Dave Jennings from Melody Maker wrote, "'None of Your Business' is dance pop with muscle, brains and hormones; the three great women loudly and unequivocally demanding their right to shag whom they like when they like without anyone else imagining that they're entitled to pass comment. Rarely in the history of pop can interfering moralists have been told to f*** off quite so eloquently and enjoyable. A splendidly slinky synth line adds further spring to the single's sharp step."[2] Alan Jones from Music Week commented, "A rap/metal hybrid that has no problem appealing to the head nodding, air guitar crowd, as the girls are carried along on fat guitar riffs. The Perfecto remix miraculously returns the girls to their dance roots, making this truly a barrier-buster."[3] Terry Staunton from NME said that "overall this is another top notch record, although not quite in the same league as 'Whatta Man'."[4] Leesa Daniels from Smash Hits gave it four out of five, writing, "This is a classic rap tune with the girls telling everyone that they're doing what they're doing what they want, and if you don't like then tough pooh! It's a tough track with a stomping beat and well 'ard lyrics. Hurrah for the divas of rap!"[5]
Cheryl later 'disowned that song for its sexually salacious content', was at that stage so unwell, that the win was merely a 'hollow triumph'. "It was exciting on one level, but all I remember of that time was, I was severely bulimic and caught up in the whole 'skinny is beautiful' thing, and I felt so empty when I should have been elated, I suppose." "My career was peaking at the same time my personal life was at an all time low. You always think when you're young that success is measured in these certain terms, but the reality is a Grammy's never gonna fill the void I felt when I was bulimic."[8]
Impact
In a 20-year review of the track, Sarah Oakes of Daily Life said the song has "aged far more like a good wine than the alcopop that got you on the dance floor in the first place." She continued "'None Of Your Business' is a fist-pumping, anti slut-shaming anthem a solid decade before the term was ever used in the mainstream. It is a war cry for women against the people and institutions that judge them for having sex, enjoying sex or expressing their sexuality with an I-do-not-give-a-shit attitude that is as infectious as its bass line. I feel like if 'None Of Your Business' was released today, it would go viral in an instant . What makes Salt N Pepa so bold is that they independently chose to flip the script. They behaved like they were as empowered as the male rappers. They wore sexy clothing, talked about enjoying casual sex, they objectified men, and across many tracks directly addressed the way women were/are shamed for promiscuous behaviours." She concluded with "On the 20th anniversary of their Grammy for 'None Of Your Business', I don't think it's an overstatement to call these women visionaries and we need more like them."[9]
During the closing credits of the Bob's Burgers episode "Nightmare on Ocean Avenue Street", the Belcher children sing the song with new lyrics that focus on eating Halloween candy.
References
^ ab"1995 Grammys". www.rockonthenet.com. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
^Jennings, Dave (12 November 1994). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 34. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
