Set Design Analysis - Bills, Bills, Bills 💵

Bills, Bills, Bills by Destiny’s Child

Today I’ll be dissecting the Bills, Bills, Bills music video by Destinys Child. This video is loaded with vintage pieces and nods to Tina Knowles, I can’t help but to think this was purposefully and meticulously done.

I’ll start by pointing out a few of the vintage furnishings used in the video. I also want to note that these pieces were vintage at the time of the video release, which was in 1999.

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Arco Floor Lamp

This is by far my favorite staging of the Arco floor lamp ever. Designed in 1963 by the Castiglioni brothers, Achille and Pier Giancomo, the dramatic overarching lamp with a marble base is widely recognized due to its use in Diamonds Are Forever.

I appreciate its use in the Bills, Bills, Bills video because of how closely resembles a hair dryer. Not only does it resemble a hair dryer, but its adjustable arc and shade function similar to a hairdryer as well. It fits in the hair salon set perfectly. In the video, the lamp is placed in the sunken lounge area in the center of the salon. You can see 4 similar looking retro hairdryers in the background. These hairdryers were also used at the launch for Cecred Beauty.

Swan Chair

The Swan chair was designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958. In the music video, it’s the chair that the four ladies in the background are sitting in, underneath the hair dryers. I love that they used this chair for this. The curves of the chair help highlight the feminine culture of the hair salon. The upward curve of the arms remind me of a woman’s curves, and when you sit in the chair it feels like the arms just wrap around and hug you.

Arne Jacobsens Egg and Swan Chair (burgundy)

Eames Metal Frame Chair

The Eames Metal frame chair is seen right at the start of the video. As soon as the doors open, you’ll see a little retro TV - the chair is propped underneath the desk that the TV sits on. This chair was designed in 1951 by Charles and Ray Eames. Personally, I would’ve used a Bertoia chair for this set but this one is a perfect substitute.

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A Nod to Tina Knowles

Next, I wanted to acknowledge the clear nod to Tina Knowles in this video. Choosing a salon for the set of this video is a direct way to honor Tina Knowles and her upbringing of Beyonce. If you didn’t know, Tina Knowles is a hairstylist by trade. In the commentary video for Bills, Bills, Bills, you’ll learn that Beyonce spent a lot of time in the hair salon and even performed for her mother’s clients while they were being serviced. One thing about Beyonce, she’s gonna stay true to her roots - pun intended 😉. After watching this video and seeing the intention put into the set design, I realized that Cecred Beauty must’ve been a project that was long overdue for the Knowles family. The continuity is insane!

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