It’s Music Monday, and it makes me wanna zoom zoom zoom!
Well, not really, being Monday and all.
When I was eleven, my mom asked me what I wanted as a present for my dance recital. Most kids received flowers, but I liked things that lasted longer than flowers. I collected cassette tapes at the time, so I asked for All-4-One’s debut album. I was into their music at the time, as much as I was into Boyz II Men and anything that sounded like them (what pre-teen wasn’t?). And while most of the songs were perfect fine and appropriate, there was this one song on the tape, on side two, and well…if my mom knew it was there, I’m convinced she wouldn’t have gotten it for me.
Hint, hint, the song wasn’t “I Swear,” and it definitely wasn’t “So Much In Love.”
(Oh, and I covered a different All-4-One song on Music Monday last year. Do you remember this one?)
“(She’s Got) Skillz” is from the self-titled 1994 debut album of All-4-One, a beautiful harmony of four young men from California. It was the fourth single released from the album, on January 24, 1995. Because I was so hooked on “So Much in Love” and “I Swear,” I hadn’t really ever flipped the tape over, until a childhood friend said “oh, you need to hear this one song on the other side!”
Oh man, what I heard was catchy, and so many years later, a very 90s Hip Hop dance worthy song! Of course, I realized how overtly sexual the song was, but I didn’t care, it was All-4-One and, well, you know how I feel about them!
(I mentioned something about panty-throwing last year, in case you forgot!).
And when you click play, you’ll probably see why this song wasn’t really appropriate for an eleven-year-old to be singing along to!
(Sorry mom, this wasn’t the reason I wanted this album!)
I’d like to thank that friend (her name is Jen) for introducing me to this song when we were twelve years old. Side Two on this tape was AWESOME!
All-4-One’s debut album peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200 in 1994, and “(She’s Got) Skillz” was the last single released from it. The same year this single dropped (June 6, 1995, to be exact), All-4-One released their second album, And the Music Speaks. It would be a little over a year (and a format change to CD) before I received that album as a 14th birthday present, but for 11-12 year old me, the debut album was always in my Walkman.
Especially this song.
Oh, and according to Urban Dictionary, “Skillz” describes someone’s proiciency as being above average in an activity.
And the “z” implies something not quite legit.
But the lyrics don’t imply anything illegal. After all, she can make awesome sticky buns.
(That’s not all she can do.)
Again, sorry mom, I really didn’t want this album for this specific song!
We’re just beginning our month of love on Allison’s Written Words (ok, love songs). I promise, no more songs about specific sets of skillz to come.
Have a great Music Monday, and enjoy the music!
Allison's Written Words
One comment