After finding success with its cover of Toto’s “Africa” last year, Weezer surprise-released The Teal Album, a 10-track project containing the band’s versions of hits by Tears for Fears, a-ha, Michael Jackson, and more. Weezer’s cover of TLC’s R&B hit, “No Scrubs,” is drawing the most attention so far, drawing mixed reviews on social media.
Lead singer Rivers Cuomo takes a straightforward approach by keeping all of the original lyrics from the album version of “No Scrubs,” while the band follows along with an alternative rock take on the original beat. It’s worth noting that the album version of the original song solely features vocals from Chilli and T-Boz, while the single features an additional rapped verse by Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. Weezer’s version doesn’t contain Left Eye’s verse.
Cuomo broke down his approach to recording the cover in the album’s editors' notes on iTunes. “I just thought it’s one of those songs that’s freakishly popular,” he said. “I was trying to decide which gender perspective to sing it from then I saw this tweet that said, ‘If you’re a guy covering a song by a girl, you gotta keep the pronouns. For those three minutes you’re gay.‘ So I was like, ‘Cool, let’s try this.’”
“No Scrubs” was released as the lead single from TLC’s 1999 third studio album, FanMail, and became the trio’s third No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Frequent Destiny’s Child collaborator Kevin “She'kspere” Briggs co-wrote the track with former Xscape members Tameka “Tiny” Harris and Kandi.
On the song, the members of TLC explain the type of man who isn’t up to their standards:
If you don’t have a car and you’re walking
Oh yes son, I’m talking to you
If you live at home with your momma
Oh yes son, I’m talking to you
If you have a shorty that you don’t show love
Oh yes son, I’m talking to you
Wanna get me with no money
Although Weezer’s “Africa” cover scored the LA band its first Hot 100 hit since 2009, it’s unlikely that “No Scrubs” will reach the same heights. While the TLC cover is receiving attention at the moment, “Africa” was prompted by a viral campaign that drove anticipation for the song.
The Teal Album arrives ahead of Weezer’s upcoming The Black Album, which is set to arrive this March.
Read all the lyrics to Weezer’s “No Scrubs” cover and TLC’s “No Scrubs” on Genius now.
