9 May 1999
Truth be told, I didn’t even know what a shorty was, which may explain other things. Thankfully, TLC introduce us to the concept of a scrub—also known as a buster—with the greatest piece of pop music exposition since the theme from The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. With some relief I can confirm that by TLC’s criteria I am not a scrub, but even I can feel the burn from Chilli’s belittling “If you live at home with your momma” and Left Eye’s gleefully disdainful “bus-ter!”
‘No Scrubs’ is an all-American affair in writing, production and performance, but its shiny minimalist groove is pure Scandinavian sleekness – the influence of early Cheiron of 1997 coming to market. And what was Cheiron but two Swedes selling US R&B-pop back to the Americans? The harpsichord flourishes and the mid-section’s tumbling chord sequence are still recognisable R&B features which, along with Chilli’s soulful, plaintive voice, give a heft to this track’s spacious lightness. This economy and efficiency extends to the deft expository lyrics (“Hanging out the passenger side / Of his best friend’s ride”) and the strong, confident performance of all three of TLC: no showy melisma or money notes, just a laser-guided focus on putting this sad sap back in his box. If it’s any consolation to him, his first-degree burns were not in vain; ‘No Scrubs’ is a fabulous record, yet another of the crown jewels of 1999’s pop charts.
