Mo’ Love, Mo’ Problem, Mo’ Bashin’

The “male-bashing” songs that emerged en masse at the end of the century.

There are relatively many songs about love among those sung by female singers. If I put it bluntly, women have been singing songs about “crying for love, laughing for love” all along. But at the close of the century—1999, to be precise—an intense wave of male-bashing came crashing in, declaring, “Why should we be the only ones crying and putting up with this? If anyone’s in the wrong as human beings, isn’t it you men?” The spark that lit this flame was TLC’s “No Scrubs,” a track that warns, “I’m not interested in broke guys who have no job but demand everything from others.” This song was played over and over in clubs, and more than a few worthless men trying to hit on women on the dance floor reportedly got shot down in sync with the track. Girl power—exploding in full force!

Close on its heels came three consecutive bashing tracks from Destiny’s Child. First up was “Bills, Bills, Bills,” which basically says, “I’m sick of you depending on my money all the time and doing nothing in return. Maybe we could’ve worked out if you had covered the bills, but clearly that’s impossible for you, so goodbye.” Next was “Bug-A-Boo,” which skewers with lines like, “Just because you bought me one pair of shoes doesn’t mean I’m supposed to obey you. I’m sick and tired of you following me around like a stalker.” Finally, “Say My Name” throws down the gauntlet: “You say you’re not cheating and I’m the only one in your room, so prove it by calling my name and saying you love me.” These three tracks, firmly rejecting the idea of “enduring hardship to maintain a relationship,” showcased independent, strong women—and it’s no surprise their popularity skyrocketed, especially among female listeners.

There were two key figures behind this “bashing boom.” One was surprisingly a man: Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs, the producer who burst onto the scene sensationally with TLC’s “No Scrubs.” The other was Kandi—formerly of Xscape, who also debuted as a solo artist—who was effectively the main mastermind behind this wave of male-bashing. Originally, “No Scrubs” was a track Kandi wrote alongside She’kspere for her own album, but it became a huge, era-defining hit for TLC, turning Kandi into a more famous songwriter than singer.

Naturally, more bashing-themed songs kept coming afterward. “There You Go” by Pink, also produced by Kandi & She’kspere; “Caught Out There” by Kelis, produced by The Neptunes; and “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” by Blu Cantrell, produced by Dallas Austin. None were as pointedly critical as TLC and Destiny’s Child’s hits, but they all championed women’s defiance—“Enough is enough, I’m done putting myself second!”—and these anthems continued to multiply.

Yet songs like these have existed for a long time; it’s just that they surged in the late ‘90s. Take Millie Jackson, for instance. Although her bashing also targeted women, she delivered a scathing critique of humankind itself with “A Child of God,” singing, “There are such terrible people in this world that it makes you question whether humans are really children of God.” It seems that, no matter the era, some people are just plain foolish.