The songwriter, singer, and Real Housewives of Atlanta star breaks down the inspiration for five of her most famous songs.
Kandi Burruss Shares the Funny Story Behind Writing Destiny Child's ‘Bills, Bills, Bills’
You may know Kandi Burruss for her starring role in The Real Housewives of Atlanta, or maybe you’ve watched her as Roselyn Perry in the Showtime drama series, The Chi. But the multi-hyphenate got her first taste of stardom as part of the ’90s R&B girl group Xscape. The quartet, formed in 1992, consisted of Burruss, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, LaTocha Scott, and Tamera Coggins-Wynn. The group released their first album, Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha in October 1993 when Burruss was just 17 years old and still in high school at the Tri-Cities High School in East Point, Georgia.
Four years and two albums later, Xscape disbanded and the group members pursued their solo careers. In 2000 Burruss released her debut solo album, Hey Kandi, which featured the popular “Don’t Think I’m Not.” A decade later came Kandi Koated, though by that point Burruss was just as well known for her acting career, reality show stardom, sex toy company (Bedroom Kandi), and several restaurant ventures. Still, since her earliest days in the music industry, she has held a long-standing distinction as a renown songwriter, penning some of the most notable R&B hits of the ‘90s and early aughts including Destiny Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills” and TLC’s “No Scrubs.”
Going down memory lane, Burruss told Glamour five stories about five songs she’s either sang, written, or co-written that mean a lot to her.
“No Scrubs”
Debuting in 1999 as the lead single for TLC’s third album, Fan Mail, the song “No Scrubs” remains one of the group’s most popular and successful hits and an anthem for women shunning partners who don't have their lives together. Alongside Burruss, producer Kevin She'kspere Briggs, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, a member of TLC, are credited as songwriters.
At that particular time, I used to put titles in my notepads that I felt would be great song titles or concepts. So I had “scrubs” written in my notepad as a title I would want to use one day. I remember I was riding down the highway with a friend of mine. She was dating the brother of the guy that I was dating, and we were both talking trash about the guys. I started freestyling over a track that She'kspere had given me. So it was really me joking with my friend, freestyling, and talking trash about this guy. I wrote the verse, the B section, and the hook right there. Because we were in the car, it was on an old envelope.
“Bills, Bills, Bills”
“Bills, Bills, Bills” was Destiny’s Child lead single on their second album, The Writing’s on the Wall. Co-written by Burruss and She'kspere, alongside the group’s members, the song earned two Grammy nominations: Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
When I got with the girls at the studio, we were singing them the idea. I had the melody of how I felt like the verse should go, and we came together for the lyrics.
I use a lot of my past relationships as inspiration. The relationship I had been in prior to [writing the song], I took inspiration from it…though I didn't tell them that. Now, this is the really funny part: One of the girls that was in the group was dating my ex at the time. So I didn’t tell them that some of the lyrics in there were inspired by him. The part that was a clear inspiration—using my phone and pretending like he didn’t use it, driving my car and not putting any gas in it—that was real stuff that had happened to me! But I won’t tell you who from the group was dating my ex.
“Don’t Think I’m Not”
The first single from Burruss’ first solo album, Hey Kandi, “Don’t Think I’m Not” was released almost 21 years ago and peaked at number 24 in the Billboard Top 100. Burruss wrote with She'kspere as well as producer Bernard Edwards, Jr. a.k.a. Focus.
This was a scary time for me, because it was my first time doing something by myself outside of my group. I was working on this album, and I knew I wanted something with that up tempo beat that goes from slow into a fast beat. And the inspiration, once again, was one of my old relationships.
You know when you're young, everybody is cheating? My whole thing was: If you cheat on me, don't think that I won't cheat on you too. It was just a real statement of how I really felt back then. I felt like it was an anthem for the girls. Why are we always the ones getting played? We should be able to do our thing too and let them know: If you’re out in the club, don't think I'm not.
“Just Kickin’ It”
Xscape’s debut song from their debut album was “Just Kickin’ It,” which is still the group’s most successful commercial hit. The song went number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 R&B Singles chart and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 behind Mariah Carey’s “Dreamboat.” It was written and produced by Jermaine Dupree.
“Just Kickin' It” was the first hit from Xscape, and it was life-changing for me and my group members. I was still in high school when we put that song out. I remember we were working on that album when I was in eleventh grade; the summer after, we went and shot the video—the original video—and some of our friends from school were in the shoot. The song was released during the summer. By the time I started senior year, it hit number one. So I'm in high school with a number one record, and it was amazing. It was a performing arts school, so everyone was super supportive. We became the format for a lot of the kids after us that went to that high school.
There have been other people who went to my high school that have gone on to be huge successes, but we were one of the first. Not to name drop, but members of Jagged Edge went to our school, so did Outkast, and people who have performed on Broadway and are Tony-nominated actors. I think we made it real for all of the other students who have gone on to accomplish great things.
“Shape of You”
Pop singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran released “Shape of You” in 2017 as the double lead single alongside “Castle on the Hill,” from his third studio album, ÷ (Division). Sheeran sampled “No Scrubs” on the diamond-platinum single; consequently, Burruss is credited as a co-writer.
I didn't technically have to rewrite anything. His sampling gave me a new copyright, and I always say “No Scrubs” is the gift that keeps on giving. To be a part of the song “Shape of You,” which went on to be one of the biggest songs that year...to be a part of something like that is amazing to me. It refreshed everything I’ve done. In the '90s and early 2000s, I was doing a lot of writing for so many people—to still have songs come out with my name on it in the 2010s, it's crazy!
Kovie Biakolo is a writer and journalist. Follow her on Twitter @koviebiakolo.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Condé Nast
