Destiny's Child
Encyclopedia
Destiny's Child was an American R&B
girl group
whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles
alongside Kelly Rowland
and Michelle Williams
. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas
, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme. After years of performing underground, they were signed to Columbia Records
as Destiny's Child, comprising Knowles, Rowland, LaTavia Roberson
and LeToya Luckett
.
Destiny's Child was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of their best-selling second album, The Writing's on the Wall
, which contained the number-one singles "Bills, Bills, Bills
" and "Say My Name
". Despite critical and commercial success, the group was plagued by internal conflict and legal turmoil, as Roberson and Luckett attempted to split off the group's manager Mathew Knowles
. They were soon replaced with Williams and Farrah Franklin
; however, in 2000, Franklin also parted with the group, leaving them as a trio
. Their third album, Survivor, which contains themes the public interpreted as a channel to the group's experience, contains the worldwide hits "Independent Women", "Survivor" and "Bootylicious
". In 2002, they announced a hiatus and re-united two years later for the release of their fourth studio album, Destiny Fulfilled
(2004).
Throughout their career, the group sold over 40 million records worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling recording artists in the United States. Billboard
magazine ranks the group as one of the greatest musical trios of all time, the ninth most successful artist/band of the 2000s, and placed the group 68th in its All-Time Hot 100 Artists list in 2008. In 2005, the World Music Awards
recognized them as one of the world's best-selling female groups of all time (see List of best-selling girl groups).
met rapper LaTavia Roberson
while in an audition for a girl group. Based in Houston, Texas
, they were joined to a group that performed rapping and dancing. Kelly Rowland
, who relocated to Knowles' house because of family issues, joined them in 1991. Originally named Girl's Tyme, they were eventually cut down to six members including Támar Davis
and sisters Nikki and Nina Taylor. With Knowles and Rowland, Girl's Tyme attracted nationwide attention: west-coast R&B producer Arne Frager flew to Houston to see them. He brought them to his studio, The Plant Recording Studios, in Northern California
, with focus on Knowles' vocals because Frager thought she had personality and the ability to sing. With efforts to sign Girl's Tyme to a major record deal, Frager's strategy was to debut the group in Star Search
, the biggest talent show on national TV at the time. However, they lost the competition because, according to Knowles, their choice of song was wrong; they were actually rapping instead of singing.
Because of the group's defeat, Knowles' father, Mathew
, voluntarily dedicated his time to manage them. Mathew Knowles cut down the original lineup to four, with the removed of Davis and the Taylor sisters and the inclusion of LeToya Luckett
in 1993. Aside from spending time at their church in Houston, Girl's Tyme practiced at their backyards and Headliners Salon, owned by Knowles' mother, Tina. The group would test routines in the salon, when it was on Montrose Boulevard in Houston, and sometimes would collect tips from the customers. Their try out would be critiqued by the people inside. During their school days, Girl's Tyme performed at local gigs. When summer came, Mathew Knowles established a "boot camp" to train them in dance and vocal lessons. After rigorous trainings, they began performing as opening acts for established R&B
groups of that time such as SWV
, Dru Hill
and Immature
. Tina Knowles designed the group's attires for their performances. When she was on the road with Girl's Tyme most of the time, she left her managerial function in the salon to her best friend, Vernell Jackson.
Over the course of the early years in their career, Girl's Tyme changed their name to Something Fresh, Cliché, the Dolls, and to Destiny. The group signed with Elektra Records
with the name Destiny, but it was dropped several months later before it could release an album. The pursuit of a record deal affected the Knowles family: in 1995, Mathew Knowles resigned from his job as a medical-equipment salesman, a move that reduced Knowles' family's income by half, and her parents briefly separated due to the pressure. They finally changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, which was taken from a passage in the Book of Isaiah
. Matthew Knowles helped in negotiating a record deal with Columbia Records
which signed the group in 1997. Prior to signing with Columbia, the group had recorded several tracks in Oakland, California
produced by Dwayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Toné!
, including "Killing Time", which upon the label's recognition that Destiny's Child had a "unique quality", was included in the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black
. The group released its debut single, "No, No, No
", on November 11, 1997, in the United States.
in the United States on February 17, 1998, featuring productions by Rob Fusari
, Jermaine Dupri
, Wyclef Jean
, Dwayne Wiggins and Corey Rooney. Destiny's Child peaked at number sixty-seven on the Billboard 200
and number fourteen on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
. It managed to sell over one million copies in the United States, earning a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). The remix version to the album's lead single, "No, No, No
", reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number three on the Billboard Hot 100
. Domestically, the single sold over one million copies and certified platinum by the RIAA. Its follow-up singles, "With Me Part 1" and "Get on the Bus
" failed to reproduce the success of "No, No, No". In 1998, Destiny's Child garnered three Soul Train Lady of Soul awards Best New Artist for "No, No, No". Knowles considered their debut successful but not as huge because she claimed it a neo soul
record and was way too mature for them.
After the success of their debut album, Destiny's Child re-entered the studio quickly, bringing in a new lineup of producers, including Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs and Rodney Jerkins
. Coming up with The Writing's on the Wall
, they released it on July 27, 1999 and it eventually became their breakthrough album. The Writing's on the Wall peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and number two on R&B chart in early 2000. "Bills, Bills, Bills
" was released in 1999 as the album's lead single and reached the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their first US number-one single. The Writing's on the Wall has been credited to as Destiny's Child's breakthrough album, spurring their career and introducing them to wider audience. The said key to the breakthrough is the album's third single, "Say My Name
", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks. The successful release of the singles bolstered the album's sales, eventually selling over eight million copies in the United States, gaining eight-time platinum certification by the RIAA. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than fifteen million copies worldwide and was one of the top-selling albums of 2000.
In December 1999, Luckett and Roberson attempted to split with their manager, claiming that he kept a disproportionate share of the group's profits and unfairly favored Knowles and Rowland. While they never intended to leave the group, when the video for "Say My Name
" surfaced in February 2000, Roberson and Luckett found out that two new members were joining Knowles and Rowland. Prior to the video premiere, Knowles announced on TRL
that original members Luckett and Roberson had left the group. The group had included Michelle Williams
, a former backup singer to Monica
, and Farrah Franklin
, an aspiring singer-actress. Shortly after her stint with Monica, Williams was introduced to Destiny's Child by a choreographer friend, and was flown to Houston where she stayed with the Knowles family.
In March 2000, Roberson and Luckett took legal action suing both Mathew Knowles and their band mates for breach of partnership and fiduciary duties. Following the suit, both sides were disparaging each other in the media. Five months performing with Destiny's Child, Franklin left the group after, according to the group, being asked to leave due to missed promotional appearances and concerts. According to Williams, Franklin could not handle stress. Franklin, however, disclosed that she left because of the negativity surrounding the strife and her inability to assert any control in the decision making. Her departure was seen as less controversial. Williams, on the other hand, shared that her inclusion into the group resulted to "battling insecurity": "I was comparing myself to the other members, and the pressure was on me."
Towards the end of 2000, Roberson and Luckett dropped the portion of their lawsuit aimed at Rowland and Knowles in exchange for a settlement, though they retained one against their manager. As part of the agreement, both sides were prohibited from attacking each other publicly. Roberson and Luckett formed another girl group Anjel but were unsuccessful in record sales and publicity. Although affected by the turmoil, Destiny's Child's success continued. The following years of their career were seen as the group's most successful stretch, becoming a pop-cultural phenomenon. "Say My Name" became their second number-one and biggest single to date. The fourth single off The Writing's on the Wall, "Jumpin' Jumpin'
", also became a top-ten hit. During this time, Destiny's Child began performing as an opening act at the concerts of pop singers Britney Spears
and Christina Aguilera
.
With Williams in the new lineup, Destiny's Child recorded a theme song for the soundtrack to the film version of Charlie's Angels
. Released as a single in October 2000, "Independent Women Part 1" spent eleven consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 from November 2000 to January 2001, the longest-running number-one single of Destiny's Child's career and of that year in the United States. The successful release of the single boosted the sales of the soundtrack album to Charlie's Angels to 1.5 million by 2001. In 2000, Destiny's Child won Soul Train's Sammy Davis Jr. Entertainer of the Year award.
at number one, selling over 663,000 copies in its first week sales. The first three singles, "Independent Women Part I
", "Survivor" and "Bootylicious
" reached the top three in the United States and were also successful in other countries; the first two were consecutive number-one singles in the United Kingdom. The album was certified four-time platinum in the United States and double platinum in Australia. To date, Survivor has sold over twelve million copies worldwide.
In October 2001, Destiny's Child released a holiday album, 8 Days of Christmas
, which contained updated versions of several Christmas songs. The album managed to reach number thirty-four on the Billboard 200. In February 2001, Destiny's Child won two Grammy
awards for "Say My Name": Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best R&B Song. They also earned an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo. Also in 2001, Destiny's Child sang backup vocals for Solange Knowles
, who was the lead, on the theme song to the animated Disney Channel
series The Proud Family
. In March 2002, a remix
compilation titled This Is the Remix
was released to win fans over before a new studio album would be released. The remix album reached number 29 in the United States. The album has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and lists in the List of best-selling remix album of all time. The lead single and Grammy-winning song "Survivor" was by some interpreted as a response to the strife between the band members, although Knowles claimed it was not directed at anybody. Seeing it as a breach of the agreement that barred each party from public disparagement, Roberson and Luckett once again filed a lawsuit against Destiny's Child and Sony Music, shortly following the release of This Is the Remix. In June 2002, remaining cases were settled in court.
In late 2000, Destiny's Child announced to embark on individual side projects, including releases of solo albums, an idea by their manager. In 2002, Williams released her solo album, Heart to Yours
, a contemporary gospel
collection. The album reached number one on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. In the same date Heart to Yours hit stores, Destiny's Child released their official autobiography, Soul Survivors. Rowland collaborated with hip hop
artist Nelly
on "Dilemma
", which became a worldwide hit and earned Rowland a Grammy
; she became the first member of Destiny's Child to have achieved a US number-one single. In the same year, Knowles co-starred with Mike Myers
in the box-office hit Austin Powers in Goldmember
. She recorded her first solo single, "Work It Out", for the film's soundtrack.
To capitalize on the success of "Dilemma", Rowland's solo debut album Simply Deep
was brought forward from its early 2003 release to September 2002. Rowland's career took off internationally when Simply Deep
hit number one on the UK Albums Chart
. In the same year, she made her feature film
debut in the horror film Freddy vs. Jason
. Meanwhile Knowles made her second film, "The Fighting Temptations
", and appeared as featured vocalist on her then-boyfriend Jay-Z
's single "'03 Bonnie and Clyde", which paved the way for the release of her debut solo album.
As an upshot from the success of "Dilemma", Knowles' debut album, Dangerously in Love
, was postponed many times until June 2003. Knowles was considered the most successful among the three solo releases. Dangerously in Love debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 317,000 copies. It yielded the number-one hits "Crazy in Love", and "Baby Boy"; and the top-five singles "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl
". The album was certified 4x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). It remains as Knowles' best-selling album to date, with sales of 4.7 million copies in the United States, as of July 2009. Worldwide, the album has sold more than eleven million copies. Knowles solo debut was well-received by critics, earning five Grammy awards in one night for Dangerously in Love, tying the likes of Norah Jones
, Lauryn Hill
, and Alicia Keys
for most Grammys received in one night by a female artist. In November 2003, Williams appeared as Aida
on Broadway
. In January 2004, she released her second gospel album, Do You Know.
Dwayne Wiggins, who had produced their first recordings as Destiny's Child, filed suit in 2002 against his former counsel (Bloom, Hergott, Diemer & Cook LLP) seeking $15 million in damages for lessening his contractual agreement with the group without his consent, effectively nullifying his original contract that offered Sony Music/Columbia Destiny's Child's exclusive recording services for an initial seven years, in exchange for "certain royalties", instead of royalties only from the first three albums. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount.
In June 2003, Mathew Knowles announced that Destiny's Child would expand back to a quartet, revealing Knowles' younger sister, Solange
, as the latest addition to the group. Destiny's Child had previously recorded songs with Solange and shared the stage when she temporarily replaced Rowland after she broke her toes while performing. Their manager, however, said the idea was used to test reactions from the public. In August 2003, Knowles herself confirmed that her sister would not be joining in the group, and instead promoted Solange's debut album, Solo Star
, released in January 2003.
. The album introduces the trio to a harder, "urban" sound, and songs featured are conceptually interrelated. Destiny Fulfilled saw equality in the trio: each member contributed to writing on the majority songs, as well as becoming executive producers aside from their manager.
Released on November 15, 2004, Destiny Fulfilled failed to top Survivor; the album reached number two the following week, selling 497,000 copies in its first week, compared to 663,000 for the previous album. Certified three-time platinum in the United States, it was still one of the best-selling albums of 2005, selling over eight million copies worldwide; it pushed the group back into the position of the best-selling female group and American group of the year. Four singles were released from the album: the lead "Lose My Breath
", "Soldier", "Cater 2 U
" and "Girl
"; the first two reached number three in the United States. "Soldier" "Cater 2 U" were certified platinum by the RIAA in 2006.
To promote the album, Destiny's Child embarked on their worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It Tour. On June 11, 2005, while at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona
, Spain, the group announced before 16,000 people their official breakup. Destiny's Child claimed, however, that naming it Destiny Fulfilled was not a coincidence of sort. Right in the making of the album, they planned to part ways after their fourteen-year career as a group to facilitate their continued pursuit in individual aspirations. Knowles stated that their destinies were already fulfilled. The group exclusively sent a letter to MTV
about the decision:
Destiny's Child released their greatest hits album, #1's
, on October 25, 2005. The compilation includes their number-one hits including "Independent Woman Part 1", "Say My Name" and "Bootylicious". Three new tracks were recorded for the compilation including "Stand Up For Love
", which was recorded for the theme song to the World Children's Day, and "Check on It
", a song Knowles recorded for The Pink Panther
s soundtrack. #1's was also released as a DualDisc
, featuring the same track listing, seven videos of selected songs and a trailer of the concert DVD Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta. The DVD was filmed during the Atlanta
visit of the Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It
tour, and was released on March 28, 2006. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA, denoting shipments of over one million units.
The title of the compilation fueled a ripple as it contained number-one singles, although not exclusively. While the liner notes of the compilation does not present any information regarding commercial performances of the songs featured, writer Keith Caulfield of Billboard
magazine suggested that the name could only be "a marketing angle". Despite this, journalist Chris Harris of MTV
said that it "lives up to its name"; #1's debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
with sales of 113,000 in the first week and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). "Stand Up For Love" was released as Destiny's Child's last single.
on February 19 in Houston, Texas
; however, Knowles commented, "It's the last album, but it's not the last show." Their final televised performance was at the Fashion Rocks benefit concert in New York at the same month. On March 28, 2006, Destiny's Child was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame
, the 2,035th recipient of the coveted recognition. At the 2006 BET Awards
, Destiny's Child won Best Group, a category they also earned in 2005 and 2001.
After their formal disbandment, all members continued on their solo projects including LeToya Luckett
, who released her debut solo album, LeToya
, in July 2006, peaking at number-one on the Billboard 200. Knowles co-starred in the 2006 comedy film
The Pink Panther
, for which she recorded the number-one single "Check on It
". She landed a role in Dreamgirls
, the film adaptation of the 1981 hit Broadway
musical about a 1960s singing group loosely based on Motown
all-female group The Supremes
. In the film, she portrays the Diana Ross
-based character Deena Jones. Inspired by her role in the film, she went to crafting her second solo album, aptly titled B'Day
, released on September 4, 2006 in the United States to coincide her birthday. Knowles' music video to her single "Get Me Bodied
" features Rowland, Williams, and Knowles' sister Solange
. The video was released on the B'Day Anthology video album in April 2007. Knowles said: "It really sets the tone of the video, because you feel like you're there for part of the experience."
In 2007, Rowland released her second solo album, Ms. Kelly
. On June 26, 2007, the group made a mini-reunion at the 2007 BET Awards
. Knowles performed "Get Me Bodied" with special guests Williams, Solange Knowles, and Mo'Nique. After her performance, Knowles introduced Rowland who performed her single "Like This
" with Eve
. On the September 2, 2007 Los Angeles
stop of The Beyoncé Experience
tour, Knowles sang a snippet of "Survivor" with Rowland and Williams, it was the first time they were singing a song together since the last date on their world tour, Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin 'It. The latter two rendered a "Happy Birthday" song to Knowles. The performance was featured in Knowles' tour DVD, The Beyoncé Experience Live!
, released on November 20, 2007. In spring 2008 Rowland released a repackaged, reworked version of her 2007 album under the title Ms. Kelly Deluxe. This in turn spawned a UK Top 20 single with her newly-recorded cover of the Seventies Bobby Womack
track Daylight
, which featured Gym Class Heroes
rapper Travis McCoy. Knowles recorded a cover of Billy Joel's "Honesty" which was included on a Mathew Knowles
/Music World CD released only in Japan towards the end of June 2008 to celebrate the tenth-year anniversary of Destiny's Child. Williams released her first non-Gospel third solo album, Unexpected
, in October 2008, with several of the tracks boasting an uptempo Euro-dance flavour. The following month, Knowles released her third studio solo album, I Am… Sasha Fierce
. In the summer of 2009, Williams made history by becoming the first African-American actress to play murderous chorus-girl Roxie Hart
in the London West End run of the stage musical Chicago
. In June 2010, Rowland released "Commander
", the first single from her forthcoming album Here I Am. Beyoncé released the single "Run the World (Girls)
" from her fourth studio album, 4
, in April 2011.
, his daughter Amy Foster-Gillies and Knowles wrote "Stand Up for Love
" as the anthem to the World Children's Day
, an annual worldwide event to raise awareness and funds for children causes. Over the past three years, more than $50 million have been raised to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities and other children's organizations. Destiny's Child lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the 2005 program.
Rowland and Knowles, along with the latter's family, founded the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up for the purpose of providing transitional housing for the Hurricane Katrina
victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas area. The Survivor Foundation extended the mission of the Knowles-Rowland Center For Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, Destiny's Child canceled a European tour and performed in a concert benefit for the survivors.
Destiny's Child recorded R&B
songs with styles that encompasses urban
, contemporary
, and dance-pop
. Destiny's Child revealed that R&B singer Janet Jackson
is one of their influences. Ann Powers of The New York Times
described Destiny's Child music as "fresh and emotional ... these ladies have the best mixes, the savviest samples and especially the most happening beats." In the same publication, Jon Pareles noted that the sound that defines Destiny's Child, aside from Knowles' voice, "is the way its melodies jump in and out of double-time. Above brittle, syncopated rhythm
tracks, quickly articulated verses alternate with smoother choruses." The group usually harmonize their vocals in their songs, especially on the ballads. In most instances of their songs, each member sings one verse and chimes in at the chorus. In Survivor, each members sings lead in the majority of the album: "... everybody is a part of the music ... Everybody is singing lead on every song, and it's so great — because now Destiny's Child is at the point vocally and mentally that it should be at." Knowles, however, completely lead songs like "Brown Eyes" and "Dangerously in Love". The group explored their lyrics to man-to-woman relationship, and sisterhood and female empowerment anthems.
Survivor contains themes interpreted by the public as a reference to the group's internal conflict. The title track, "Survivor", which set the theme used throughout the album, features the lyrics "I'm not gonna blast you on the radio ... I'm not gonna lie on you or your family ... I'm not gonna hate you in the magazine" caused LaTavia and LeToya Luckett
to file a lawsuit against the group; the lyrics were perceived to be a violation over their agreement following a settlement in court. In an interview, Knowles commented: "The lyrics to the single 'Survivor' are Destiny's Child's story, because we've been through a lot, ... We went through our drama with the members ... Any complications we've had in our 10-year period of time have made us closer and tighter and better." In another song called "Fancy", which contains the lyrics "You always tried to compete with me, girl ... find your own identity", was interpreted by critic David Browne, in his review of the album for Entertainment Weekly
magazine, as a response to the lawsuit. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic summarized Survivor as "a determined, bullheaded record, intent on proving Destiny's Child has artistic merit largely because the group survived internal strife. ... It's a record that tries to be a bold statement of purpose, but winds up feeling forced and artificial." Albeit critical praise to Destiny's Child's records, Knowles' close involvement in their projects have generated criticisms. Knowles wrote and co-produced the bulk of Survivor. Browne suggested that her help made Survivor a "premature, but inevitable, growing pains album".
, a 1960s American female singing group
, with which Knowles had been equated to as the Diana Ross
, the frontwoman of The Supremes; Knowles, however, dismissed the notion. Ironically, she starred in the film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls
as Deena Jones, the front woman of the Dreams, a female singing group based on the Supremes. With Knowles' wide role assumed in the production of Survivor, Gil Kaufman of MTV
noted that "it became clear that Beyoncé was emerging as DC's unequivocal musical leader and public face". Her dominance to the creative input in the album made the album "very much her work". For Lola Ogunnaike of The New York Times
, "It's been a long-held belief in the music industry that Destiny's Child was little more than a launching pad for Beyoncé Knowles's inevitable solo career."
In the wake of Knowles' Dangerously in Love, rumors spread about possible split of Destiny's Child after each member had experienced success and had ongoing projects. Comparisons were drawn to Justin Timberlake
, who did not return to band 'N Sync
after his breakthrough debut solo album, Justified
. Rowland responded to such rumors, announcing they were back in the studio together. The group claimed that the reunion was destined to happen and that their affinity to each other kept them cohesive. Margeaux Watson, arts editor at Suede magazine, suggests that "the star does not want to appear disloyal to her former partners," and called Beyoncé's decision to return to the group "a charitable one". Knowles' mother, Tina, wrote a 2002-published book, titled Destiny's Style: Bootylicious Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Secrets From Destiny's Child, an account of how fashion had an impact on Destiny's Child's success.
Other albums
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
alongside Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
and Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams (singer)
Tenitra Michelle Williams , commonly known as Michelle Williams, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress...
. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme. After years of performing underground, they were signed to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as Destiny's Child, comprising Knowles, Rowland, LaTavia Roberson
LaTavia Roberson
LaTavia Marie Roberson is a two-time Grammy Award–winning American contralto singer-songwriter, as well as an original member of Girl's Tyme which later became Destiny's Child. She was eventually replaced by Farrah Franklin in 2000. She was an original founder of the group with Beyoncé as they...
and LeToya Luckett
LeToya Luckett
LeToya Nicole Luckett , known professionally as LeToya, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She was a member of the R&B group Destiny's Child, with whom she won two Grammy Awards and released many successful commercial recordings.After signing a record deal with Capitol Records, she's...
.
Destiny's Child was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of their best-selling second album, The Writing's on the Wall
The Writing's on the Wall
-Credits and personnel:*Bill Ortiz – trumpet*Daryl Simmons – drum programming, keyboard programming*D'Wayne Wiggins – guitar, producer*Rodney Jerkins – producer*Claudine Pontier – assistant engineer*James Hoover – engineer...
, which contained the number-one singles "Bills, Bills, Bills
Bills, Bills, Bills
"Bills, Bills, Bills" is a 1999 hit single by Destiny's Child, released as the first single from their second album The Writing's on the Wall. It echoed the female empowerment sentiments of TLC's single "No Scrubs", and featured the same producer and songwriter...
" and "Say My Name
Say My Name
"Say My Name" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. The song was the third single from the group's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall, released through Columbia label in 2000 . The single is the most successful of the four releases from the album and is considered to be one of their...
". Despite critical and commercial success, the group was plagued by internal conflict and legal turmoil, as Roberson and Luckett attempted to split off the group's manager Mathew Knowles
Mathew Knowles
Mathew Knowles is an American music executive and manager. He is the father and former manager of R&B singer Beyoncé , Knowles also managed Kelly Rowland as well as girl group Destiny's Child . He was also the manager of Solange Knowles.-Manager and producer:Knowles is an alumnus of Fisk...
. They were soon replaced with Williams and Farrah Franklin
Farrah Franklin
Farrah Destiny Franklin is an American singer, actress, and model. She is an ex-member of Destiny's Child who replaced LaTavia Roberson; she left the group after 5 months.-Recording & movie career:...
; however, in 2000, Franklin also parted with the group, leaving them as a trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
. Their third album, Survivor, which contains themes the public interpreted as a channel to the group's experience, contains the worldwide hits "Independent Women", "Survivor" and "Bootylicious
Bootylicious
"Bootylicious" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. It was written and produced by Rob Fusari, Falonte Moore, and band member Beyoncé Knowles for the band's third studio album Survivor , and contains a prominent sample from the 1981 recording "Edge of Seventeen," as written and...
". In 2002, they announced a hiatus and re-united two years later for the release of their fourth studio album, Destiny Fulfilled
Destiny Fulfilled
Destiny Fulfilled is the fourth and final studio album by American R&B trio Destiny's Child, first released in North America on November 16, 2004. It marked the return of Destiny's Child after it went into hiatus, which allowed each member to release solo albums...
(2004).
Throughout their career, the group sold over 40 million records worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling recording artists in the United States. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine ranks the group as one of the greatest musical trios of all time, the ninth most successful artist/band of the 2000s, and placed the group 68th in its All-Time Hot 100 Artists list in 2008. In 2005, the World Music Awards
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
recognized them as one of the world's best-selling female groups of all time (see List of best-selling girl groups).
1990–1997: Early beginnings and Girl's Tyme
In 1990, Beyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
met rapper LaTavia Roberson
LaTavia Roberson
LaTavia Marie Roberson is a two-time Grammy Award–winning American contralto singer-songwriter, as well as an original member of Girl's Tyme which later became Destiny's Child. She was eventually replaced by Farrah Franklin in 2000. She was an original founder of the group with Beyoncé as they...
while in an audition for a girl group. Based in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, they were joined to a group that performed rapping and dancing. Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
, who relocated to Knowles' house because of family issues, joined them in 1991. Originally named Girl's Tyme, they were eventually cut down to six members including Támar Davis
Támar
Támar is an American R&B singer who came to prominence through the artist, Prince. She sang the co-lead vocals on his Grammy-nominated song "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed" from his 2006 album, 3121 and on backup vocals throughout the album...
and sisters Nikki and Nina Taylor. With Knowles and Rowland, Girl's Tyme attracted nationwide attention: west-coast R&B producer Arne Frager flew to Houston to see them. He brought them to his studio, The Plant Recording Studios, in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, with focus on Knowles' vocals because Frager thought she had personality and the ability to sing. With efforts to sign Girl's Tyme to a major record deal, Frager's strategy was to debut the group in Star Search
Star Search
Star Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
, the biggest talent show on national TV at the time. However, they lost the competition because, according to Knowles, their choice of song was wrong; they were actually rapping instead of singing.
Because of the group's defeat, Knowles' father, Mathew
Mathew Knowles
Mathew Knowles is an American music executive and manager. He is the father and former manager of R&B singer Beyoncé , Knowles also managed Kelly Rowland as well as girl group Destiny's Child . He was also the manager of Solange Knowles.-Manager and producer:Knowles is an alumnus of Fisk...
, voluntarily dedicated his time to manage them. Mathew Knowles cut down the original lineup to four, with the removed of Davis and the Taylor sisters and the inclusion of LeToya Luckett
LeToya Luckett
LeToya Nicole Luckett , known professionally as LeToya, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She was a member of the R&B group Destiny's Child, with whom she won two Grammy Awards and released many successful commercial recordings.After signing a record deal with Capitol Records, she's...
in 1993. Aside from spending time at their church in Houston, Girl's Tyme practiced at their backyards and Headliners Salon, owned by Knowles' mother, Tina. The group would test routines in the salon, when it was on Montrose Boulevard in Houston, and sometimes would collect tips from the customers. Their try out would be critiqued by the people inside. During their school days, Girl's Tyme performed at local gigs. When summer came, Mathew Knowles established a "boot camp" to train them in dance and vocal lessons. After rigorous trainings, they began performing as opening acts for established R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
groups of that time such as SWV
SWV
Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
, Dru Hill
Dru Hill
Dru Hill is an American singing group, most popular during the late 1990s, whose repertoire included R&B, soul, and gospel music. Founded in Baltimore, Maryland, and active since 1992, Dru Hill recorded seven Top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B #1 hits "In My Bed", "Never Make a Promise", ...
and Immature
IMx
IMx , are an American R&B group, managed by record producer Chris Stokes. Its members include Marques "Batman" Houston , Jerome "Romeo" Jones , and Kelton "LDB" Kessee , all natives of Los Angeles, California, where the group was formed...
. Tina Knowles designed the group's attires for their performances. When she was on the road with Girl's Tyme most of the time, she left her managerial function in the salon to her best friend, Vernell Jackson.
Over the course of the early years in their career, Girl's Tyme changed their name to Something Fresh, Cliché, the Dolls, and to Destiny. The group signed with Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
with the name Destiny, but it was dropped several months later before it could release an album. The pursuit of a record deal affected the Knowles family: in 1995, Mathew Knowles resigned from his job as a medical-equipment salesman, a move that reduced Knowles' family's income by half, and her parents briefly separated due to the pressure. They finally changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, which was taken from a passage in the Book of Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
. Matthew Knowles helped in negotiating a record deal with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
which signed the group in 1997. Prior to signing with Columbia, the group had recorded several tracks in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
produced by Dwayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné! is an American Soul/R&B group from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq on lead vocals and bass, and their cousin Timothy...
, including "Killing Time", which upon the label's recognition that Destiny's Child had a "unique quality", was included in the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black
Men in Black (film)
Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Marvel Comics. The film featured the creature effects...
. The group released its debut single, "No, No, No
No, No, No (Destiny's Child song)
"No No No" is an R&B song performed by American group Destiny's Child for their debut studio album Destiny's Child and the track was produced by Vincent Herbert, Rob Fusari and Wyclef Jean and received a positive reception from music critics...
", on November 11, 1997, in the United States.
1998–2000: Career breakthrough and lineup changes
Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut albumDestiny's Child (album)
Destiny's Child is the self-titled debut album of R&B group Destiny's Child, released by Columbia Records in 1998. It featured the singles "No, No, No" and "With Me" and won Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, but due to both singles having a remix as well as...
in the United States on February 17, 1998, featuring productions by Rob Fusari
Rob Fusari
Rob Fusari is a record producer and songwriter, possibly best known for his work with American recording artist Lady Gaga.-Early life:Born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey, Fusari began studying classical piano at age eight, and became so skilled as a pianist, that he started performing in...
, Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
, Dwayne Wiggins and Corey Rooney. Destiny's Child peaked at number sixty-seven on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and number fourteen on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
. It managed to sell over one million copies in the United States, earning a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). The remix version to the album's lead single, "No, No, No
No, No, No (Destiny's Child song)
"No No No" is an R&B song performed by American group Destiny's Child for their debut studio album Destiny's Child and the track was produced by Vincent Herbert, Rob Fusari and Wyclef Jean and received a positive reception from music critics...
", reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number three on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Domestically, the single sold over one million copies and certified platinum by the RIAA. Its follow-up singles, "With Me Part 1" and "Get on the Bus
Get on the Bus (song)
"Get on the Bus" is a song by Destiny's Child, released as the group's third single. The song features rapper/producer Timbaland and is lifted from the original motion picture soundtrack of Why Do Fools Fall in Love . It was the second single to be lifted from the soundtrack following Melanie B's...
" failed to reproduce the success of "No, No, No". In 1998, Destiny's Child garnered three Soul Train Lady of Soul awards Best New Artist for "No, No, No". Knowles considered their debut successful but not as huge because she claimed it a neo soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
record and was way too mature for them.
After the success of their debut album, Destiny's Child re-entered the studio quickly, bringing in a new lineup of producers, including Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs and Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
. Coming up with The Writing's on the Wall
The Writing's on the Wall
-Credits and personnel:*Bill Ortiz – trumpet*Daryl Simmons – drum programming, keyboard programming*D'Wayne Wiggins – guitar, producer*Rodney Jerkins – producer*Claudine Pontier – assistant engineer*James Hoover – engineer...
, they released it on July 27, 1999 and it eventually became their breakthrough album. The Writing's on the Wall peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and number two on R&B chart in early 2000. "Bills, Bills, Bills
Bills, Bills, Bills
"Bills, Bills, Bills" is a 1999 hit single by Destiny's Child, released as the first single from their second album The Writing's on the Wall. It echoed the female empowerment sentiments of TLC's single "No Scrubs", and featured the same producer and songwriter...
" was released in 1999 as the album's lead single and reached the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their first US number-one single. The Writing's on the Wall has been credited to as Destiny's Child's breakthrough album, spurring their career and introducing them to wider audience. The said key to the breakthrough is the album's third single, "Say My Name
Say My Name
"Say My Name" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. The song was the third single from the group's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall, released through Columbia label in 2000 . The single is the most successful of the four releases from the album and is considered to be one of their...
", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks. The successful release of the singles bolstered the album's sales, eventually selling over eight million copies in the United States, gaining eight-time platinum certification by the RIAA. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than fifteen million copies worldwide and was one of the top-selling albums of 2000.
In December 1999, Luckett and Roberson attempted to split with their manager, claiming that he kept a disproportionate share of the group's profits and unfairly favored Knowles and Rowland. While they never intended to leave the group, when the video for "Say My Name
Say My Name
"Say My Name" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. The song was the third single from the group's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall, released through Columbia label in 2000 . The single is the most successful of the four releases from the album and is considered to be one of their...
" surfaced in February 2000, Roberson and Luckett found out that two new members were joining Knowles and Rowland. Prior to the video premiere, Knowles announced on TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
that original members Luckett and Roberson had left the group. The group had included Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams (singer)
Tenitra Michelle Williams , commonly known as Michelle Williams, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress...
, a former backup singer to Monica
Monica (singer)
Monica Denise Brown , and professionally known as Monica, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Monica began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir, by the time she was ten...
, and Farrah Franklin
Farrah Franklin
Farrah Destiny Franklin is an American singer, actress, and model. She is an ex-member of Destiny's Child who replaced LaTavia Roberson; she left the group after 5 months.-Recording & movie career:...
, an aspiring singer-actress. Shortly after her stint with Monica, Williams was introduced to Destiny's Child by a choreographer friend, and was flown to Houston where she stayed with the Knowles family.
In March 2000, Roberson and Luckett took legal action suing both Mathew Knowles and their band mates for breach of partnership and fiduciary duties. Following the suit, both sides were disparaging each other in the media. Five months performing with Destiny's Child, Franklin left the group after, according to the group, being asked to leave due to missed promotional appearances and concerts. According to Williams, Franklin could not handle stress. Franklin, however, disclosed that she left because of the negativity surrounding the strife and her inability to assert any control in the decision making. Her departure was seen as less controversial. Williams, on the other hand, shared that her inclusion into the group resulted to "battling insecurity": "I was comparing myself to the other members, and the pressure was on me."
Towards the end of 2000, Roberson and Luckett dropped the portion of their lawsuit aimed at Rowland and Knowles in exchange for a settlement, though they retained one against their manager. As part of the agreement, both sides were prohibited from attacking each other publicly. Roberson and Luckett formed another girl group Anjel but were unsuccessful in record sales and publicity. Although affected by the turmoil, Destiny's Child's success continued. The following years of their career were seen as the group's most successful stretch, becoming a pop-cultural phenomenon. "Say My Name" became their second number-one and biggest single to date. The fourth single off The Writing's on the Wall, "Jumpin' Jumpin'
Jumpin' Jumpin'
"Jumpin', Jumpin" is 2000 R&B hit song by American girl group Destiny's Child. It was the fourth and final single from the group's second album, The Writing's on the Wall. The single achieved success in the charts...
", also became a top-ten hit. During this time, Destiny's Child began performing as an opening act at the concerts of pop singers Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
and Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
.
With Williams in the new lineup, Destiny's Child recorded a theme song for the soundtrack to the film version of Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels (film)
Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency...
. Released as a single in October 2000, "Independent Women Part 1" spent eleven consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 from November 2000 to January 2001, the longest-running number-one single of Destiny's Child's career and of that year in the United States. The successful release of the single boosted the sales of the soundtrack album to Charlie's Angels to 1.5 million by 2001. In 2000, Destiny's Child won Soul Train's Sammy Davis Jr. Entertainer of the Year award.
2001–2003: Survivor, subsequent releases and hiatus
At the 2001 Billboard Music Awards, Destiny's Child won several accolades, including Artist of the Year and Duo/Group of the Year, and again won Artist of the Year among five awards they snagged in 2001. In September 2000, the group took home two at the sixth annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, including R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Group for The Writing's on the Wall. Destiny's Child recorded their third album, Survivor, in late 2000 until early 2001. In the production process, Knowles assumed more control in co-producing and co-writing almost the entire album. Survivor hit record stores in the spring of 2001 and entered the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number one, selling over 663,000 copies in its first week sales. The first three singles, "Independent Women Part I
Independent Women Part I
"Independent Women" is a song by American girl group Destiny's Child. The song first appeared as the soundtrack to the 2000 film adaption of Charlie's Angels, and later included in the group's third studio album, Survivor...
", "Survivor" and "Bootylicious
Bootylicious
"Bootylicious" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. It was written and produced by Rob Fusari, Falonte Moore, and band member Beyoncé Knowles for the band's third studio album Survivor , and contains a prominent sample from the 1981 recording "Edge of Seventeen," as written and...
" reached the top three in the United States and were also successful in other countries; the first two were consecutive number-one singles in the United Kingdom. The album was certified four-time platinum in the United States and double platinum in Australia. To date, Survivor has sold over twelve million copies worldwide.
8 Days of Christmas
8 Days of Christmas is a Christmas album by R&B girl group Destiny's Child, released by Columbia Records in October 2001 in the United States .-Background:...
, which contained updated versions of several Christmas songs. The album managed to reach number thirty-four on the Billboard 200. In February 2001, Destiny's Child won two Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
awards for "Say My Name": Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best R&B Song. They also earned an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo. Also in 2001, Destiny's Child sang backup vocals for Solange Knowles
Solange Knowles
Solange Piaget Knowles , who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé, a former member of R&B group Destiny's Child...
, who was the lead, on the theme song to the animated Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
series The Proud Family
The Proud Family
The Proud Family is an American animated television series that premiered on Disney Channel from September 15, 2001 to August 19, 2005.-Production:...
. In March 2002, a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
compilation titled This Is the Remix
This Is the Remix (Destiny's Child album)
-Chart success:The album was relatively successful. This Is The Remix debuted at #29 on the Billboard 200 selling over 37,000 copies in its first week, but after only seven weeks, the album had fallen off the chart and has to date sold an estimated 100,000 copies in the US...
was released to win fans over before a new studio album would be released. The remix album reached number 29 in the United States. The album has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and lists in the List of best-selling remix album of all time. The lead single and Grammy-winning song "Survivor" was by some interpreted as a response to the strife between the band members, although Knowles claimed it was not directed at anybody. Seeing it as a breach of the agreement that barred each party from public disparagement, Roberson and Luckett once again filed a lawsuit against Destiny's Child and Sony Music, shortly following the release of This Is the Remix. In June 2002, remaining cases were settled in court.
In late 2000, Destiny's Child announced to embark on individual side projects, including releases of solo albums, an idea by their manager. In 2002, Williams released her solo album, Heart to Yours
Heart to Yours
Heart to Yours is the first solo album by American singer Michelle Williams. Released on April 16, 2002, by Sanctuary and Columbia Records it became the first solo release of any Destiny's Child member...
, a contemporary gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
collection. The album reached number one on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. In the same date Heart to Yours hit stores, Destiny's Child released their official autobiography, Soul Survivors. Rowland collaborated with hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
artist Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
on "Dilemma
Dilemma (song)
"Dilemma" is a song by the American rapper Nelly, featuring R&B singer Kelly Rowland. The single was released in 2002 from the Nelly's album Nellyville, and Rowland's album Simply Deep...
", which became a worldwide hit and earned Rowland a Grammy
Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
The Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs on which rappers and singers collaborate...
; she became the first member of Destiny's Child to have achieved a US number-one single. In the same year, Knowles co-starred with Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
in the box-office hit Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember is a 2002 American spy comedy film and the third installment of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember,...
. She recorded her first solo single, "Work It Out", for the film's soundtrack.
Simply Deep
Simply Deep is the debut solo album by American singer Kelly Rowland, first released by Columbia Records on October 28, 2002 in North America, and by February 3, 2003 throughout most international territories...
was brought forward from its early 2003 release to September 2002. Rowland's career took off internationally when Simply Deep
Simply Deep
Simply Deep is the debut solo album by American singer Kelly Rowland, first released by Columbia Records on October 28, 2002 in North America, and by February 3, 2003 throughout most international territories...
hit number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. In the same year, she made her feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
debut in the horror film Freddy vs. Jason
Freddy vs. Jason
Freddy vs. Jason is a 2003 American slasher film directed by Ronny Yu. The film is a crossover between the A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th franchises...
. Meanwhile Knowles made her second film, "The Fighting Temptations
The Fighting Temptations
The Fighting Temptations is a 2003 American musical dramedy film produced by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the film's protagonist as he attempts to revive a church choir in order to enter a gospel competition with the help of a beautiful lounge singer with whom he...
", and appeared as featured vocalist on her then-boyfriend Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's single "'03 Bonnie and Clyde", which paved the way for the release of her debut solo album.
As an upshot from the success of "Dilemma", Knowles' debut album, Dangerously in Love
Dangerously in Love
Dangerously in Love is the debut solo album of American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, released on June 22, 2003, by Columbia Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in 2002 to 2003 at several studios, during the hiatus of her then-group Destiny's Child...
, was postponed many times until June 2003. Knowles was considered the most successful among the three solo releases. Dangerously in Love debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 317,000 copies. It yielded the number-one hits "Crazy in Love", and "Baby Boy"; and the top-five singles "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl
Naughty Girl (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Naughty Girl" is song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her debut studio album, Dangerously in Love . It was written by by Knowles, Scott Storch, Robert Waller and Angela Beyincé. Produced by Beyoncé and Storch, the song continues the Western sound of "Baby Boy"...
". The album was certified 4x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). It remains as Knowles' best-selling album to date, with sales of 4.7 million copies in the United States, as of July 2009. Worldwide, the album has sold more than eleven million copies. Knowles solo debut was well-received by critics, earning five Grammy awards in one night for Dangerously in Love, tying the likes of Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
, Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
, and Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
for most Grammys received in one night by a female artist. In November 2003, Williams appeared as Aida
Aida (musical)
Aida is a musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang, and produced by Walt Disney Theatrical....
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. In January 2004, she released her second gospel album, Do You Know.
Dwayne Wiggins, who had produced their first recordings as Destiny's Child, filed suit in 2002 against his former counsel (Bloom, Hergott, Diemer & Cook LLP) seeking $15 million in damages for lessening his contractual agreement with the group without his consent, effectively nullifying his original contract that offered Sony Music/Columbia Destiny's Child's exclusive recording services for an initial seven years, in exchange for "certain royalties", instead of royalties only from the first three albums. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount.
In June 2003, Mathew Knowles announced that Destiny's Child would expand back to a quartet, revealing Knowles' younger sister, Solange
Solange Knowles
Solange Piaget Knowles , who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé, a former member of R&B group Destiny's Child...
, as the latest addition to the group. Destiny's Child had previously recorded songs with Solange and shared the stage when she temporarily replaced Rowland after she broke her toes while performing. Their manager, however, said the idea was used to test reactions from the public. In August 2003, Knowles herself confirmed that her sister would not be joining in the group, and instead promoted Solange's debut album, Solo Star
Solo Star
Solo Star is the debut album by American singer Solange Knowles, released by Columbia Records and Music World on December 26, 2002 in Japan and January 21, 2003 in the United States. It debuted and peaked at number forty-nine on the U.S...
, released in January 2003.
2004–2005: Destiny Fulfilled and final releases
Three years after the hiatus, members of Destiny's Child reunited to record their fourth and final studio album, Destiny FulfilledDestiny Fulfilled
Destiny Fulfilled is the fourth and final studio album by American R&B trio Destiny's Child, first released in North America on November 16, 2004. It marked the return of Destiny's Child after it went into hiatus, which allowed each member to release solo albums...
. The album introduces the trio to a harder, "urban" sound, and songs featured are conceptually interrelated. Destiny Fulfilled saw equality in the trio: each member contributed to writing on the majority songs, as well as becoming executive producers aside from their manager.
Released on November 15, 2004, Destiny Fulfilled failed to top Survivor; the album reached number two the following week, selling 497,000 copies in its first week, compared to 663,000 for the previous album. Certified three-time platinum in the United States, it was still one of the best-selling albums of 2005, selling over eight million copies worldwide; it pushed the group back into the position of the best-selling female group and American group of the year. Four singles were released from the album: the lead "Lose My Breath
Lose My Breath
"Lose My Breath" is an R&B song performed by the American group Destiny's Child. It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins III, Sean Garrett, and Shawn Corey "Jay-Z" Carter for Destiny's Child's fourth studio album, Destiny...
", "Soldier", "Cater 2 U
Cater 2 U
"Cater 2 U" is a song by American recording trio Destiny's Child, taken from their fourth studio Destiny Fulfilled . It was written by band members Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Ricky "Ric Rude" Lewis and Robert Waller, with Knowles, Rude and...
" and "Girl
Girl (Destiny's Child song)
"Girl" is an R&B song performed by R&B girl group Destiny's Child. It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Rodney Jerkins, Ric Rude, Angela Beyince, Sean Garrett, and Patrick Douthit for Destiny's Child fourth studio album Destiny Fulfilled...
"; the first two reached number three in the United States. "Soldier" "Cater 2 U" were certified platinum by the RIAA in 2006.
To promote the album, Destiny's Child embarked on their worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It Tour. On June 11, 2005, while at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain, the group announced before 16,000 people their official breakup. Destiny's Child claimed, however, that naming it Destiny Fulfilled was not a coincidence of sort. Right in the making of the album, they planned to part ways after their fourteen-year career as a group to facilitate their continued pursuit in individual aspirations. Knowles stated that their destinies were already fulfilled. The group exclusively sent a letter to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
about the decision:
We have been working together as Destiny's Child since we were 9, and touring together since we were 14. After a lot of discussion and some deep soul searching, we realized that our current tour has given us the opportunity to leave Destiny's Child on a high note, united in our friendship and filled with an overwhelming gratitude for our music, our fans, and each other. After all these wonderful years working together, we realized that now is the time to pursue our personal goals and solo efforts in earnest...No matter what happens, we will always love each other as friends and sisters and will always support each other as artists. We want to thank all of our fans for their incredible love and support and hope to see you all again as we continue fulfilling our destinies.
—Destiny's Child, MTV
Destiny's Child released their greatest hits album, #1's
Number 1's (Destiny's Child album)
#1's is a compilation album released by R&B group Destiny's Child containing songs from their albums The Writing's on the Wall, Survivor, This Is The Remix, and Destiny Fulfilled...
, on October 25, 2005. The compilation includes their number-one hits including "Independent Woman Part 1", "Say My Name" and "Bootylicious". Three new tracks were recorded for the compilation including "Stand Up For Love
Stand up for Love
"Stand Up for Love" was the last song of the group and first and only single from Destiny's Child's greatest hits album, #1's. Released in 2005, the single became Destiny's Child's first single to fail to chart in the United States...
", which was recorded for the theme song to the World Children's Day, and "Check on It
Check on It
"Check on It" is a song performed by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, featuring American rapper Slim Thug. It was composed by Knowles, Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, Sean Garrett, Angela Beyincé and Stayve Thomas. The song was supposed to be featured on the soundtrack album for 2006 film The Pink...
", a song Knowles recorded for The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther (2006 film)
The Pink Panther is a 2006 American comedy film and a reboot of The Pink Panther film series. In this film, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is assigned to solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and the theft of the famous Pink Panther diamond. The film also stars Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily...
s soundtrack. #1's was also released as a DualDisc
DualDisc
DualDisc was a type of double-sided optical disc product developed by a group of record companies including EMI Music, Universal Music Group, Sony/BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and 5.1 Entertainment Group and later under the aegis of the Recording Industry Association of America...
, featuring the same track listing, seven videos of selected songs and a trailer of the concert DVD Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta. The DVD was filmed during the Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
visit of the Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It
Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It
Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It Tour was a massive worldwide 2005 concert tour by the reunited American female R&B trio Destiny's Child, that visited 16 countries throughout Australia, Japan, Middle East, Europe, and North America with 67 dates in total. The U.S...
tour, and was released on March 28, 2006. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA, denoting shipments of over one million units.
The title of the compilation fueled a ripple as it contained number-one singles, although not exclusively. While the liner notes of the compilation does not present any information regarding commercial performances of the songs featured, writer Keith Caulfield of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine suggested that the name could only be "a marketing angle". Despite this, journalist Chris Harris of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
said that it "lives up to its name"; #1's debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with sales of 113,000 in the first week and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). "Stand Up For Love" was released as Destiny's Child's last single.
Disbandment and recent projects
Destiny's Child reunited for a farewell performance at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game2006 NBA All-Star Game
The 2006 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 19, 2006 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, home of the Houston Rockets. The game was the 55th annual All-Star game...
on February 19 in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
; however, Knowles commented, "It's the last album, but it's not the last show." Their final televised performance was at the Fashion Rocks benefit concert in New York at the same month. On March 28, 2006, Destiny's Child was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
, the 2,035th recipient of the coveted recognition. At the 2006 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
, Destiny's Child won Best Group, a category they also earned in 2005 and 2001.
After their formal disbandment, all members continued on their solo projects including LeToya Luckett
LeToya Luckett
LeToya Nicole Luckett , known professionally as LeToya, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She was a member of the R&B group Destiny's Child, with whom she won two Grammy Awards and released many successful commercial recordings.After signing a record deal with Capitol Records, she's...
, who released her debut solo album, LeToya
LeToya (album)
LeToya is the debut studio album by American R&B singer LeToya Luckett, released by Capitol Records on July 25, 2006 in the United States. The album spawned three singles: "Torn", "She Don't" and "Obvious". Besides the officially released singles, LeToya's debut album also includes the promo...
, in July 2006, peaking at number-one on the Billboard 200. Knowles co-starred in the 2006 comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther (2006 film)
The Pink Panther is a 2006 American comedy film and a reboot of The Pink Panther film series. In this film, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is assigned to solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and the theft of the famous Pink Panther diamond. The film also stars Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily...
, for which she recorded the number-one single "Check on It
Check on It
"Check on It" is a song performed by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, featuring American rapper Slim Thug. It was composed by Knowles, Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, Sean Garrett, Angela Beyincé and Stayve Thomas. The song was supposed to be featured on the soundtrack album for 2006 film The Pink...
". She landed a role in Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls (film)
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006...
, the film adaptation of the 1981 hit Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical about a 1960s singing group loosely based on Motown
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
all-female group The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
. In the film, she portrays the Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
-based character Deena Jones. Inspired by her role in the film, she went to crafting her second solo album, aptly titled B'Day
B'Day
B'Day is the second studio album by American R&B recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released on September 4, 2006 by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Music and Sony Urban Music. It was released to coincide with Knowles' twenty-fifth birthday. The album was originally planned for a...
, released on September 4, 2006 in the United States to coincide her birthday. Knowles' music video to her single "Get Me Bodied
Get Me Bodied
"Get Me Bodied" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written by Beyoncé Knowles, Sean Garrett, Solange Knowles, Angela Beyince, Makeba Riddick, and Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, and produced by Swizz Beatz, Beyoncé and Sean Garrett, for Knowles' second solo studio...
" features Rowland, Williams, and Knowles' sister Solange
Solange Knowles
Solange Piaget Knowles , who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé, a former member of R&B group Destiny's Child...
. The video was released on the B'Day Anthology video album in April 2007. Knowles said: "It really sets the tone of the video, because you feel like you're there for part of the experience."
In 2007, Rowland released her second solo album, Ms. Kelly
Ms. Kelly
Ms. Kelly is the second solo studio album by American R&B singer Kelly Rowland. It was released by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Entertainment and Sony Music during the third quarter of 2007, beginning with most European territories on June 22...
. On June 26, 2007, the group made a mini-reunion at the 2007 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
. Knowles performed "Get Me Bodied" with special guests Williams, Solange Knowles, and Mo'Nique. After her performance, Knowles introduced Rowland who performed her single "Like This
Like This (Kelly Rowland song)
"Like This" is a R&B song by American singer Kelly Rowland. It features guest vocals by rapper Eve and was written by Sean Garrett, Rowland, Eve, Jamal Jones, Elvis "BlacElvis" Williams, and Jason Perry and co-produced by Polow da Don, S-Dot, Garrett, Perry, and Williams for Rowland's second studio...
" with Eve
Eve (rapper)
Eve Jihan Jeffers , is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actress. Her first three albums have reached a total of over 8 million albums sold worldwide. She has also achieved success in fashion as she started a clothing line titled "Fetish." She won a Grammy Award in 2002 for the...
. On the September 2, 2007 Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
stop of The Beyoncé Experience
The Beyoncé Experience
The Beyoncé Experience was the second worldwide concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé in support to her second solo album B'Day. According to Vibe, the tour grossed over $18.1 million.-Background:...
tour, Knowles sang a snippet of "Survivor" with Rowland and Williams, it was the first time they were singing a song together since the last date on their world tour, Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin 'It. The latter two rendered a "Happy Birthday" song to Knowles. The performance was featured in Knowles' tour DVD, The Beyoncé Experience Live!
The Beyoncé Experience Live!
The Beyoncé Experience Live is a live DVD by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles that was released in the US on November 20, 2007 and was released on November 26 in the UK. It was shot in Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, on September 2, 2007 during her worldwide tour The Beyoncé Experience...
, released on November 20, 2007. In spring 2008 Rowland released a repackaged, reworked version of her 2007 album under the title Ms. Kelly Deluxe. This in turn spawned a UK Top 20 single with her newly-recorded cover of the Seventies Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
track Daylight
Daylight
Daylight or the light of day is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight outdoors during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and both of these reflected from the Earth and terrestrial objects. Sunlight scattered or reflected from objects in outer space is...
, which featured Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes is an American hip hop rock band from Geneva, New York. They have collaborated with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump on numerous occasions, notably for providing backing vocals on the song "Cupid's Chokehold." Stump also produced the majority of their album The Quilt.The group formed...
rapper Travis McCoy. Knowles recorded a cover of Billy Joel's "Honesty" which was included on a Mathew Knowles
Mathew Knowles
Mathew Knowles is an American music executive and manager. He is the father and former manager of R&B singer Beyoncé , Knowles also managed Kelly Rowland as well as girl group Destiny's Child . He was also the manager of Solange Knowles.-Manager and producer:Knowles is an alumnus of Fisk...
/Music World CD released only in Japan towards the end of June 2008 to celebrate the tenth-year anniversary of Destiny's Child. Williams released her first non-Gospel third solo album, Unexpected
Unexpected (Michelle Williams album)
Unexpected is the third solo studio album by American singer Michelle Williams, released via Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment in North America on October 7, 2008 . It is Williams' first full length dance-influenced commercial pop album, moving away from the gospel style of her...
, in October 2008, with several of the tracks boasting an uptempo Euro-dance flavour. The following month, Knowles released her third studio solo album, I Am… Sasha Fierce
I Am… Sasha Fierce
I Am... Sasha Fierce is the third studio album by American R&B recording artist Beyoncé. It was released on November 18, 2008, by Columbia Records. The album was released in dual disc format, in which both discs represent a contrasting facet to Knowles' personality and musical style...
. In the summer of 2009, Williams made history by becoming the first African-American actress to play murderous chorus-girl Roxie Hart
Roxie Hart
Roxanne "Roxie" Hart is a fictional showgirl in various adaptations of the same story. She first appeared in the 1926 play Chicago written by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins. Watkins was inspired by the real-life unrelated 1924 murder trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, which she covered for...
in the London West End run of the stage musical Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
. In June 2010, Rowland released "Commander
Commander (song)
"Commander" is a song performed by American recording artist Kelly Rowland from her third studio album, Here I Am . It serves as the project's international lead single and her debut release with Universal Motown...
", the first single from her forthcoming album Here I Am. Beyoncé released the single "Run the World (Girls)
Run the World (Girls)
"Run the World " is a song performed by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. It was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Knowles, Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, David "Switch" Taylor, and Adidja Palmer and produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Shea Taylor...
" from her fourth studio album, 4
4 (Beyoncé Knowles album)
4 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released through Columbia Records on June 24, 2011. Three weeks before its scheduled release, 4 leaked in full. The twelve-song set marks the first release by Knowles since separating professionally with father and manager,...
, in April 2011.
Philanthropy
In 2005, record producer David FosterDavid Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
, his daughter Amy Foster-Gillies and Knowles wrote "Stand Up for Love
Stand up for Love
"Stand Up for Love" was the last song of the group and first and only single from Destiny's Child's greatest hits album, #1's. Released in 2005, the single became Destiny's Child's first single to fail to chart in the United States...
" as the anthem to the World Children's Day
Children's Day
"Children Day", as an event, is celebrated on various days in many places around the world, in particular to honor children. Major global variants include a Universal Children's Day on November 20, by United Nations recommendation...
, an annual worldwide event to raise awareness and funds for children causes. Over the past three years, more than $50 million have been raised to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities and other children's organizations. Destiny's Child lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the 2005 program.
Rowland and Knowles, along with the latter's family, founded the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up for the purpose of providing transitional housing for the Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas area. The Survivor Foundation extended the mission of the Knowles-Rowland Center For Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, Destiny's Child canceled a European tour and performed in a concert benefit for the survivors.
Style and themes
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
songs with styles that encompasses urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
, contemporary
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, and dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
. Destiny's Child revealed that R&B singer Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
is one of their influences. Ann Powers of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described Destiny's Child music as "fresh and emotional ... these ladies have the best mixes, the savviest samples and especially the most happening beats." In the same publication, Jon Pareles noted that the sound that defines Destiny's Child, aside from Knowles' voice, "is the way its melodies jump in and out of double-time. Above brittle, syncopated rhythm
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
tracks, quickly articulated verses alternate with smoother choruses." The group usually harmonize their vocals in their songs, especially on the ballads. In most instances of their songs, each member sings one verse and chimes in at the chorus. In Survivor, each members sings lead in the majority of the album: "... everybody is a part of the music ... Everybody is singing lead on every song, and it's so great — because now Destiny's Child is at the point vocally and mentally that it should be at." Knowles, however, completely lead songs like "Brown Eyes" and "Dangerously in Love". The group explored their lyrics to man-to-woman relationship, and sisterhood and female empowerment anthems.
Survivor contains themes interpreted by the public as a reference to the group's internal conflict. The title track, "Survivor", which set the theme used throughout the album, features the lyrics "I'm not gonna blast you on the radio ... I'm not gonna lie on you or your family ... I'm not gonna hate you in the magazine" caused LaTavia and LeToya Luckett
LeToya Luckett
LeToya Nicole Luckett , known professionally as LeToya, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She was a member of the R&B group Destiny's Child, with whom she won two Grammy Awards and released many successful commercial recordings.After signing a record deal with Capitol Records, she's...
to file a lawsuit against the group; the lyrics were perceived to be a violation over their agreement following a settlement in court. In an interview, Knowles commented: "The lyrics to the single 'Survivor' are Destiny's Child's story, because we've been through a lot, ... We went through our drama with the members ... Any complications we've had in our 10-year period of time have made us closer and tighter and better." In another song called "Fancy", which contains the lyrics "You always tried to compete with me, girl ... find your own identity", was interpreted by critic David Browne, in his review of the album for Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
magazine, as a response to the lawsuit. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic summarized Survivor as "a determined, bullheaded record, intent on proving Destiny's Child has artistic merit largely because the group survived internal strife. ... It's a record that tries to be a bold statement of purpose, but winds up feeling forced and artificial." Albeit critical praise to Destiny's Child's records, Knowles' close involvement in their projects have generated criticisms. Knowles wrote and co-produced the bulk of Survivor. Browne suggested that her help made Survivor a "premature, but inevitable, growing pains album".
Public image
Destiny's Child were compared to The SupremesThe Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, a 1960s American female singing group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
, with which Knowles had been equated to as the Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, the frontwoman of The Supremes; Knowles, however, dismissed the notion. Ironically, she starred in the film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls (film)
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006...
as Deena Jones, the front woman of the Dreams, a female singing group based on the Supremes. With Knowles' wide role assumed in the production of Survivor, Gil Kaufman of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
noted that "it became clear that Beyoncé was emerging as DC's unequivocal musical leader and public face". Her dominance to the creative input in the album made the album "very much her work". For Lola Ogunnaike of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "It's been a long-held belief in the music industry that Destiny's Child was little more than a launching pad for Beyoncé Knowles's inevitable solo career."
In the wake of Knowles' Dangerously in Love, rumors spread about possible split of Destiny's Child after each member had experienced success and had ongoing projects. Comparisons were drawn to Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, who did not return to band 'N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
after his breakthrough debut solo album, Justified
Justified (album)
Justified is the debut album by American pop singer Justin Timberlake. Released during the hiatus of the group *NSYNC, the album signaled Timberlake's desire to craft a more mature image than that of a "boy band member". The album features guest performances by Timbaland, Clipse, Bubba Sparxxx, and...
. Rowland responded to such rumors, announcing they were back in the studio together. The group claimed that the reunion was destined to happen and that their affinity to each other kept them cohesive. Margeaux Watson, arts editor at Suede magazine, suggests that "the star does not want to appear disloyal to her former partners," and called Beyoncé's decision to return to the group "a charitable one". Knowles' mother, Tina, wrote a 2002-published book, titled Destiny's Style: Bootylicious Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Secrets From Destiny's Child, an account of how fashion had an impact on Destiny's Child's success.
Discography
Studio albums- 1998: Destiny's ChildDestiny's Child (album)Destiny's Child is the self-titled debut album of R&B group Destiny's Child, released by Columbia Records in 1998. It featured the singles "No, No, No" and "With Me" and won Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, but due to both singles having a remix as well as...
- 1999: The Writing's on the WallThe Writing's on the Wall-Credits and personnel:*Bill Ortiz – trumpet*Daryl Simmons – drum programming, keyboard programming*D'Wayne Wiggins – guitar, producer*Rodney Jerkins – producer*Claudine Pontier – assistant engineer*James Hoover – engineer...
- 2001: Survivor
- 2001: 8 Days of Christmas8 Days of Christmas8 Days of Christmas is a Christmas album by R&B girl group Destiny's Child, released by Columbia Records in October 2001 in the United States .-Background:...
- 2004: Destiny FulfilledDestiny FulfilledDestiny Fulfilled is the fourth and final studio album by American R&B trio Destiny's Child, first released in North America on November 16, 2004. It marked the return of Destiny's Child after it went into hiatus, which allowed each member to release solo albums...
Other albums
- 2002: This Is the RemixThis Is the Remix (Destiny's Child album)-Chart success:The album was relatively successful. This Is The Remix debuted at #29 on the Billboard 200 selling over 37,000 copies in its first week, but after only seven weeks, the album had fallen off the chart and has to date sold an estimated 100,000 copies in the US...
- 2005: #1'sNumber 1's (Destiny's Child album)#1's is a compilation album released by R&B group Destiny's Child containing songs from their albums The Writing's on the Wall, Survivor, This Is The Remix, and Destiny Fulfilled...
See also
- Girl groupGirl groupA girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
- List of best-selling girl groups
- List of best-selling music artists
External links
- Destiny's Child — official website
- Destiny's Child discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...