levels we’re now used to.
Grammy nominated and a Billboard 100 topper, the platinum selling song was an early indicator of the success the band were destined to achieve, so, how did they write it?
Destiny’s Child’s earliest formation was in 1990, in Houston Texas, when a nine-year-old Beyonce Knowles was first introduced to LaTavia Robertson at an audition. Originally named Girl’s Tyme, the group went through several line-up changes, before becoming a quartet in 1993, Beyonce and LaTavia joined by Kelly Rowland and LeToya Luckett.
After releasing their debut, self-titled album in 1998, the following year saw their follow up ‘The Writing’s on the Wall’ turn Destiny’s Child into the chart-topping powerhouse we’re now used to.
The album was stacked full of hit singles, like ‘Say My Name’, ‘Jumpin, Jumpin’ and ‘Bug a Boo’, but the one that kickstarted the record’s success was lead single ‘Bills, Bills, Bills’.
With its distinctive, jangling opening riff, and now-iconic lyrics, all topped off with the almighty earworm chorus, it’s a smash. Topping the charts and nominated for two Grammy Awards, it was an early precursor of just how successful Destiny’s Child would be. For the latest in NME Explains, we take a look at how the mega-hit was created. Watch the video in full above.
The post NME Explains: How Destiny’s Child wrote ‘Bills, Bills, Bills’ appeared first on NME.