TLC’s Classic “No Scrubs” Gets a Weezer Cover 20 Years Later
Written by SOURCE on January 24, 2019
It’s been just shy of two decades since the release of TLC‘s instaclassic FanMail single “No Scrubs,” a ubiquitous gem that ultimately earned the Atlanta trio (R.I.P. Left Eye) a Grammy nomination. And what better way to celebrate 20 years of scrubslessness than with a Weezer-ified update of the track?
“I just thought it’s one of those songs that’s freakishly popular,” Rivers Cuomo told Apple Music of the band’s decision to include a rendition of the track on their surprise-dropped new covers album. At first, Cuomo said, he wasn’t sure whether to flip the lyrics’ gender perspective. Ultimately, a tweet floated across his timeline that helped him make up his mind.
“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,'” he recalled. “So I was like, ‘Cool, let’s try this.'”
In my opinion, the Weez kinda nailed this.
Of course, with a song this beloved, not everyone is going to be aboard:
The surprise-dropped new album continues the band’s long-running dedication to color-themed names, this time giving some generous album cover space to a comforting shade of teal. The 10-track collection consists entirely of covers, including their SNL-improving viral take on “Africa,” as well as largely faithful renditions of songs by Michael Jackson, Tears for Fears, and more. The band’s long-teased Black Album is expected later this year.
